I am wary when professionals and clients refer to body workers (massage therapists, chiropractors, energy workers, acupuncturists, etc) as healers. I personally do not refer to myself or others as "healers." I am of the school of thought that healing comes from within the client when the body worker creates an environment conducive to healing. I will disclose first and foremost that I am in no way an authority on psychology or physiology. I am one more person with an opinion and I hold experiences and failures and successes like everyone else. Everyone has to decide on their opinion as to the "healer" if they decide to go to a professional (or unprofessional) for body work.
The term "healer" suggests that the body worker has the ability to eradicate pain, drawing on an external source. The sufferer needs this outside source to be able to bring the body back into balance or "fix" a problem. My issue, as stated previously, is that "healing" is a very high expectation and if it is not achieved or the results are not permanent then it can create a sense of despair in the individual, hindering progress and perhaps driving a wedge between the alleged healer (body worker) and client. Time and time again people come into the rehab center who have seen a string of professionals and they are deeply dissatisfied with the results or how they were approached. It may be the case that the client really isn't getting help. But, I'm not referring to those people. I'm speaking of the people who expect to be fixed (perhaps also with some kind of mystical experience). This person may not have acknowledged or owned up to their responsibilities by making real changes in their lifestyles, attitudes and health. Constant disappointment in lack of results only fortifies pain and negativity within and they are not able to see their role or power as their own healer. I hate to break it to some of you, but the body is dynamic and constantly changing. It's also a thing of habits and patterns over weeks, years, and decades.
So what is it then that body workers do if they don't heal??? I believe that they create space. The body is always seeking to return to optimal alignment and balance. Sometimes muscle and connective tissues are wound so tight and dense that the skeleton keeps hitting resistance when it tries to "click back" into balance. Moreover, our inefficient postures (think hunched over) are so conditioned that both the body and mind accept it as the new normal. When the muscles are relaxed, stretched and stimulated coupled WITH the openness and positive attitude of the client, the nervous system (the true healer) allows the muscles to relax, let go of accumulated tension and hopefully move towards a healthier and efficient posture. I believe that massage alone can offer many benefits, BUT when it is used in conjunction with physical therapy and perhaps chiropractic care, plenty of water and nutrition, and stress reduction then true healing can occur. Massage therapy can break-up adhesions and expedite this process, getting a client to a place they can't get to themselves. But, if the nervous system is not participating due to mental, emotional or physical blocks then it can only go so far.
I like to think of progress as a multi-layered process that abides by the individual's own internal time frame for change. The deepest layer is true healing and transformation resides within the individual. My clients with positive attitudes and healthy lifestyles report more excitement about progress with their bodies, thus encouraging the mental to follow suit. Hopefully, the frequency between pain episodes becomes less and less and the client gains a sense of control over their quality of life. Pain patterns can disappear, wax and wane and others move from one place to the other in the body. Speaking with my own body, they tend to wax and wane. I haven't had an issues disappear and that's ok because they are so infrequent that they do not interfere with my life. Sometimes they are triggered by an emotional event and other times due to my own lack of discipline or falling back into inefficient postures (i.e. hunching over at the computer). Can they be totally healed? I don't know--this might be a question for another professional. I just know for myself that I have to set realistic expectations and maintain a positive attitude and openness about my capabilities as my own healer. It can be a very challenging wave to ride, but if one learns to swim and ideally surf then it becomes much less stressful to cope with. One doesn't learn to surf in a day and certainly a body that has been doing the same motions for years or decades is not going to respond in one session or sporadic attempts. The body often mirrors the effort put forth.
As time passes, I become more and more a woman of science. I want to see experiences measured and given the justice they deserve through empirical study and not accept claims of "mystical" healing. It limits the client's perception about what is possible and can backfire because results run the spectrum of placebo to unexplained. As I learn more and more about what people go through with physical therapy, the more I want bring awareness to the public about what is possible within themselves.
