Wisdom in the Body

by Michael Kern

  The dural membrane system is a part of the body’s unbroken chain of connective tissue. These membranes are continuous with the periosteum (lining) inside the cranial bones and sacrum. Other connective tissues are continuous with the periosteum outside these bones. Bands of connective tissue hang down from attachments on the underside of the cranium, forming longitudinal compartments that traverse the length of the body. These longitudinal tissues hang from the cranial bones like great tubes that wrap the various organs and internal structures of the body (see Figure 3.1858). Furthermore, as each nerve exits from the spinal canal it is enveloped in a sleeve of tissue, which is continuous with the dural tube of the spine (see Figure 3.19). Once these dural sleeves leave the spinal canal, they join with the connective tissue network of the rest of the body, linking the core tissues of the primary respiratory mechanism with the body as a whole.

  Figure 3.18: Connective tissues (fascia) hanging from the cranial floor (illustration credit 3.18)

  Figure 3.19: Formation of spinal nerves with connective tissue coverings (illustration credit 3.19)

  Role of fascia

  Fascia is a type of connective tissue found throughout the body. It is an organ of support that also helps to compartmentalize the different body structures. There is a superficial layer of fascia that immediately underlies the skin, and deeper layers that surround all the internal structures of the body. Each nerve, muscle, bone, vessel, gland and organ of the body is surrounded by deep fascia—as is each individual nerve fibre, muscle fibre and each group of fibres. In fact, every “everything” in the body is surrounded by fascia. If you took away all of the internal substance of the body, you would be left with a cast of each body part made of fascia.

  The fascia around a muscle, nerve or organ, etc., determines the space that these structures use, and so maintains their shape. In addition, fascia forms an integrating tissue system that unifies the body, connecting all parts together. It helps all areas of the body to work together in coordinated patterns of movement. Therefore, the structure and the function of each individual part, and of the body as a whole, is to some extent controlled by fascia. As a result, fascia has an important role in maintaining our health.

  Fascial glide

  In health, all the fascial compartments throughout the body glide in relationship to each other, as well as express an intrinsic motility. The fluid found between the different fascial sheets helps to reduce any friction so that this gliding motion can more easily occur. This fascial glide occurs during our more pronounced voluntary movements and during our subtle primary respiratory motion. Fascial glide allows for each part of the body to move easily against its neighbor, and accommodates for the inner breathing or motility of the organ or structure it contains. When there is no resistance provided by their surrounding fascia, all tissues have room to breathe and therefore, are able to express their original matrix of health.

  Fluidic nature

  Fluid is everywhere in the body, with water making up an average of sixty-five percent of total body weight. Our bodies are basically fluidic in nature.59 Earlier, we noted that the potency of the Breath of Life is conducted through the body within its fluid medium. As potency is taken up in the fluid, it produces a rhythmic longitudinal fluctuation. This tide-like phenomenon is expressed by all fluids of the body, not only by cerebrospinal fluid. While C.S.F. is considered to be the primary medium that carries the potency of the Breath of Life, this function is shared by other fluids.

  Connective tissues are also largely comprised of fluid. Connective tissue is formed of hollow collagen and elastin fibres that are meshed together in sheets. These fibres are contained within a ground substance, made up of fluid. The fluid ground substance can vary in density from being quite watery to having a thicker, more gel-like state. A variety of different tissue types are formed, dependent on the fluidic nature of the ground substance, and the quantity and arrangement of collagen and elastin fibres.

  Interestingly, the ground substance in connective tissues has a very similar composition to C.S.F.60 Furthermore, like C.S.F., the fluid within connective tissues also express a tide-like rhythmic motion. Claire Dolby D.O. remarks, “In the cranial concept, at a core level cerebrospinal fluid expresses the potency of the Breath of Life within the dural membranes. In the whole body, interstitial and lymphatic fluids at a cellular level and a tissue level carry out this role.”61

  Conductor of potency

  Small amounts of C.S.F. gain exit from the spinal canal through the dural sleeves that surround the spinal nerves (see the earlier section about C.S.F., this page–this page). The hollow collagen fibres of these connective tissues have been shown to be the agency by which this occurs, helping to transport C.S.F. into the rest of the body.62 This supports an original hypothesis by Dr. Sutherland, that cerebrospinal fluid potentizes the whole body.

  Through its internal network of collagen fibres, the fascia can be seen as one of the mechanisms by which the potency of the Breath of Life is conducted throughout the body. The founder of osteopathy, Dr. Still, also affirmed the importance of fascia when he wrote:

  This philosophy has chosen the fascia as a foundation on which we stand … By its action we live and by its failure we die … The soul of man with all the streams of pure living water seems to dwell in the fascia of his body.63

  The ability of fascia to act as a carrier of potency is further suggested by research carried out by Dr. Zvi Karni, a professor of Biological Engineering in Israel. He suggests that fascia is able to conduct electricity, so helping to transmit energy throughout the body.64 Other researchers, such as Herbert Frohlich65 and Fritz Popp, have demonstrated that a living cell emits light across a wide variety of wavelengths and that this is an important way in which cells communicate with each other. According to Dr. Will Wilson, “In cancer the output of light is much reduced, thereby reducing the potential for cell-to-cell communication. Cancer cells act as if out of touch with the rest of the organism, proliferating uncontrollably. So, for cellular health it seems likely that a light-based communication system is needed.”66 It is likely that contraction of fascial tissues interferes with their capacity to conduct electricity,67 and perhaps also with their ability to transmit light at a cellular level. This may be an important cause of a fragmentation of function between different parts of the body.

  Core and periphery

  Fascia has the properties of being pliable, tough and also relatively inelastic. The effects of a pull or twist in one area can easily be transmitted to another. An imbalance or restriction of fascial glide in any part of the network can affect other regions, thereby reducing the ability of the body to express its primary respiration. Scars are one common cause of this.

  Because the fascial sheaths of the body are continuous with the reciprocal tension membrane system, patterns of stress affecting fascia in the periphery of the body can feed back into the core of the primary respiratory mechanism and vice versa. Inertia within the fascial network can also place pressure on the internal organs of the body. This can reduce their ability to express their inherent motility and health.

  The body functions as an integrated system, with all parts moving and working in relationship to each other. Because of this, it is possible for a practitioner to put his hand on a patient’s foot and palpate how primary respiration is being expressed through the whole body. When doing this it is not so hard for an experienced practitioner to even notice how tissues at the opposite end of the body are functioning. The continuity of the fascial network is one medium through which this kind of palpation can occur. These principles will be explored further in a later chapter about diagnosis.

  Longitudinal arrangement

  The majority of fascia is organized in longitudinal bands along the length of the body.68 If the Breath of Life is expressed in health and balance, these bands of connective tissue freely glide in relationship to each other and allow for the healthy transmission of primary respiration throughout the body.

&nbs
p; Because of the predominantly longitudinal organization of fascia, primary respiration is largely transmitted longitudinally through the fascial network. This physical arrangement corresponds to the way energy moves through the body. In Chinese medicine, energy or chi is thought to traverse the body mainly along longitudinal channels called meridians.

  Transverse diaphragms

  However, there are four key areas of the body where significant transverse (horizontal) arrangements of fascia are located (see Figure 3.20). These transverse diaphragms are:

  The cranial base

  The thoracic inlet

  The respiratory diaphragm

  The pelvic floor.

  The areas where transverse fascia is found are essentially places of transition in the body. They help to compartmentalize the different body cavities. For example, the respiratory diaphragm separates the abdomen from the chest, and the pelvic diaphragm creates the boundary of the pelvic floor.

  When expressing their natural, unrestricted primary respiration, fluid and potency are free to move through the transverse diaphragms in a way that is similar to how water spreads along the contours of a funnel. However, contractions at the transverse diaphragms commonly act as sites of restriction to fascial glide and the expression of primary respiration.

  These transitional areas have been noted by body psychotherapists as places where the flow of feelings and sensations often become blocked.69 These places are where we may cut off under stress, creating a fragmentation of function in places such as between the head and the body, the belly and the chest, or the legs and the trunk.

  Figure 3.20: Major transverse diaphragms (illustration credit 3.20)

  Internal organs

  The vitalizing forces of the Breath of Life are expressed in all bones, tissues, organs and vessels of the body. The internal organs of the body express their primary respiration as a widening during inhalation and narrowing during exhalation. At the same time, in the inhalation phase the single organs such as the heart, stomach and bladder express flexion around horizontal axes, and in the exhalation phase they express extension. The paired organs—such as the lungs and kidneys—move into external and internal rotation. The common principle of primary respiration applies here too: the specific pattern of motion expressed by each organ follows its pattern of embryological development.

  Spinal mobility

  The spine is the central column of support for the body. The spine’s tone and flexibility are key elements in maintaining the balance of many functions in the body (see Figure 5.5). The spinal column expresses the micro-movements of primary respiration in addition to more apparent voluntary motions. As a whole, the spinal column tends to rise, while its curves uncurl in the inhalation/flexion phase. It then sinks, and its curves become more pronounced in the exhalation/extension phase (see Figure 3.21). Individual vertebrae express primary respiration by subtly rocking into flexion and extension.

  Many restrictions that affect the flexibility of the spine have at their root a condition of inertia involving primary respiration. When this subtle motion is restored, the larger movements of the spine also tend to become freer. As an osteopath, I see many patients with back problems. In the majority of these cases, I find the craniosacral approach the most effective way of helping to restore mobility and so relieving a number of painful conditions. It is also very gentle. It’s now quite rare that I need to use other more physically invasive approaches, such as spinal manipulation or deep tissue massage.

  Muscular motion

  Muscles also express primary respiration. Although not directly connected to the core of the primary respiratory mechanism, muscles that are attached to cranial bones or the sacrum can have an important influence. Contracted muscles may exert pressure on the core tissues of the body from the outside. Inertia affecting the muscular system sometimes needs to be addressed as a prerequisite to finding balance within the core tissues of the primary respiratory mechanism.

  Figure 3.21: Spinal curves in flexion and extension (illustration credit 3.21)

  Whole body respiration

  The body as a whole expresses primary respiration as a widening from side to side in inhalation, followed by a narrowing in exhalation (see Figure 3.2270). The limbs move into external and internal rotation and the feet move into dorsi-flexion and plantar flexion. Dorsi-flexion refers to a flexing motion at the ankle occurring in the inhalation phase, during which the upper surface of the foot moves closer to the shin bone. Plantar flexion refers to a flexing motion in the other direction occurring in the exhalation phase when the upper surface of the foot moves further away from the shin bone, as when standing on tip-toe.

  Summary of the Primary Respiratory System

  The primary respiratory system refers to all the subtle rhythms produced by the Breath of Life, as well as the ground of stillness and potential from which this motion emerges. The different aspects of the primary respiratory system—the long tide, mid-tide and cranial rhythmic impulse—help to convey the essential ordering potencies of the Breath of Life.

  Figure 3.22: Whole body primary respiratory motion (illustration credit 3.22)

  The cranial rhythmic impulse is the outermost and most superficial aspect of this system, and is expressed throughout the body as particular tissue movements called craniosacral motion. Other, slower tidal rhythms underlie this motion and are the inherent forces behind it. The mid-tide occurs as an embodiment of the biodynamic potencies of the Breath of Life. This embodiment occurs within the fluid systems of the body. The long tide is expressed as a wider field of action that lays down the essential blueprint for our form and function. It is our most fundamental organizing force.

  As primary respiration carries our essential blueprint for health into the body, there is a very direct relationship between the freedom of this motion and our expression of health. All healthy tissues fully breathe with the Breath of Life, which maintains their integrity and balanced function.

  Summary of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism

  The primary respiratory mechanism describes the tissues and fluids at the core of the body that play a key role in expressing the Breath of Life. The primary respiratory mechanism can be thought of like a car, with each part having a different, yet vital function. The bones of the body move into flexion/external rotation and extension/internal rotation like the cogs of the wheels. The reciprocal tension membranes are like wheel axles, guiding the bones in their motion. The inhalation and exhalation of the central nervous system is like the piston of an engine; cerebrospinal fluid is the fuel. The potency of Breath of Life is the spark that ignites the fuel and moves the whole process. The original matrix is the design. The driver is consciousness—and the shape of the body work gets conditioned by any accidents or traumas!71

  Figure 3.23 provides a summary of the particular ways in which the tissues of the body express their primary respiration.

  Primary Respiratory Motion

  Inhalation and exhalation are specific terms used to describe the primary respiration of cerebrospinal fluid and the central nervous system.

  Flexion/extension and external/internal rotation describe the motion of bones, organs and membranes of the body (see Figure 3.23). All these subtle motions are naturally oriented around the midline and follow the patterns of growth that occur during our embryological development.

  Inhalation/flexion/

  external rotation phase Exhalation/extension/

  internal rotation phase

  Cerebrospinal fluid ascends longitudinally and spreads from side to side descends longitudinally and recedes from side to side

  Central nervous system widens from side to side. The brain rotates forwards towards the front wall of the third ventricle narrows from side to side. The brain rotates away from the front wall of the third ventricle

  Ventricles widen narrow

  Falx cerebri and falx cerebelli narrow from front to back. Tentorium widens from side to side. Spinal dura rises lengthen from front to back. Ten
torium narrows from side to side. Spinal dura lowers

  Single midline bones move into flexion around a horizontal axis. Other bones rotate in opposite direction to the sphenoid move into extension around a horizontal axis. Other bones rotate in opposite direction to the sphenoid

  Paired bones move into external rotation around specific anterior-posterior axes move into internal rotation around specific anterior-posterior axes (opposite to their external rotation)

  Single organs move into inhalation/flexion move into exhalation/extension

  Paired organs move into inhalation/external rotation move into exhalation/internal rotation

  Feet externally rotate and dorsi-flex internally rotate and plantar-flex

  Arms externally rotate internally rotate

  Whole body widens from side to side and narrows from front to back narrows from side to side and widens from front to back

  Figure 3.23: Primary respiratory motion (illustration credit 3.23)

  4

  THE INTELLIGENT BODY

  What is the body? That shadow of a shadow of your

  love, that somehow contains the entire universe.1

  JELALUDDIN RUMI

  KEY PRINCIPLES

  All must have, and cannot act without the highest known order of force, which submits to the voluntary and involuntary commands of life and mind, by which worlds are driven and beings move.2