Body In Parts Or Body As Whole?

We learn that the body is divided in parts. And, because of that, we believe it is the parts that move. However, the body moves as a whole. And the parts integrate themselves into the movement.

The Tensegrity Touch as a therapeutic approach stimulates, among other things, this integrative quality.

Involuntary Eye Movement During Tensegrity Touch

In this video, the involuntary eye movements are visible through the eyelids. The cornea moves from side to side. 

Involuntary movements are commonly seen during Tensegrity Touch sessions. 

At the time of recording, the video described it as "Nystagmus during myofascial maneuver  in occiput area". It may not be defined as nystagmus, because of its properties. Even so, they are involuntary movements commonly seen during sessions of Tensegrity Touch technique and deserve further studies.

Dr Luiz Fernando Bertolucci - Tensegrity Touch Workshop

Tensegrity Touch Workshop - Workshop de Toque de Tensegridade
com Dr Luiz Fernando Bertolucci

Fáscia - mecanismo de ação da manipulação fascial - com Dr Luiz Fernando Bertolucci

"Fáscia - mecanismo de ação da manipulação fascial: da química molecular à comunicação celular e sistêmica" com professor Luiz Fernando Bertolucci (Médico Fisiatra e Rolfista)

Palestra realizada na Reunião Anual da ABR (Associação Brasileira de Rolfing)

New research project

We are happy to have engaged a team of high level researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) and Federal University of ABC (UFABC) interested in better understanding the effects of Tensegrity Touch in the central nervous system. Preliminary results using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have shown a decrease in the excitability of the motor cortex, what is in accordance with our initial hypothesis. Possibly this effect inhibits the inhibition of cortical structures over lower centres, especially the lymbic system, facilitating the expression of the auto-regulatory spontaneous motor activity it encodes. 

2019: Three classes certificated

Students of three Tensegrity Touch classes were certified, having completed the three modules of Introduction to TT: In June in Madrid, and in November in Curitiba and in São Paulo. The feedback we heard about the use of TT by those students were indeed encouraging! More and more we can enjoy witnessing the power of our auto-regulatory resources!

Additional aspects of Tensegrity Touch revealed

Two classes have been recently taught in Madrid. Module I (June 30 and July 1-2) with 20 students and module II (July 6-8) with 15 students and the overall impression is that TT is somehow bringing indeed a new fashion of treatment in evoking the client's involuntary motor auto-regulatory behaviours (pandiculation) and can be considered as a neuro-myofascial approach. Those responses can contribute to the benefit of both, client and therapist: they bring efficacy to the miofascial component of the treatment and allow for the freeing forces to be steered in remote regions of the clients' body. Additionally, the therapist also has, making part of a single tensegrity system along with the client, the possibility to improve his own postural tonic function and hence degree of tensegrity. It seems to be a gain-gain way to play with our natural salutogenic resources!

The feedback of the clinical experiences of last year's students were indeed encouraging and continuing classes have already been scheduled for 2019, including Module III, in which, besides additional manoeuvres, the clinical practice will be in focus. Thanks a lot for Florence Cohen for having put together these classes!

TT classes taught in Spain and Poland

We started a new TT class in Madrid, in May 12-14 and the feedback has been very encouraging. Another class has also been started in Poznan, Poland, where we´ve been teaching since 2011. Continuing classes are planned for 2018.

2016 Tensegrity Touch new research project

We are starting a new research project at the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo, in which we plan to measure the degree of tensegrity with accelerometry during the TT maneuvres, along with the monitoring of muscle activity with EMG (electromyography). 

Our hypothesis is that, besides the already described involuntary muscle activity during the maneuvres, we would detect a change in the patterns of muscle recruitment after the maneuvres, namely, a rise in the tonic activity and possibly a decrease of phasic activity. Let us see!

2015 Tensegrity Touch classes

We had three Tensegrity Touch classes in 2015: in Gals, Switzerland, in June 27-28; in Manchester, England, in July 26-27 and in São Paulo, in August 21-23 and September 25-27. Most students in those classes were Rolfers and physiotherapists.

2014 Tensegrity Touch activities:

We had 4 TT classes in 2014: June 5-8 in Poznan, Poland a class for physiotherapists; June 14-20 in Zurich, Switzerland a class in which most students were rolfers and we also had a physiotherapist; August 29-31 in São Paulo, also a class with various practitioners. The experience of having people coming from diverse backgrounds is surely enriching.

In 2014 we also inaugurated two supervision groups in São Paulo, with monthly gatherings. 

2013 overwiew and the new name: Tensegrity Touch

It has always been a difficult task to choose a name to refer to our work. How to summarize and describe it using one or a few words? Besides, our comprehension about it is constantly evolving and the apparently appropriate terms change overtime. We believe Muscle Repositioning needed to be "upgraded" and we chose Tensegrity Touch. Achieving the condition of tensegrity (both in the client's and in the practitioner's systems) seems to somehow describe one of the work's main features.

In 2013 we taught the scheduled classes in Brazil and Poland, with plans to maintain continuing education programs in those locations.We also have plans to teach in other European cities (Berlin and Zurich) in 2014.

2013 MR classes

In Poznan, Poland, we have scheduled two classes. From July 4th to 7th we will teach a basic 4-day class, and in July 8th and 9th we will teach a two day upgrade class, for the students that have already attended the basic 4-day classes in 2011 and 2012. Those classes are aimed for manual therapists of various backgrounds, like structural integrators, physical therapists, osteopaths, physical educators, Feldenkrais and Eutony practitioners among others. The techniques taught are suitable to be used in different therapeutic settings.

In São Paulo, Brazil, we will teach a 3-day class from August 23th to 25th. This class is aimed for Rolfing Structural Integration practitioners, and is aimed to the employment of MR techniques within the Rolfing setting.

Spontaneous movements study under way
Thanks to their published articles, various authors have mingled in an international group of study about spontaneous movements. We are describing the types of movements, their possible neurological and structural mechanisms and also discussing their possible biological significances. As such spontaneous behaviors have been observed in various therapies and practices, we are also making a list of them. We plan to publish articles based on this interesting collective effort. 

New class in Poznan:

From July 12 to 15 we taught another class for physical therapists in Poznan, Poland. Again, feedback is cheering! We are planning continuing education and new classes in Poznan for next year.

Muscle Repositioning classes overseas in 2011

We taught a 6-day MR workshop for structural integrators in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August 21-27. On October 3rd, we had a workshop for rolfers in Kamakura, Japan and from October 13-16 we taught a 4- day class for physical therapists in Poznan, Poland. The feedback has been encouraging!

 New article on pandiculation

A new article on pandiculation has been published at Terra Rosa e-magazine (pages 27-34):
Pandiculation: an organic way to maintain musculoskeletal health

Assisting pandiculation?

It has just been published electronically our new article, in which we further discuss the possible links between MR and pandiculation. Deepening our understanding of such an intriguing behavior has strengthened our hypotheses, i.e., that MR evokes instinctual homeostatic behaviors. In this sense, could such manual approach be described as "assisted pandiculation"?

2010, busy year

2010 was a very busy year. We published three articles (two available by the links below and the third is in press, and is related to pandiculation and its possible relationship with MR. In May we presented a workshop at the IASI Symposium in Denver, in June we presented in the 1st International Congress on Yawning, in Paris. This event strengthened our hypotheses, i.e., that Muscle Repositioning evokes responses that are related to pandiculation. Now we post some videos depicting pandiculation-like responses of clients during -and after- MR maneuvers (as some responses outlast the touch itself and self-perpetuate).

Second Fascia Research Congress

We participated in the 2nd International Fascia Research Congress, held in the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam last October, presenting new research results and teaching a workshop. These participations gave rise to two articles, published in the March issue of the on-line journal IJTMB, which links are:

Link to the journal

http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb

article on EMG research results

http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/76/105 (html version)

http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/76/95 (pdf version)

article on the theoretical basis of our manual approach, also related to a workshop presented

http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/72/103 (html version)

http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/72/90 (pdf version)

http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/72/98 (presentation regarding the article's subject)

Pandiculation and Muscle Repositioning

Pandiculation and Muscle Repositioning: Pandiculation is the name given to the behavior of yawn and stretch. Some studies were done on this subject, whose functions still remain unclear. Interestingly, the tonic activity that we detected by electromyography during MR maneuvers has been accompanied by a subjective experience similar to pandiculation-type of stretch. In addition, some clients have reported the resumption of the habit of pandiculating in the morning, behavior that had unconsciously been abandoned. Furthermore, such behavior was associated with a state of well-being and had helped in improving the pain of which they reported.
A possible function of pandiculation: The hypothesis that we raise from these observations is that the ubiquitous behavior of pandiculating helps maintain the integrative function of the fascial system by: (a) mechanical signaling the connective tissue metabolism (mechanotransduction) to reinforce the collagen links that unites the segments to one another, as when one pandiculates, (b) the redistribution of free water (water that can flow) in the extracellular matrix. This latter effect stabilizes the joints and thus also increases the degree of integration, among other hypothetical mechanisms. Noteworthy is the difference between the pandiculation-type stretch, which arises spontaneously, is pleasurable and increases joint stability, with the regular stretching, which is produced by a volitional action, may produce displeasure and joint instability (because of this, stretching has been contraindicated before physical activity).
Pandiculation, evolution and musculoskeletal disorders: Pandiculation occurs in almost all animal kingdom, even in fish. It is believed to have a role in the development and maintenance of the musculoskeletal system ([1], [2], [3]). Human fetuses are already moving in this way in the womb and children continue to do so. But as we become adults we tend to pandiculate less and less frequently. Would culture and education be responsible for the progressive abolishment of this behavior? If so, could this inhibition be related to the high frequency of functional musculoskeletal disorders in humans?

references:

[1] Fraser AF The phenomenon of pandiculation in the kinetic behaviour of the sheep fetus. Appl Anim. Behav. Sci, 24:169-182, 1989.

[2] Fraser AF Pandiculation: the comparative phenomenon of systematic stretching. Appl Anim Behav Sci, 23:263-268, 1989.

[3] Walusinski, O. Neurofisiologia del bostezar y estirarse: su ontogenia y filogenia. Electroneurobiología, 14 (4):175-202, 2006.