I have often been asked how I treat and what form of diagnosis I use. It is simply listening to the client’s presentation of physical symptoms, dealing with these on a physical level and while doing this allowing my palpatory perceptions to get to the real problem.
I’m calling this account a case study but in fact it focusses on the changes and revelations experienced by the client and how a diagnosis reveals itself over a number of sessions. As I am trying to get across my own way of working, you will see that I omit diagnostic models. But,if you want to discuss these below, I’d be happy to hear your opinions. I have called the client Lucy although this is not her real name. Here’s the story:
“Lucy”
A female client presented with the usual low back pain, tight shoulders and neck. She also complained of digestive problems, and the inability to cope with pressure changes in the atmosphere. This latter caused pain in the ears and gave her frontal and side head pain and often brought on the reflux.
She had seen all the relevant western medical specialists for the pressure pain in her head and was told that there was nothing wrong and that possibly the pain would eventually go away. In so many words, ” Clear off, there’s nothing we can do.”
She is in her mid thirties with three children, the first two were born with no problems and naturally, the third by caesarian section. At 7 and a half months into her third pregnancy she developed a large cyst in her right inguinal crease. She thought she would lose the child and that the growth was cancerous. The cyst was surgically removed and she had a c-section to avoid possible further internal damage during a normal childbirth because the surgery had left weaknesses within the gut.
The child was born fit and well 18 months ago.
She works 9-5 in front a of a computer and rarely takes any breaks.
Shortly after this third birth she was travelling on a high speed train which entered a tunnel and the pressure change of this brought on the first incidence of pain. This has since become the norm for her when this happens, e.g. closing the door after getting into the car, riding in the lift and air travel is impossible.
Physical examination revealed the following:-
1. Anterior rotation of the right ilium
2. Rotation to the left of the sacrum in the sagittal plane
3. Extreme tension in both gluteals creating lateral splaying of the feet but worse on the right
4. All the muscles of her back were board hard
5. Pain on palpation of Yu Points at Heart, Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach, Triple Heater, Kidney, Large Intestine
6. Governing Vessel showed blockages at Small Intestine, Kidney and Heart at the level of the Yu Points
Because I felt that this was a “special case” I broke my own rule of NOT doing a Hara diagnosis on a first appointment, did one and found Stomach full and hard and Kidney very active but bottomless and cold.
The First Session:
Concentrated on getting her to feel safe and comfortable with me, (working GV/Ki). I wanted to find out what her body was holding. I also released the gluteals, lower back and re oriented the ilium and sacrum.
She experienced warmth in her back and her headache disappeared. Both of these sensations were a first since the birth of her third (yes, she has had a headache since her third child was born).
I told her that this bodywork process would take several if not many sessions and that within the process she would have to make changes in her life
The Second Session:
On arrival, she reported a lessening of headache frequency and greater general flexibility. Very positive about outcomes and reported that she was now taking a break every 20 minutes when in front of her computer, was eating better and involving her partner in more childcare when they were both at home.
This session continued work via the Kidneys and into Small Intestine along the iliocostalis muscles. This latter was extremely painful even with the light touch of fascial work to assist release.
She became very emotional and burst into uncontrollable floods of tears. I stopped the session and allowed her to recover somewhat and she then told me her emotional story.
In brief:-
Controlled by parents on an emotional level, i.e. not allowed to express her emotions. As a small child she was distressed by continual parental arguments, was afraid of a family breakup but controlled her anger and fear at the restrictions placed upon her.
She moved away from her home area as soon as she could, but found relationships difficult due to her fears around them. She has, however had a stable, if somewhat one-sided relationship with the father of her children. But she is now frightened of further pregnancies since she has been told by her gynaecologist that this would be dangerous, due to the surgery to remove the cyst and c-section leaving physical weakness in her lower abdomen.
She has a long term hormonal contraceptive device fitted with which she is not at all happy. Her partner is very resistant to having a vasectomy. The train journey which initiated the pressure pain was to see her dying father.
Third session:
She reported fewer incidences of head pain when in pressure change situations. Back pain in shoulders and neck were troublesome intermittently. Overall she is a changed person, smiling, agile and positive that her condition will continue to improve and is also experiencing fewer incidents of reflux.
“So how did the bodywork create the change?
The release of pain in her lower back from readjusting the pelvis and softening quadratus lumborum via deep Kidney work also released some of the fear.
There is a strong correlation between the muscles of the lower burner and the shoulder girdle. Releasing the lower burner including the diaphragm of the perineum assisted the other three diaphragm releases. This allowed her breathing to slow and deepen further supporting kidney function.
Her long held emotional blockages in Small Intestine, when released, allowed the deep pain in her heart to be expressed via the tongue (telling her story) . This allowed a dumping of psychological baggage further freeing her.
The train journey was taking her back into a situation which would not bring resolution to old emotional situations, and there would be no time to talk to her dying father to resolve these. Her apprehension toward the impending but inevitable death created a subconscious terror. This terror was controlled like all her previous emotional experiences.
It was simple deduction, if some might say “cod psychology” to relate the fear (Kidney) to the malfunction of her ears.
The reason I have written this partial and incomplete history is to try to explain my approach to this client.
So many people have a carapace of protection which they have created over long periods of time. This shield is often not against the outside world, although it may be, but mostly about not allowing themselves to experience their painful memories in the here and now and resolving them. It’s what talking therapies are mainly about.
However, as body workers, we know that the body memory is just as powerful as the mental one. This memory has a limit, and when full, dis-ease and its symptoms often manifest physically in areas of the body psychologically connected to the causative factors. If we are to make a difference for our clients we need to find a way through this carapace and find the relevant ongoing support for them.
In this case, I have used extremes of contact. Very light fascial unwinding to allow some muscle softening and deep, often painful work into the gluteals legs and feet.
Clearing the lower burner has been paramount, in conjunction with opening the four transverse diaphragms. To allow a re-integration of the information systems via the deep organ fascia. This will I hope lead to a cleared flow of energies at all levels.
I have no idea whether the pain caused by atmospheric pressure change will resolve, but I am heartened by the fact that during a further session she experienced what she called a “panic attack”. This happened whilst I was holding, very gently the adjacent points of Small Intestine 17 and Triple Heater 18, both of which have effects on the chest and hearing.
Why heartened ? Because, for me, this indicated a connection between her painful hearing experience and the deep fascial work I had been doing earlier in the treatment.
I have not given Zen or TCM diagnoses but feel free to comment on this. I would love to have your observations and any questions you might have.
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