About the body
Often people attribute body complaints
to growing older, as though such changes were inevitable. In truth, the musculoskeletal system has the ability to remain strong, flexible, and open well into old age. I find that the majority of peoples’ aches and pains are their body’s ways of telling them where there are slowly accumulating problems.
Tissue shortening is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is very gradual. It can be counteracted by movement and stretching, however for long term change, bodywork is the only truly effective remedy I have found. Unlike movement and stretching which bring relief but don't actually change the structure of the tissue, bodywork restores the tissue's natural length. This is easy to demonstrate through palpation. Ask me to show you at your next session.
By the time people realize they have problems, they are usually fairly progressed because earlier stages often go unnoticed. Initially, it is as if the body is talking in a low voice and occasionally. At the point where the problems draw a person's attention, they might have developed trigger points or the shortening is affecting a joint. He/she might be experiencing pain, achiness, or nerve compression, have difficulty with certain movements/positions, or find that joint compression is causing deterioration/cartilage wear. If the tissue around the joint shortens and pulls unevenly, it can create joint instability setting it up for injury.
It is best to address this tissue shortening in the early stages.
Luckily, soft tissue is very adaptable. Just as it conforms to those forces which bring it out of alignment, it also responds beautifully to therapeutic interventions and can largely be restored to its original texture/length.