The Spectrum of Posture: As the number and severity of connective tissue lesions increase, so does the prevalence of pain and poor posture.

Charles Darwin was the first make the observation that the initial reaction to a frightening stimulus is a violent contraction of flexor muscles, especially of the abdominal region.  As I said before, all negative emotions cause increased tension or contraction of flexor muscles.  What are our flexor muscles?  Flexor muscles are the muscles that pull our body into fetal position, versus our extensor muscles which make us stand-up straight like a proud parent or a soldier at attention.  In adults, fetal position is the position of extreme shock or fear.  Along with this shortening of flexor muscles, an inhibition of extensor muscles goes together with all sensations accompanying fear.  Fetal position can be this extreme state of fear.

Fetal position is commonly encountered in humans undergoing extreme traumatic stress. In fetal position, all major flexor muscle groups are shortened while extensor groups are lengthened. This pattern is at the far end of the extremes of negative emotions.

Modified Fetal Position in Fear State: Here we have another severe state of negative emotion. Like fetal position, all major flexor muscle groups are shortened, while extensor groups are lengthened. These muscular patterns occur along a spectrum.

Although the negative emotion is not as severe here as in the other photo, we still have a similar pattern of shortened flexor muscle groups. Only in this photo, the negative emotion is not as severe, and neither is the posturing as pronounced.

On the flip-side to negative emotions, positive emotions are associated with a lengthening of flexor muscles and postural patterns that are “opposite” those of fetal position.

Here we have the opposite of a negative emotional state. In a relaxed posture, flexor musculature is lengthened. Even just looking at this photo gives me a sense of ease!

Here we have a happy camper. Major flexor groups are lengthened and at the same time extensor muscles are shortened. Looks like a lot of fun!!!

Over time, negative emotions create poor postural and muscle patterns which become habit.  The corresponding muscles and connective tissue then become permanently shortened.  This can cause that feeling of “tight muscles”, and it can also be entirely subconscious as well.  From a strictly mechanical point of view, the connective tissue is organized in chains to defend the body against these restrictions.  When a connective tissue restriction grows beyond a certain point however, the rest of the fascial continuum adjusts, modifying elasticity and changing fiber directions.  This change in shape transforms healthy chains into lesional changes that can exhibit as poor posture, pain and dysfunction.

Release of these connective tissue restrictions often brings about a corresponding relief of pain, negative emotions and a restoration of a sense of peace and well being.  This is one of the reasons yoga and tai-chi can be so therapeutic.  They restore and prevent lesional changes in the connective tissue.  To accomplish release of connective tissue lesions in a therapeutic setting, I utilize what I call matrix bodywork treatments.  Matrix bodywork combines elements of postural analysis and passive fascial lengthening to pinpoint and correct specific connective tissue restrictions.  I blend these techniques with shiatsu, gentle visceral manipulation, cranial-sacral therapy and homeopathic cellular drainage to cleanse and treat the connective tissue.  In this way a safe environment is created to explore and release patterns of emotional tension in the body.

In the next blog post, we will discuss fascinating aspects of the nervous system and specifically how this hardwiring relates to connective tissue, fear, pain, and human performance.  We will learn how many of our postural patterns are based on a fear of falling and how fear is hardwired into our nervous system.

In health,

-Dr. Jake

Mobile Phone Radiation Poses Threat to Public Health

Everyday we swim in a sea of electromagnetic radiation produced by electrical appliances, power lines, and a slew of modern technologies. New research is suggesting that exposure to elevated levels of EMF magnetic fields such as those from electric power transmission lines are implicated in a number of adverse health effects. These include but are not limited to childhood leukemias, breast cancer, neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, miscarriage, and cllinical depression.

There appears to be a statistical correlation between various diseases and living near power-lines. The physical mechanism is still unclear however it is believed that the EMF is disrupting the ability of our cells to communicate with each other. This disruption in intercellular communication is happening at least partly in the connective tissue , which is exquisitely sensitive to small changes in electricomagnetic disruption.  These disruptions can cause symptoms of electrosensitivity such as inability to sleep, general malaise and headaches as well as more serious concerns.

How Mobile Phone Radiation Penetrates the Brain

Check out these links for more information:

Dr. Mercola

Magnetic Fields and Miscarriages 1

Magnetic Fields and Miscarriages 2

Neurodegenerative Diseases in Workers Exposed to High Levels of Magnetic Fields

Epidemiologic Literature on EMF and Health

Magnetic Field Exposure and Neurodegenerative Disease

Increased Exposure to Aerosol Polutants Under Power Lines

Honey Kills Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Researchers in the Netherlands, with government and industry support, investigated the antimicrobial properties of a “medical-grade” honey, which is produced by bees in closed greenhouses. In in vitro studies of bactericidal activity, a 40% solution of honey reproducibly killed all bacterial isolates tested, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Escherichia faecium, and multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods. Forty-two healthy volunteers then had small forearm patches of skin swabbed with honey and covered with polyurethane dressings for 2 days. Compared with control skin patches (covered with polyurethane, but without honey) on the same volunteers, the honey-covered patches were culture-negative for bacteria significantly more often. 

Be careful with store bought honey however, because grocery-grade honey is not standardized and can be bacterially contaminated. Much to bee lovers delight, honey might one day take its place alongside mupirocin as a topical microbicide or even as a treatment for wounds that are infected with multidrug-resistant organisms.

Citation Link:
Kwakman PHS et al. Medical-grade honey kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria in vitro and eradicates skin colonization. Clin Infect Dis 2008 Jun 1; 46:1677

Your Connective Tissue Ocean

As multi-celled organisms developed, they faced the challenge not only of how to stick together, but also how to get food to the cells that were no longer in contact with the ocean’s surface.  Thus was born the first connective tissue.  Today this ocean is alive inside of us as our connective tissue!

Our connective tissue functions as our body’s ocean.  Like the oceans of old, the matrix nourishes all cells in our body, and all waste products of cells pass through this matrix.  Thus the matrix is the medium through which all of our nutrition comes into our cells and through which all waste products are eliminated.  Just like the primordial ocean was for the first life forms, so is the connective tissue today for us!

So then what happens when our own body’s connective tissue ocean gets polluted?  Pollutants in the form of alcohol and toxic chemicals, allergens, and pollutants in our environment, as well as stress hormones and poor blood sugar regulation can damage the ecosystem of our internal ocean.  It probably doesn’t surprise you that this pollution results in many types of chronic disease.

So what is the solution to the problem of this polluted connective tissue ocean?  The answer goes back to the old naturopathic theory of helping organs of detoxification and elimination such as the liver and kidneys to remove the pollutants from our matrix ocean.  One of the best ways to do this is through homeopathic cellular drainage.  Drainage, accompanied by exercise, a good diet and lifestyle, as well as detoxification support can work wonders not only for chronic disease, but for healthy people is well.  It is I believe, one of the best ways to enhance performance and extend the maximum number of healthy years to our lives.

In health,

-Dr. Jake

Merck Ghostwrites Studies for Doctors

The practice of ghostwriting research articles calls into question all legitimate research that’s been conducted by the pharmaceutical industry by academic physicians.

Merck, a major drug manufacturer drafted dozens of research studies for a best selling drug Vioxx. To give validity to the study, Merck was in want of a big-name researcher. Before publication, Merck lined up prestigious doctors to put their names on the reports according to a leading medical journal.

This practice calls into question all legitimate research that’s been conducted by the pharmaceutical industry with academic physicians.

Vioxx, a best selling drug was pulled from the market after causing heart attacks and killing many people. The company agreed to pay a $4.8 billion settlement to resolve tens of thousands of of lawsuits.

Im the end, Vioxx ended up killing more than 60,000 people from strokes and heart attacks.  To put this in perspective, this about the same number of Americans who died fighting the entire Vietnam war.  And we’re only talking about one single drug here!

To quote from the JAMA article: “This case-study review of industry documents demonstrates that clinical trial manuscripts related to rofecoxib were authored by sponsor employees but often attributed first authorship to academically affiliated investigators who did not always disclose industry financial support. Review manuscripts were often prepared by unacknowledged authors and subsequently attributed authorship to academically affiliated investigators who often did not disclose industry financial support.”

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/299/15/1800