The human body never stops working to maintain its natural equilibrium, using many of its own built-in processes to keep mechanical and neurological function in a workable range. Given time and the right conditions, the body repairs itself. What gets lost is the noticing. Modern life steadily erodes our habit of registering what the body is actually telling us. Communication between the brain and the body is a vital inner relationship we need to be more aware of.
When the body is struggling with certain processes, hands-on work is among the least invasive options available, and combined with specific techniques it can give the body room to recover on its own terms, building a stronger network between body and mind.
To understand better the human body, we need to be aware of the over 200 cell types. They are organized into four main tissue categories: epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous. Each type has distinct functions essential for overall health and maintenance.
Any disruption in their structure may indicate injury or disease, which can be detected through histology, the microscopic examination of tissue appearance, organization, and function.
Mind + Body Techniques
How does the body clean, repair, restore, prepare, awaken or express itself?
Sometimes we notice tiny indications from our body that tell us if something is going fabulously or possibly atrociously in the form of a warning. These small indications or warnings should never be ignored, rather we are influenced by and tune-in to what our body is trying to tell us.
Circulation
The feeling of “pins & needles“ or when a limb feels numb (parasthesia), Is usually the nerves around that area of discomfort turning back online, regaining consciousness and circulation.
There are two main types of “tingles”; 1-Transient (temporary) or 2-Persistent (chronic).
Even if this feeling lasts only a moment and/ or accompanied by feeling drowsy, low energy (even after a deep sleep), dizziness, poor concentration, cramps, headaches, fluid retention, dry skin, no appetite or shortness of breath, these warning signs are worth noticing, and worth mentioning to a doctor if they persist.
Most of the time, that weird pins and needles feeling is just a harmless quirk we all get now and then. But sometimes, it can be a sign of something more serious. If a nerve gets badly hurt, like in an accident, it might stay stuck in that prickly stage, causing constant pain. Think of things like carpal tunnel syndrome or diabetic neuropathy – here, pins and needles can be a warning signal.
If you’re getting this feeling a lot, especially with other symptoms like weakness, it might mean there’s a bigger issue with your nerves. If it sticks around or gets worse, it’s a good idea to chat with your healthcare provider.
Sensation that keeps returning to the same place is worth paying attention to, and it is worth having checked if it persists. What hands-on work can do is change how that area feels and moves, and how clearly it reports back.
Circulation is the oldest claim in massage, and the least settled.
Pain types
Nociceptive (tissue damage)
Most common, usually acute and changing depending on movement, load and position.
Neuropathic (nerve damage)
When the nervous system (peripheral and/or central) is damaged physically or by disease. Usually chronic (nerves heal very slowly)
Nociplastic Pain (combination)
Nociplastic (or Algopathic/ nocipathic) pain is the kind of pain that’s a bit of a mystery. It comes from altered nociception (messed-up pain signals) even though there’s no obvious injury or nerve damage. Think of algopathic pain as “pain disease” in fancy Greek terms. It’s like your body playing tricks on you, making you feel pain for no clear reason.
Somatic
Pain is experienced in the skin, muscles, bones, and joints.
Visceral
Pain of organs, in the thoracic or abdominal cavities.
Posture
Changes in temperature directly effect the way we hold our bodies. Arching backs or raised shoulders for example, help to trap in our body heat and is an automatic response we don’t need to think about.
However, awareness in which direction our body is holding itself can not only prevent staying in the same
posture too long, but also build strength (when needed) around the spine for easier mechanical support against gravity and emotions.
Our muscles remember what position to stay in, wether good or bad.
Nutrition
A big reason our immune system evolved the way it did is to keep the peace with our gut microbes. It works hard to manage how these microbes interact with our body and to keep the microbial mix just right.
Thirst is a useful signal and worth answering when it arrives.
Craving certain foods or listening to our stomach making noises does not necessarily mean we need to eat. Eating intuitively can give the stomach a chance to “breathe”.
The stomach needs to clean itself and engage with the immune system for building a stronger defense against microbial pathogens, injury or infection.
Our gut’s immune system is like a superhero with a tough job. It has to deal with a massive crowd of microbes without causing chaos. To keep things running smoothly, it uses two clever tricks.
First, it keeps bacteria at arm’s length from our gut lining (stratification).
Second, it traps any sneaky bacteria that get through and stops them from causing trouble elsewhere in the body (compartmentalization).
This way, our gut stays healthy and avoids any messy situations!
Allergic responses such as puffy eyes, a runny nose or sneezing are the immune system reacting to something it has flagged, rather than a nutritional signal. Worth noticing, and worth getting properly identified.
Massage Modalities
• Trigger-point therapy
• Lymphatic drainage
• Joint mobilisation techniques
• Classic massage (Swedish)
• Sports massage
• Kinesio-Taping
• Deep tissue
• Shiatsu
• Myofascial release
It is possible for all of these techniques to be used during the same treatment, flowing seamlessly through accurate movements, anatomically preparing the layers of tissue, working with and preparing the nervous system (peripheral and central) to allow for maximum effect.
Myo (muscle) + fascia = myofascial
Myofascial refers to the layer of tissue (fascia) that surrounds muscle individually. Like a spiders web in and around the body, this fascia network flows continuously through the body covering all internal organs (visceral fascia), all muscles, bones and nerves (deep fascia) and under the skin (superficial fascia).
Read about myotherapy
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