Therapeutic Hands

The human hand is quite honestly the most under-appreciated and under-valued tool in the therapists toolbox.  The last 5 decades of traditional "therpay" have been dominated by electronic modalities such as Muscle Stim, Ultrasound, T.E.N.S., etc...which have by default relegated the use of the hands to some sort of "B-League" status.  In essense, the general procedure is to assess with the hands and then confirm with some diagnistic "tool".  The most efficient approach is not only different from this, it is completely the opposite.

Every person has within them a highly efficient sensory tool known as the hand.  Without exception, every one of us has flipped through a magazine, novel, or textbook...and on occasion, this flipping results in turning 2 pages over instead of one.  This is IMMEDIATELY registered in your brain and you go back on page and resume your reading.  How thick is 1 sheet of paper? If you actually Google this precise question, you will get 0.0038 inches.  This is extremely thin...an understatement if ever I heard one.  Therefore this means that everyone has a built-in sesnory capacity to sense variations of around 0.0038 inches.  When you couple this with accurate, real-time 3-dimension perspective...a hands-on live assessment and evaluation goes a long way!  There is no modality or electronic device capable of such accuracy...nor is there on expected in the near future.  So....the "true" confirmation should be done with the hands, and the various diagnostic tools should service this confirmation.

This information should help to solidify the reality that massage therapy is by far the most reliable intervention that exists today.  From the mechanical perspective, it faciliates the movement of interstitial fluid which is responsible for the transportation of nutrients thorughout the bosy as well as removal of metabolic waste.  In addition, it is a fundamental element in tissue maintenance.  If we expand further into the long term mechanical perspective, consistent mechanical stimulation of the tissue (and movement of fluid) potentiate the development and maintenance of strength.  It has also been shown that the physical contact that occurs in a typical massage therpay session results in productive changes in body voltage and therefore reduces effective energy costs.  The body undergoes the process of entropy, therefore the conservation of energy is vital sustaining health. 

From the physical realm to the more "intangible" domain of relaxation, massage therapy incorporate various sounds, scents, and textures that contribute to the qualitative benefits.  Relaxation is a qualitative state...in other words, it cannot be measured quantitatively.  "How relaxed are you" is not answered with a number of set of units...more relaxed, or less relaxed is the likely option of responses.  The state of relaxation is medically defined as "refreshment of the body or mind" therefore it is an active contributor to the natural recovery process of the body.  In essense, focused strategies that service our built-in capacity to heal facilitate the range and reach of all other therapeutic interventions. 

As DaVinci once quoted: "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"...and this most definitely applies within the therapeutic world.  The use of the healing hand is essentially one of the most powerful catalysts in the restoration of better health.  It does not plug into the wall nor does it have fancy flashing lights, but it is the most reliable and efficient "modality" every therapist has...so use it! 

Cheers!