TOUCH CAN AFFECT THE EMOTIONS THAT WORDS CANNOT REACH – THE ROLE MYOFASCIAL STRUCTURES IN INTEROCEPTION, EMOTIONS AND BODY AWARENESS
Tiina Lahtinen-Suopanki, BSc, PT
Orton Oy, Helsinki, Finland
tiina.lahtinen-suopanki@fasciamanipulaatio.fi
Background
Interoception is the sense of the physiological condition of the body mapping the body´s internal landscape moment by moment. It is a multifaceted process that is being more and more studied within the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience and biomedical science. Bodily responding and its perception are key processes in the construction of emotion experience and could be of great significance for many psychological functions. In this way interoception can provide a direct bridge between the biological and psychological functions.
The whole skin and myofascial tissue functions as an interoceptive sensitive substrate. Majority of the receptors in myofascial tissues are free nerve endings whose input convey information from the body physiology. This interoceptive-insular pathway is deeply linked with the autonomic and emotional brain areas along with the neuro-anatomical correlates of verbal and non-verbal memory storage. This pathway serves as the substrate for the emergence of body awareness and is also considered central in normal or psychosomatic functioning.
Purpose
Painful memories are written in the body´s memory and the ”scars” in the body remind of these events and can lead to psychosomatic, medically unexplained, symptoms. Many bodywork methods use movement to induce ”here and now” perception of the body helping patients to regain contact with their body but at times the movement alone is not sufficient to recreate perceptive harmony. Touch can both communicate and elicit emotions and hands on techniques can promote positive emotional responses like feelings of safety and relaxation.
Methods
The therapist is able by treating the myofascial structures to communicate and elicit emotions and reduce negative affective feelings, avoidance and stress-related biomarkers through the deactivation of systems related with stressful response. In this way the hands -on therapy offer the patient the chance to discriminate between safe and threatening stimuli, promoting the conscious perception of an intact body. Realizing that the body is not damaged, nor threatened reduces anxiety, avoidance and defensive responses.
Results
Results are presented via case-reports from patients who have suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and chronic pain and have been treated by Fascial Manipulation.
Conclusions
From a biopsychological viewpoint, it has been interesting to note how memories of long-forgotten traumas and accidents, fears and previous pain experiences can emerge during treatment of myofascial structures. Post-traumatic dysfunctions often present as musculoskeletal pain. The connection between the traumatized body part and the emotions evoked when that part is touched surprises the patient, and it very often represents the first step to recovery. This close relationship between fascial-orientated work and evoked emotions has also been a major step forward in the treatment of patients with long-standing pain states, particularly in those that have very sparse medical findings.
Key words
interoception, emotions ,fascia, fascial manipulation