The soft tissues can be a powerful friend... or, a powerful enemy.
The soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia) could be considered as the most overlooked and perhaps least understood system in the body. They account for 50% of our body weight and are involved in everything we do. We can't eat, sleep or even breathe without activating them. The muscles in the jaw are so powerful, that they can actually crush bone, while women have been known to lift the back end of a car off the ground to free their child from underneath. The soft tissues can be a powerful friend... or, a powerful enemy.
Changes in the soft tissues due to overuse, misuse or just plain old lack of use, affect the position of the vertebrae and exert pressure on the joints, nerves and vascular system. The soft tissues contribute to postural misalignments, functional limitation of movement and are now known to refer pain to distant areas of the body. In fact, there is a soft tissue component in most physical and emotional discomfort.
UNTIE was developed in the United States in the early 1980's as an alternative to exerting force into soft tissues which may already be painful to the touch. UNTIE emphasizes that pain and limitation of movement are frequently caused by imbalances in the musculoskeletal system. It combines comprehensive soft tissue evaluation with a specialized method of light manual pressure to normalize the soft tissues and restore balance to the musculoskeletal system, in accordance with the individual needs of the patient. UNTIE penetrates as deep, or perhaps even deeper than other methods that use substantially more pressure.
It is basic to UNTIE, that soft tissue dysfunction, no matter how deep within the body, can be felt in the skin. These patterns of dysfunction are palpable once the proper awareness and sensitivity have been developed.
Patterns are like snowflakes, no two are identical. A pattern is an infinitely variable expression of a specific soft tissue dysfunction and it is synergistically related to the dysfunction. The physiological mechanism by which patterns appear in connection with dysfunction is yet unclear. Although we know that the skin and the central nervous system develop from the same embryological layer and are thus intimately connected, the multidimensional aspect of this dynamic connection has still not received adequate scientific attention. Yet the skilled practitioner can readily access dysfunction in even the deepest layers of soft tissue, by working with the patterns which are associated with the dysfunction.
Initially, a three stage evaluation is used to objectively determine soft tissue imbalances. Special attention is paid to the interplay between overt signs and underlying causes. Once the imbalances have been determined and the patterns are identified through palpation, they are released by precisely applied, sensitive movements of the practitioner's fingertips along the surface of skin. The movements of the fingers are coordinated with the changes in the patterns, without any application of force, will or preconceived routine. The fingers move in perfect concert with the patterns, gently, slowly, flowing.
Pressure is regulated so that the force of the practitioner's fingertips into the skin is slightly less than the resistance of the skin against the fingertips. With the use of a small amount of lotion, this pressure allows the fingers to move along the surface of the skin in a friction free manner, increasing sensitivity to the changes which take place in the patterns. Changes in the patterns are stimulated by the presence of the practitioner's fingers and determined by the body's natural desire to reach homeostasis. Once the patterns release, the soft tissues are reevaluated to confirm that they have normalized in response to the manipulations.
Although other approaches may not specifically address soft tissue patterns, the patterns are affected, since there is contact with the skin when the soft tissues are manipulated. The more thorough the method used, the more likely it is that the patterns will be released. Because the foundation of UNTIE is sensitivity, it readily deals with the unique patterns of the individual. It is a procedure for working "with" the body - not "on" the body.
...an alternative to exerting force into soft tissues which may already be painful to the touch.
Patterns are like snowflakes, no two are identical.
- It is a procedure for working "with" the body - not "on" the body.