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Acceleration/Deceleration of the Aging Process
There are some very logical reasons to find that manual therapy may impact the process of aging, starting with the idea that we may allow the process to be one of comfort rather than pain. We can, however, go further. Most people assume an obvious link between the structure of the body and its function. As the body structurally breaks down there is an empirically observable corresponding loss of function. Our question is not whether that process occurs but rather, how it happens. Our answer is rooted in the correlation between structural (i.e.: between bone) neurological compression and functional impairment. The next inquiry is how structure, the aging process and the ultimate cessation of all function, i.e.: death, relate. Age is a curious thing. Without much doubt the fabled 'fountain of youth', the 'holy grail', and the immortal 'tree of life' is fiction and will always be so. However, there remains a reasonable connection between the integrity of a human structure and the length of a person's timeline. Add a traumatic injury such as a car accident that severely distorts a human structure and that unfortunate person's timeline may very well be short and painful. In that context, aging has been essentially accelerated in time. In engineering and architecture we may also look at a house or a building where the foundation has collapsed and the structure leans to one side or another. Reasonably, it is expected that this structural imbalance in the field of gravity will further the ultimate collapse in a relatively shorter amount of time as compared to other similar structures in gravitational balance or equipoise. Structural balance is thus key to longevity in architecture and engineering. Structural imbalance only serves to accelerate the ultimate process of collapse. While the human body is certainly not a building, we may reasonably argue that the same physics and understanding applies, at least in part, to everything, including living organisms, that exist within the field of gravity on this Earth. Interestingly, human structural balance remains mostly ignored and undervalued in the field of medicine. Certainly misunderstood. Why? Freud As a society, we often emphasize certain aspects of balance as keys to longevity. Balanced nutrition, movement, exercise, sleep, spirituality, work, etc... However, when it comes to the structural balance of the body and it's effect on pretty much everything, it is mostly ignored by societal standards. Much of this from perpetuated beliefs attributed to Dr. Sigmund Freud, a Psychologist who founded psychoanalysis - a theory for explaining human behavior. While revolutionary in many respects, especially at the time, Freud ultimately championed the idea that health problems not of an obvious and severe physical nature were most often a product of the mind rather than of problems in the physicality. This attractive yet stupidly-flawed theory that "the mind-can-cure-all" was of wonderful benefit to the burgeoning pharmaceutical industry (and still is), but poorly reflected the obvious reality at hand; our physicality generally reflected our state of health. In society today, structural distortion is often consciously dismissed as awkwardness, bad posture or simply “old age”. We often blame the person for their own structural problems we only half-see, making no further inquiries and moving on. On the other hand, we may also consciously appreciate a person with beauty, confidence, fluidity of movement and good health, but we often fail to recognize that beneath those outwardly positive attributes is more often than not, a balanced spine and physicality with plentiful joint-space. This fact only registers to the unconcious mind. Regrettably, we have been socially conditioned to refuse the connection. Cognitive dissonance, if you will. We all, to some extent, embody a battle between what we have been socialized to see and what is right before our eyes. Acceleration/Deceleration If structural distortion can accelerate the aging/death process, than we must also arrive at the plausibility that reversing such distortion would have a potential affect to longevity (i.e.: deceleration). This idea is not only plausible, it is a current reality that happens quite commonly within modern medicine. For example, a broken femur is an extreme case of structural distortion. Left unattended it will likely result in death. Without modern treatment, severe distortion will likely remain and structure, function (including movement) and ultimately a person's timeline will likely suffer. In the wild, animals that break a leg typically die within a short time. Severe structural distortions hence commonly equate to the early demise of the animal. And so it would be for the human, absent civilization and knowledge. It is only with modern medical intervention that the timeline may remain unaffected. Thus by virtue of medical interventions to the structure of the human body, modern medicine can currently be said to decelerate the aging process. Without such critical interventions, bodily function nor aging proceeds in the same way. From there it is then no great leap of logic to posit that a person's timeline may similarly be lengthened by other methods of medical intervention into structural problems and distortions. Acceleration by Virtue of System Imbalance Structural distortions such as the scoliotic and kyphotic patterns also greatly influence function, balance, movement, and ultimately, overall health. How? That is a long explanation, adequately covered in the past sections. In summation, structural imbalance in the field of gravity causes asymmetrical disc weighting/loading, leading to accelerated disc deterioration with a corresponding loss of disc space and an increase in asymmetrical compression of the neural system. Function suffers in degrees correlating with the degrees of distortion and compression. It is worth repeating this study (from Theoretics 2): The Association of Lumbar Curve Magnitude and Spinal Range of Motion in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5282845/ "The disc architecture changes depending on the convex or concave side of the curve, but nevertheless, high intervertebral disc hydrostatic pressures occur due to asymmetrical weight loading. Both disc and endplate physiology hence becomes abnormal. The definitive effect of intervertebral pressure change rate on the curve progression and degeneration is unknown but nevertheless these alterations hasten the degenerative processes in the IVDs (intervertebral discs). Losing its pliability, a negative feed-back loop occurs in the spine as disc degeneration further reduces the flexibility of the spine, and the increased spinal stiffness leads to further degeneration. The implications of disc degeneration in scoliosis include earlier development of back pain, poorer quality-of-life, self-image, self-care, physical disabilities and mood problems." (emphasis added) Spinal distortions are not as obvious as broken bones, nor left unattended are quickly as life-threatening. Yet the less-obvious structural distortions ubiquitously present in the human form carry with them a cumulative weight and effect, and are ultimately just as dictating to a person's timeline. Age, the Construct Aging itself, does not occur simply by virtue of the earth rotating around the sun. Age measured in years is an approximation and a construct of humanity. Time is of course an incredibly important element in 'aging', but one crucial factor in aging over time is likely not where we happen to be in the solar system at any particular moment or just how many times we've orbited the sun, but rather, how long have we managed to endure the unrelenting force of gravity pressing down upon us and how fit were we to withstand it? This is not to unfairly frame gravity as a negative phenomenon. It is of course a key factor in our makeup and an absolute requirement for our existence. But it is, and will always be a two-sided coin. This irrepressible force, crucial to the makeup of the human form, has a range of effects; some negative, cumulative over time, accelerated by imbalance within it's field. ... What happens when we remove gravity and the accompanying neural compression from the human condition? Space, the Final Frontier
"Astronauts grow taller in space": "Past studies have shown that when the spine is not exposed to the pull of Earth's gravity, the vertebra can expand and relax, allowing astronauts to actually grow taller. That small gain is short lived, however. Once the astronauts return to Earth, their height returns to normal after a few months. But still, scientists haven't been able to examine the astronaut's spinal columns when experiencing the effects of microgravity until now." http://www.space.com/19116-astronauts-taller-space-spines.html We are quite aware of the negative effects of a lack of gravity - loss of bone and muscle mass, etc. There are many well-documented negative physical effects to long-term exposure to the lack of gravity. And reasonably, since gravity is quite essential to the human makeup, the removal of which will have serious repercussions. As for the positive effects of life absent gravity, not-being-squished-all-the-time sure sounds good. And we may surmise that not-being-squished-all-the-time probably has something to do with an astronaut getting taller. But how can height suddenly increase in a fully-developed human being? For that we may note that in traveling into outer space, the total mass of the human being is not changing. The body is not growing. The bones are not growing. The vertebrae do not "expand". Instead what can and does change are the joint spaces in-between bone. And in a vertical orientation, 90% or so of that joint space exists between vertebrae. That joint space is, of course, where the neurology runs and where it is also cumulatively compressed in gravity over time. In the absence of gravity and compressive force, these joint spaces are allowed to expand. The end result is an increase in total measured height. Unfortunately, to decompress our neural systems, we can't all travel to space. The short-term 'solution' here on Earth, are all kinds of traction and disc-decompression machines dating back to the medieval rack and the Hippocratic Bench. Alas, for thousands of years only a temporary effect and relief has ever been achieved. Why so temporary? Why did the astronauts lose their gains in height when they returned to Earth? The problem (See Theoretics 1) is that a symmetrical pull on an asymmetrical structure will never have the desired level of particularity to each and every vertebrae. Weightlessness won't either. It is like a symmetrical pull on the spine, a global effect only, and will not effect or change the asymmetry of a structure. Ratio's of neurological compression side-to-side will remain unchanged as will imbalances in function. The global effect and benefits of weightlessness will thus only last for as long as weightlessness goes on. Once ended, asymmetrical and distorted spinal patterns will again re-assert themselves. The temporary space will be lost, as will the increase in height. A temporary magic. A brief respite. Swimming, not surprisingly, is probably the healthiest thing we can do and remains at the top of the list for exercises for older folk. Only in water can we easily mimic the weightlessness of space here on earth. Neural decompression anyone? Yup. At least for a bit.
https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/best-exercise-older-adults/ Chromosones in Space Apart from a temporary increase in measured height, researchers have also found changes to the DNA of astronauts after prolonged time in space (and without gravity). Astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year in space. The effects on his body were measured against his twin brother, Mark, also an astronaut. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/scott-kelly-astronaut-space-station-dna-health-science/ "The study, which involves multiple independent research groups, compared Scott with his twin brother Mark (also a NASA astronaut) and looked for changes caused while Scott spent a year aboard the International Space Station, a mission that ended in March 2016. Among the dimensions surveyed were cognitive ability, immune system function, and genetics." Findings included long-term changes to gene "expression", The study found that "spaceflight affects how much expressing certain genes do, particularly those involved in immune function, DNA repair pathways, and bone growth. Seven percent of the genes that changed their expression during spaceflight were still altered after six months back on Earth." Altering gene expression is, apparently, not that difficult to do, and while researchers weren't terribly surprised to find the alteration of the gene expression, "one of the actually surprising findings from the NASA study (was) that Kelly’s chromosomes grew longer while he was in space, at least in his white blood cells. The changes occurred in what’s known as the telomere, a cap of genetic material that sits at the end of each chromosome. |
The loss of structural integrity results in a loss of function.
Which building is more likely to collapse first? Left or right?
Once deviated from a vertical axis, a structure fights a losing battle against gravity. The deviation only serves to accelerate the process.
The spine at war with gravity will suffer the same effect.
At the spinal level we can see how structural anomalies effect neural pathways and function.
Despite the dominance of Freudian Psychology for more than a century, no amount of psychoanalysis will alter the problems caused by a structural issue.
Paralysis is an example of an extreme structural distortion and neural compression to the point of severance. Does paralysis alter life expectancy? Absolutely. The length of survival is related strongly to extent of neurological impairment.
In nature, extreme structural issues such as a broken bone typically results in an early death. Only humans manage to extend their timelines.
An MRI of a scoliotic spine, at war with gravity. Note the lack of intervertebral disc space where the neural compression is most seen.
When we were young and our bodies worked so well. Our joints had the necessary space to make movement a beautiful, fluid, effortless thing. Where did that space go?
Both back pain and spinal movement are highly dependent on structural integrity. Deviations of the spine result in imbalanced disc weighting/loading, leading to accelerated wear, loss of disc space and neural compression.
Eating more vegetables won't change a distorted spinal pattern rife with movement fixations.
What does this man want in life? At this age? What would he give to stand up straight?
How have his priorities and needs changed as he has aged? The physical reality strongly dictates all.
With rotations and distortions, the ratio of compression at the disc spaces will differ from side to side.
A global increase in disc space will not alter the ratios of compression, ensuring that distorted spinal patterns remain.
Swimming mimics the weightlessness of space and its positive effect on the spine.
Scott and twin brother Mark Kelly. Scott spent a year in space, allowing research to compare the physical effects against his twin brother.
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Normally, telomeres shrink with age, the idea being that each time a chromosome is copied during cell division, the process chips away at that cap. Shortened or frayed telomeres are largely thought to be responsible for age-related cellular breakdown...But Kelly’s telomeres elongated in space … and then quickly shrank to their original lengths after he returned to Earth."
(emphasis added) In case you didn't catch that, the length of DNA telomeres correlate with age and the aging process: "Telomeres, Lifestyle, Cancer and Aging" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3370421/ "Telomeres shorten with age and progressive telomere shortening leads to senescence and/or apoptosis. Shorter telomeres have also been implicated in genomic instability and oncogenesis. Older people with shorter telomeres have three and eight times increased risk to die from heart and infectious diseases, respectively. Rate of telomere shortening is therefore critical to an individual’s health and pace of aging." Now whether or not shortened DNA telomeres drive the aging process or simply reflect it, there remains a connection between age and telomere length...and now, spaceflight. But not just spaceflight per se, rather the environmental factors which are altered during spaceflight. And the greatest alteration in core environmental elements comes in the form of gravity, or lack thereof. According to NASA, the greatest overall risk factor for the human in space remains changes in gravitational fields. Other elements such as temperature and pressure can be artificially controlled. But not so with gravity. https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/bodyinspace Thus variations in gravity overwhelmingly remain the most likely suspect as the causative factor most responsible for observable changes in the human makeup during space travel, both positive and negative. |
If you picture a chromosome as an X-shaped unit of DNA, the telomeres are the little caps at the end of each strand.
An artists conception of aging and the loss of telomere length.
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From there, the most direct effect upon the human body that occurs with a reduction in gravitational force is the corresponding reduction of compression on the governing neural system.
Does spaceflight offer a solution to the aging process? Not in a practical way, but the insights are far-reaching for sure.
...
Since the first draft of this section, additional information has been released on Astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly. Along with a temporary increase in telomere length, Scott Kelly also recorded a boost to immune system function during and after his year in space:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/space-nasa-heard-astronauts-immune-system-scream-164627417.html
Once again researchers are struggling to explain how and why this occurred.
We know how and why. Once the forces of compression on the neurological system are removed, the overall function of the body benefits -- everywhere.
How important is this? Well, if immune system function can be boosted through the decompression of neurology, the human being gets an advantage on every disease, every virus, every malady effecting the human body. Everything.
Does spaceflight offer a solution to the aging process? Not in a practical way, but the insights are far-reaching for sure.
...
Since the first draft of this section, additional information has been released on Astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly. Along with a temporary increase in telomere length, Scott Kelly also recorded a boost to immune system function during and after his year in space:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/space-nasa-heard-astronauts-immune-system-scream-164627417.html
Once again researchers are struggling to explain how and why this occurred.
We know how and why. Once the forces of compression on the neurological system are removed, the overall function of the body benefits -- everywhere.
How important is this? Well, if immune system function can be boosted through the decompression of neurology, the human being gets an advantage on every disease, every virus, every malady effecting the human body. Everything.
Gravity is a cruel mistress. It is an essential ingredient in the human makeup and we suffer without it. But once out of harmony and balance within its relentless force, gravity mercilessly pounds us down. The more out of harmony we are, the faster the process goes. Function suffers along the way at an accelerated pace. But what to do? Weightlessness and space travel offer some great insights into the effects of gravity and the lack thereof, but despite positively cited benefits, space travel, like traction machines, is not the cure for neural compression and accelerated loss of function. It is only in particularity to each and every joint space, vertebrae, and rib that we may find a viable long-term solution.
Practical Application
A Long-Term Study
A Long-Term Study
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In most therapeutic realms, one is warned against the dangers of practicing on family members. "Too risky," it is said. It brings up too much...too many emotions, too much baggage, and way too many expectations. A wise professional would pass.
I am not a wise professional. I remember my partner, Denielle chastising me many years ago while I struggled with rampant emotional turmoil, a direct product of undertaking a therapeutic relationship with my Dad, "You can't save your father," she said, which was probably true but I distinctly remember thinking, "well..., I sure as hell am going to try." Structural bodywork is a realm of vast potential, and as many of us practitioners feel, quite untapped. But with so many things, the potential for great change in a good way also opens the door for great change in a bad way. Risk only goes up with age. Margin for error only decreases. I was aware then as I am now, if you're going to knock on the door, you'd better know what you're doing. I thus struggled on whether it was worth the risk and whether I was in any way ready to responsibly take on my Dad. In 2013, I wasn't quite aware of just how much I didn't know, but I knew then that a practical application to a theoretical understanding took plenty of time and patience. The problem however was that the clock was ticking, and at the later stages of the age-game, it can go real fast. |
Top: before. Bottom: after 6 sessions. The initial sessions were immediately successful. My father moved better, felt better, stood taller. Confidence was high. Work is mostly focused on the chest. Christmas, 2012. Dad is 82.
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My Dad at 82 was having a rough time of it. He had been noticeably losing height for many years especially after a traumatic second-story roof fall at age 76. Imaging revealed significant loss of disc space at T5 and it's neighbors. Cancer in his prostate was being treated with irradiated needles. During and long after the excruciating process, his sleep was constantly interrupted. He was always tired, low energy. At his age, the Oncologist had warned that treatment for the prostate cancer was as risky as not doing anything. Well, the treatment sure took a chunk out of him. On the pain side of things, both shoulders were constantly problematic but his right shoulder was acutely painful. His low back at the site of surgery was fixated, as was his sacrum and much of his thoracic and cervical. Plenty of bony changes, holding the patterns. His thyroid had been mostly removed many years ago. Thyroid medications and blood thinners were in the mix. Not the best side effects.
Was I ready? Bodywork can be challenging to be objective about. Most of the time you're just off in a room by yourself and a fare share of clientele will tell you you're great even if you never really help them. I struggled to be objective. I knew I was innovative, and logical, but.
In 2003 while I was in massage school I had recommended Rolfing to my Dad. He went ahead and did a ten-session series. There were no noticeable changes to his structure and he was still getting shorter, but he liked both the work and the practitioner. For me, that was a good thing. My folks and I hadn't been on the best of terms since I left the legal practice in 2002 to pursue manual therapy. I also left behind $150k worth of education and many years of work...all to chase a fart in the wind. I understood their unhappiness with my decision. I wasn't all that happy either. Rolf work hadn't quite lived up to it's billing. Nothing had. I tried a few sessions of Rolf work with Dad, then, over time, more 'advanced' Rolf methods including visceral manipulation. None of it was really helping.
With Spinal Unwinding, the 'unwinding' part didn't really come about until quite a bit of trial and error with other methods, including slow, but direct manipulation. These methods were too risky for Dad, so during the initial development of the work, I begged off working on him. But with the unwinding technique came a measure of safety in practical application. I was simply and gently making space...I just needed to do it in smart places. Was it working? Yes, better than other things. Was I ready? No, not even close. Nothing can prepare you. But, by 2013, I felt that necessity outweighed inexperience and a lack of a more complete understanding.
My father is a mountain of a man. A chemical engineer, he designed and taught oil-well control and safety for the Exxon company and the country of Venezuela back in the 1950's-1970's. Bilingual, he re-wrote the book. As a young man he wrestled for Purdue University and tried out for the U.S. Olympic team. A U.S. Marine and sharpshooter, he shot competitive pistol late into his 80's. In Venezuela he led efforts to build an airport and aero-club, rode horses through the countryside and piloted his own aircraft. In his retirement, he internationally consulted on oil-well safety and picked up sailing and wood-working. He's still in a bowling league on Wednesdays. He's also stayed active with Veteran's organizations. For the American Legion he set up a scholarship fund for high school baseball players. His long-term investment strategies fund a summer league for high school kids trying to make it to college.
Always the engineer, Dad fixed everything when I was a kid, and still does a fair bit. We didn't hire repairmen. He did it. I helped. To this day I wish I had listened better.
Dad's first spinal problems occurred at a wrestling match in his early 20's. He was caught in a hold called "the crucifix" and something popped in his low back. In the 1950's, his low back started to become consistently more problematic. By the late 1960's he sought medical help and had a Laminectomy performed at L5/L4/L3. Essentially, the surgery involved clearing away the bone and debris that was impinging the nerve roots in the area. The causative structural distortions were left unattended and the movement issues only got worse; They fixated over time.
Was I ready? Bodywork can be challenging to be objective about. Most of the time you're just off in a room by yourself and a fare share of clientele will tell you you're great even if you never really help them. I struggled to be objective. I knew I was innovative, and logical, but.
In 2003 while I was in massage school I had recommended Rolfing to my Dad. He went ahead and did a ten-session series. There were no noticeable changes to his structure and he was still getting shorter, but he liked both the work and the practitioner. For me, that was a good thing. My folks and I hadn't been on the best of terms since I left the legal practice in 2002 to pursue manual therapy. I also left behind $150k worth of education and many years of work...all to chase a fart in the wind. I understood their unhappiness with my decision. I wasn't all that happy either. Rolf work hadn't quite lived up to it's billing. Nothing had. I tried a few sessions of Rolf work with Dad, then, over time, more 'advanced' Rolf methods including visceral manipulation. None of it was really helping.
With Spinal Unwinding, the 'unwinding' part didn't really come about until quite a bit of trial and error with other methods, including slow, but direct manipulation. These methods were too risky for Dad, so during the initial development of the work, I begged off working on him. But with the unwinding technique came a measure of safety in practical application. I was simply and gently making space...I just needed to do it in smart places. Was it working? Yes, better than other things. Was I ready? No, not even close. Nothing can prepare you. But, by 2013, I felt that necessity outweighed inexperience and a lack of a more complete understanding.
My father is a mountain of a man. A chemical engineer, he designed and taught oil-well control and safety for the Exxon company and the country of Venezuela back in the 1950's-1970's. Bilingual, he re-wrote the book. As a young man he wrestled for Purdue University and tried out for the U.S. Olympic team. A U.S. Marine and sharpshooter, he shot competitive pistol late into his 80's. In Venezuela he led efforts to build an airport and aero-club, rode horses through the countryside and piloted his own aircraft. In his retirement, he internationally consulted on oil-well safety and picked up sailing and wood-working. He's still in a bowling league on Wednesdays. He's also stayed active with Veteran's organizations. For the American Legion he set up a scholarship fund for high school baseball players. His long-term investment strategies fund a summer league for high school kids trying to make it to college.
Always the engineer, Dad fixed everything when I was a kid, and still does a fair bit. We didn't hire repairmen. He did it. I helped. To this day I wish I had listened better.
Dad's first spinal problems occurred at a wrestling match in his early 20's. He was caught in a hold called "the crucifix" and something popped in his low back. In the 1950's, his low back started to become consistently more problematic. By the late 1960's he sought medical help and had a Laminectomy performed at L5/L4/L3. Essentially, the surgery involved clearing away the bone and debris that was impinging the nerve roots in the area. The causative structural distortions were left unattended and the movement issues only got worse; They fixated over time.
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In terms of desired outcomes in a structural intervention, I tend to think this way:
1. Can we slow down the collapse of the structure? 2. Can we halt the collapse? 3. Can we reverse the collapse? With age and bony changes and severity of structural distortion, our ability to reach goals 2 and 3 becomes harder. Whereby nothing in terms of outcomes is really out of the realm of possibility, especially at this stage of practical development, we must accept that the degree of expected change will correlate negatively with age and accumulated trauma and bony distortion. The older a problem, the higher the difficulty in resolving it and the less likely we are to reach our more desired outcomes. On the other hand, the same logic would also dictate that the sooner a structural issue is attended to and remedied, the more likely we are to reach lofty goal #3. However, all three above outcomes will still positively effect a timeline. Age, while a complicating issue, does not effect the efficacy of the methodology. The intended result is the same. It will work, it just takes more patience, more focus, more time. In medicine, efficacy with advanced age is not necessarily a common thing. More the exception than the rule. But if something really works, then it must work for everyone. Everyone. That's how truth operates. It has a universal application. |
Summer, 2014. Dad had taken a rough fall on ice during the winter. I'm able to get good movement again. Results along with the ease of change were tailing off.
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One continuing issue with seeing my folks and working with my Dad is that I live on the west coast of the United States and they on the east. Distance limits my ability to work in the usual manner. This complicates all sorts of matters and greatly changes the approach to treatment. Trips home are generally 8-10 days long and no more than twice a year. It's a lot to try to squeeze in so we take a very gradual approach with sessions, doing everything much more slowly. We do around six sessions each trip, each session taking over 2 hours. Each session with a slightly different focus. Dad sleeps through each. I work in silence, listening for visceral responses.
How important is my limited ability to see him? I'm not sure. Initially it also meant less opportunity to screw up, but ultimately, it means getting to goals #2 and #3 is a lot harder. With all things considered, we'll be quite happy with goal #1 and simply slowing down the process of collapse. We must recognize that at this point in age and issues, and severity of pre-existing distortion, we are fighting what is most likely a losing battle against gravity.
Initially with Dad, in late 2012 and early 2013, I obtained a significant degree of practical success by working through what I then called the "master pattern" - a theoretically likely tendency for the spine to show a subtle L,R,L,R,L,...back and forth pattern throughout the spine. I mostly looked for extremes of that pattern. Results were initially good and are reflected in the early pictures. He felt better, moved better. He smelled better. His shoulder pain eased. Those types of early practical results compelled me to utterly devote myself to this pursuit of understanding. There was no going back. Not ever.
But while the initial results were good, the "master pattern" strategy I used just couldn't be applied over and over. I couldn't keep going to 'the well' and expecting the same or better results. After year 2 of 'master pattern' work, results were dropping off; with Dad, with my clients, with myself. I entered a sophomore slump for a period of years.
How important is my limited ability to see him? I'm not sure. Initially it also meant less opportunity to screw up, but ultimately, it means getting to goals #2 and #3 is a lot harder. With all things considered, we'll be quite happy with goal #1 and simply slowing down the process of collapse. We must recognize that at this point in age and issues, and severity of pre-existing distortion, we are fighting what is most likely a losing battle against gravity.
Initially with Dad, in late 2012 and early 2013, I obtained a significant degree of practical success by working through what I then called the "master pattern" - a theoretically likely tendency for the spine to show a subtle L,R,L,R,L,...back and forth pattern throughout the spine. I mostly looked for extremes of that pattern. Results were initially good and are reflected in the early pictures. He felt better, moved better. He smelled better. His shoulder pain eased. Those types of early practical results compelled me to utterly devote myself to this pursuit of understanding. There was no going back. Not ever.
But while the initial results were good, the "master pattern" strategy I used just couldn't be applied over and over. I couldn't keep going to 'the well' and expecting the same or better results. After year 2 of 'master pattern' work, results were dropping off; with Dad, with my clients, with myself. I entered a sophomore slump for a period of years.
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The 'joy of discovery' is only aptly named if you have the penchant for brutal. Truly, responsibility weighs heavily when you have traded your practice for an experiment. It can cost you friends, clients, your savings and a large bit of your sanity. Entering into my sophomore slump the joy of discovery and it's practical difficulties had also cost me my assistant. My heart broke while my ability to run things through my own body got screwed. Being a guinea-pig most definitely had it's ups and downs. Mistakes just plain sucked, but nothing allowed me to understand and progress the work like experiencing it in my own body. Mistakes, successes, it didn't matter. I needed to feel it. It was still all one big game of process-of-elimination.
I poured everything into my partner Denielle and she gradually filled the giant hole at assistant. But with her in Marin, California and me in Reno, Nevada, the process of developing the practical aspects of a theoretical understanding was sporadic at best. My work suffered. So, everyone suffered, including Dad. I was down to seeing him only once per year by 2014. |
2015 and I am not happy with the results. We are in a process of diminishing returns. I am mostly working to open space in the shoulders and chest. The work is not supported by the lumbar spine below.
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In terms of a more complete understanding, I knew I was missing a lot. I was still incredibly cautious with his surgically altered lumbar spine. We needed change there and it was required as part of a more comprehensive approach. But while Dad was in need, prudence required caution. The last thing I wanted to do was to introduce any element of instability there, so I mainly focused on the thoracic. I did the same with clientele. But it all only got me so far. I was learning a long and painful lesson on the necessity of a more comprehensive approach.
Back, seven years ago, I had prepared for the slog of developing a practical out of a theoretical. I had rented a cheap place and consolidated my business and house. For many years I really didn't seek new clientele as I didn't feel it was, in a sense, responsible, despite the fact that "practicing" on clients is absolutely the norm in medicine. It made much more sense for me to get smaller, quieter, more patient, and more focused. The clients I had all knew the ups and downs of the developmental process. They allowed for it. In turn, their needs always came first. A critical element really. So I pushed on, slowly, cautiously, frustratingly. I was relentless with check-ins. I skewered my own process, my sequencing, my accuracy, everything. There were a million possibilities; endless wrong paths.
Winter, 2015 and I began getting sick. Gastro-Intestinal mostly. Atypically slow, it culminated with a series of appendix ruptures, the first occurring while I was playing a summer music festival in Tahoe, CA, 2016. The first rupture itself greatly eased the agonizing pressure that was building in my abdomen. I had no idea what had just happened, but I didn't care. We had worked for so many years to get that gig. I played a string of shows that weekend, gradually feeling worse. I was going septic. A week later a second rupture occurred, this one much worse. I was ashen when Denielle brought me to the emergency room. A couple large abscesses, drain bags, year-long complications. A third rupture. Hemorrhoids and inguinal hernias from the insane abdominal pressure, anti-biotic cocktails, and finally, surgery/recovery.
Back, seven years ago, I had prepared for the slog of developing a practical out of a theoretical. I had rented a cheap place and consolidated my business and house. For many years I really didn't seek new clientele as I didn't feel it was, in a sense, responsible, despite the fact that "practicing" on clients is absolutely the norm in medicine. It made much more sense for me to get smaller, quieter, more patient, and more focused. The clients I had all knew the ups and downs of the developmental process. They allowed for it. In turn, their needs always came first. A critical element really. So I pushed on, slowly, cautiously, frustratingly. I was relentless with check-ins. I skewered my own process, my sequencing, my accuracy, everything. There were a million possibilities; endless wrong paths.
Winter, 2015 and I began getting sick. Gastro-Intestinal mostly. Atypically slow, it culminated with a series of appendix ruptures, the first occurring while I was playing a summer music festival in Tahoe, CA, 2016. The first rupture itself greatly eased the agonizing pressure that was building in my abdomen. I had no idea what had just happened, but I didn't care. We had worked for so many years to get that gig. I played a string of shows that weekend, gradually feeling worse. I was going septic. A week later a second rupture occurred, this one much worse. I was ashen when Denielle brought me to the emergency room. A couple large abscesses, drain bags, year-long complications. A third rupture. Hemorrhoids and inguinal hernias from the insane abdominal pressure, anti-biotic cocktails, and finally, surgery/recovery.
The show must go on. The Jankytown Orchestra, Guitarfish Festival, Tahoe, CA, 2016. Denielle is center, I am left on drums.
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While I was away and sick with my own issues, Dad suffered as well. He began having trouble keeping weight on and food in. Constant gastro-intestinal issues were taking it's toll. The family dog had also passed, and with him, a good bit of Dad's daily exercise. This was bad, very bad; movement, in many respects, is life.
In May of 2018, things began to turn for the better. Despite the difficulties in working with my Dad, the experience always caused me to think differently, to problem solve better. It was perhaps a combination of love and necessity, along with a great deal of stubbornness. There was a new family dog. Great, but gravity was wrecking havoc. I had lost considerable ground in the last year or two. I needed to see his body differently. I needed to understand it differently. But how? |
I needed to, of course, skewer my own tendencies. My own understanding of what I was looking at. What were my biases? How was I socialized? How was I trained to see? In what box do I exist?
Generally, in "Structural Integration" a therapist is preoccupied with making things straighter. And so it was with me and working with my father. Thus I had always focused on easing the obvious curves in his thoracic while playing it safe with the lumbar. It was, however, becoming quite clear to me that in order to get the entire structure to more vertical, we needed something more happening in the lumbar. We needed more curve happening there...not less.
Working to get more curve there was risky and scary. I knew how bad mistakes could be. In my mind, cognitive dissonance battled logic, but the pictures told the story: there was no natural lordotic curvature in the lumbar spine to even remotely balance the ample curvature in the thoracic. We lacked the support for better change above. A comprehensive approach thus meant both increasing the curvature at the lumbar while decreasing the curvature in the thoracic.
Generally, in "Structural Integration" a therapist is preoccupied with making things straighter. And so it was with me and working with my father. Thus I had always focused on easing the obvious curves in his thoracic while playing it safe with the lumbar. It was, however, becoming quite clear to me that in order to get the entire structure to more vertical, we needed something more happening in the lumbar. We needed more curve happening there...not less.
Working to get more curve there was risky and scary. I knew how bad mistakes could be. In my mind, cognitive dissonance battled logic, but the pictures told the story: there was no natural lordotic curvature in the lumbar spine to even remotely balance the ample curvature in the thoracic. We lacked the support for better change above. A comprehensive approach thus meant both increasing the curvature at the lumbar while decreasing the curvature in the thoracic.
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And so, in May of 2018, in the third out of six sessions in working with my Dad, I changed my approach and began opening space in the front of his lumbar spine. The work we did was adequate. The results were better. When I arrived, Dad was having constant diarrhea. When I left, he was stable. Since then he has mostly stayed that way. That trip, for me, was both a big breakthrough and a big measure of relief: I was getting good changes in his structure again.
During the summer of 2018, I began work on the Methodology 2 section of this site, dealing with "comprehensiveness" in practical application. In researching the section, I find the following study, affirming my change in approach: "Positive Sagittal Balance and Management Strategies in Adult Spinal Deformities" http://ijsonline.co.in/positive-sagittal-balance-and-management-strategies-in-adult-spinal-deformities/ The "Sagittal Balance" model utilized in study generally finds a healthy spine to be the result of a balance of curvatures rather than a product of straight. Physicians in the study used surgery to create lumbar lordotic curves in patients with similar structural issues as my father. |
Dad at 89. Before and after six sessions. Session 3, I begin opening space in the front of the lumbar spine.
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From the International Journal of Spine study on Sagittal Balance. Spines exhibiting a "Positive Sagittal Balance" were more problematic, more often requiring surgical intervention.
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From the study:
"Ever since man has assumed an erect posture and bipedal gait, a series of morphological changes have taken place in the homosapien vertebral column to adapt to this new challenge of upright posture. One of the most distinctive adaptive changes seen in human spinal column has been the assumption of a gentle ‘S’ curve in sagittal plane with thoracic kyphosis [TK] interposed between cervical and lumbar lordosis [LL]. These curves work like a coiled spring to absorb shock, maintain an upright balance and allow the spine to withstand great amounts of stress than what a straight column would otherwise absorb. At the same time it still allows for a wide range of movements in the cervical and the lumbar region to optimize the use of extremities while still maintaining an upright stance with the head centered over the pelvis and finally over both feet. |
Surgical correction and hardware is used to create a lumbar lordotic curve and straighten a dominant kyphotic thoracic curve.
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In most individuals with a disease free and deformity free sagittally balanced spine, a vertical line drawn from the center of the C7 vertebral body (the C7 plumb line) passes within a few millimeters of the posterior-superior corner of S1[1] (Fig. 1).
This is the most ergonomically favorable position for the spine to maintain an erect posture in the most energy-efficient manner. However, with progressively larger deviations from this ideal position, the endeavor to remain upright increases exponentially, thereby warranting greater muscular effort and energy to maintain standing balance[2]. By convention, positive sagittal balance occurs when the C7 plumb line falls anterior to the posterior-superior corner of the S1 endplate. Conversely, negative sagittal balance occurs when the C7 plumb line falls posterior to this point[3]. The extent of imbalance is measured as centimeters of deviation of the C7 plumb line (also known as Sagittal vertical axis- SVA) from the posterior-superior corner of the S1 endplate[4](Fig. 2). Negative sagittal balance is much less common in clinical practice and rarely warrants surgical attention. In this article we shall deal with only positive sagittal balance which is encountered more often."
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This is the most ergonomically favorable position for the spine to maintain an erect posture in the most energy-efficient manner. However, with progressively larger deviations from this ideal position, the endeavor to remain upright increases exponentially, thereby warranting greater muscular effort and energy to maintain standing balance[2]. By convention, positive sagittal balance occurs when the C7 plumb line falls anterior to the posterior-superior corner of the S1 endplate. Conversely, negative sagittal balance occurs when the C7 plumb line falls posterior to this point[3]. The extent of imbalance is measured as centimeters of deviation of the C7 plumb line (also known as Sagittal vertical axis- SVA) from the posterior-superior corner of the S1 endplate[4](Fig. 2). Negative sagittal balance is much less common in clinical practice and rarely warrants surgical attention. In this article we shall deal with only positive sagittal balance which is encountered more often."
...
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With that I worked to expand upon the Sagittal Balance Model, and after several months worth of improvement, I returned for Christmas, 2018 to do some of my better work. We did well. Dad was moving better, with more energy. Definitely more upright.
As of now, I am plotting my return, gauging my progress. I can do a better job. I can always do a better job. One very important variable that has changed for me, effecting everything and everyone, is my own consistent access to assistance and help. Denielle, my partner, moved here to Reno during the summer of 2018. This change has been crucial. In terms of rate of progress in developing a methodology, it's a game-changer. Huge. With good help, everything changes, everything progresses, everyone I touch benefits. ... |
Christmas, 2018. With much more of a focus on the lumbar spine, we are once again able to generate significant results.
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Being a caregiver to my father has significantly altered our relationship, but certainly not in a negative way, despite the common "professional" warnings against therapeutic relationships with family. In fact, just the opposite. It has served to bring us closer together in a way that I don't think anything else could. Despite the difficulties, despite the mental anguish and emotional roller-coaster, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Dad, now nearing 90, has outlived his Dad by more than 25 years. 78 years is the average life expectancy for a male in the U.S. He's well exceeded that, and he remains quite active.
During one of our sessions, Dad turned to me and said, "I wish I could have done this for my father."
The tears welled.
Few things have meant as much to me as those words.
Yeah Pop, I got you.
Dad, now nearing 90, has outlived his Dad by more than 25 years. 78 years is the average life expectancy for a male in the U.S. He's well exceeded that, and he remains quite active.
During one of our sessions, Dad turned to me and said, "I wish I could have done this for my father."
The tears welled.
Few things have meant as much to me as those words.
Yeah Pop, I got you.
