We're regressing to our sexy prehistoric selves, click by click.

I don't mean to get dramatic, but we as a computer, tablet, Iphone addicted culture are beginning to show kyphosis of the spine as a society!  Add that to the rapid decline in social skills derived from device addictions and we're not far from becoming a population of knuckle dragging, grunting neanderthals with Apple watches and Fitbits.   Like the Black Rhino, the Amur Leopard, and the leatherback turtle, our neutral spines are becoming a vanishing species, save your posture from reaching woolly mammoth status and leave a legacy of lovely, lengthened front myofascial lines for future generations. 

The front myofascial line...

connects muscles from toenail to temple, following a course that closely resembles the stomach meridian in Chinese Medicine.  By complementing the back line, the FML works to keep us structurally balanced and homo sapianly upright. When our posture resembles that of a question mark our FML is shortened, resulting in structural compromise and energetic imbalances to the stomach meridian.  The stomach meridian plays a key role in our digestion and metabolism, specifically when it comes to foods that are harder to break down, like grains  (hmm... maybe that's why cave men ate paleo).  

The desk job isn't the only thing poaching your front line...

Though a life time of hunkering over your computer like quasimodo is usually the culprit of the vanishing front line. Excessive strengthening of your external abdominal muscles via sit ups and crunches can create a shortening and tightening of the superficial fascia and deep iliacus and psoas muscles. This tension can result in neck pain and psoas issues including groin and low back pain and digestive disorders. Eat like a cave man because it's trendy, and might make you skinny (kidding!), not because you've squeezed your stomach meridian into oblivion and can no longer digest toast.

Save your front line from extinction

Tight quads, low back pain, digestion issues and lateral neck pain all respond incredibly well to Acupuncture and Moxibustion (the burning of mugwort near specific points to warm and lengthen the fascia). Unfortunately, unless you've decided to ditch your desk job for that dolphin training career you've always dreamt of, ergonomic changes to your desk environment coupled with conscious alignment and a consistent and responsible yoga practice are crucial to maintaining your structural health.

Leave the sit ups to your paleolithic ancestors, Access and tone your core by practicing abdominal exercises that strengthen the deep muscles of iliacus and psoas and by embodying the breath. Schedule a Private Yoga class with me to learn more.

Lastly, lose the devices and get outside with your kids, there's a beautiful, un-clickable world out there, enjoy it while you're still standing upright.

And why can't my health practitioners stop talking about it?

After years of flinging this mystical myofascial word around in the office and at the studio, it recently occurred to me that the majority of my clients have no idea where or what their myofascia is and why I can't shut up about it.  Therefore, I've decided to compose a series of newsletters detailing the different myofascial lines, how their imbalances can manifest in your body and how Acupuncture and yoga can help. So, fasten your seat belts folks, for numero uno in a series of 6 newsletters where we will tackle the big question, what is myofascia?

Were you aware that you have super powers?

 
Well, maybe not in the way that you're thinking, but underneath the skin, your entire body is held snuggly in what resembles a spiderman suit. This web of myofascia surrounds and supports all of your muscles in a flexible yet strong silk threaded sweater  that resides just beneath the skin.  This web of tissue comprises your very own spidey suit and forms as a highly intelligent and sensitive network of microscopic cords which connect every part of the body to each other via tensegrity.  This tensegrity or interconnectedness is what gets all of your health practitioners and body workers so excited.  It means that just Like a snag on a sweater, damage to a single area of your fascia can affect distant areas in the body, sometimes even after years.  

When fascia gets in a kink it can be a real drag

Healthy fascia is soft and supple, but prolonged sitting in cars, desk jobs, over exercise (without stretching) and physical trauma can cause the fascia to become inflamed and lose its pliability, turning our fishnet body sock into a tangled up superglue nightmare. Over time, the  result can be an endless feeling of stuckness and pain experienced in a variety of places, from headaches and neck pain to sciatica, tight or torn hamstrings, hip issues and plantar fasciitis with numbness and tingling, breathing difficulties, inflexibility and very poor posture.  
 

Tom Meyers and Ida Rolf

You can't talk about myofascia without sighting the brilliance of these two.  Dr. Ida Rolf, developed and introduced the therapy of Structural Integration as a way of correcting the health issues resulting from poor posture. She understood the importance of a neutral spine, core strength and the vital role supple fascia play in proper alignment.  Tom Meyers took things further, by outlining in great detail (details that make it difficult to keep your eyes opened when reading his manuals) the different pathways these myofascial trains take and their relationship to the body. 
 

The unsticking of you

Don't let you super hero underwear get into a bunch.  There are a variety of ways to help your fascia recover it's limber and sleek self.   Acupuncture can help rehydrate fascia by activating the trigger points (pulls in the sweater) that refer pain to other parts of the body.  I work with the myofascia every day in my office by releasing  muscle tension and increasing blood flow to the affected area.  I can also help by recommending diet and supplement prescriptions to aid in reducing inflammation.  There'll be no time for slouching either, as you'll be expected to take an active role in your recovery.  I'll give you insights into your own postural habits and strategies to rectify those imbalances with specific therapeutic yoga poses tailored to meet your needs.

Head, shoulders, neck and Jaw, neck and Jaw…

When it's literally all in your head in Durango,

 Pain can be a very solitary experience.  Migraines show no physical evidence and the depth of their severity is often impossible to convey to co-workers, friends and family.  As the daughter of a chronic migraine sufferer, I learned to walk silently, speak softly, keep the lights down low and the music off.  Migraine medications do little to prevent and often leave you feeling drugged and dopey. 

Fortunately, Acupuncture provides a long term solution for many patients.  While I haven't been able to help everyone, I can safely say that the majority of my chronic headache sufferers have reported at least a 50% decrease in frequency.  I recently received this email from a patient. 

Hi Megan,
Thanks for checking up on me.  My improvement is almost 100%, I have had very few headaches since I came to see you!  I thank you so much for this as I had been having almost daily headaches for at least 15 years!  You have literally changed my life :)    Thanks again!   -RB

What your headache is trying to tell you

Perhaps your head is not the greatest communicator, but think of your headaches as a particularly obnoxious ambassador speaking for the rest of your body. 
 

Location, Location, Location       

In Tcm the very location of your headache can tell us what organs, meridians, family member, home improvement project or colleague is to blame.

Uncovering your headache horoscope
 
Forehead: Correlates to the Spleen and Stomach channels, indicating digestive issues, poor diet, excessive worry or dehydration.

Migraines:  Chronic blood deficiency or stagnation, usually accompanied by an underlying Liver/Kidney or spleen imbalance. 

Temples: Corresponds to Gallbladder/Liver channels,  indicating stress,frustration, indecisiveness, toxicity or the presence of a teenager in your home.

Heavy:  A headache that feels heavy like a towel wrapped around the head can evidence internal dampness or phlegm and pain.

Crown of the head: Can denote kidney and liver channel distress, often the result of high pressure, demanding lifestyles or premature aging.  

Structural: Headaches emanating from the base of the skull can signal issues with the cervical vertebrae, scm, scalene or trapezius muscles. 

Depending on the personality of your headache, specific points along the affected channels as well as specific neuro Acupuncture points on the scalp are needled to bring the affected organ and meridian system back into balance.  Depending on the root of the issue, moxibustion, cupping and specific Chinese herbal formulas are prescribed to help sustain the treatment. We’ll also look investigate your diet, posture, lifestyle and underlying conditions to help pinpoint the root cause of your headaches. Schedule your appointment at Durango Acupuncture Clinic today!