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What is Tensegrity Medicine?

What is Tensegrity Medicine?

by | May 22, 2023 | Flourish Team

Shared by our Massage Therapist, Monica Bradley

The definition of tensegrity from wikipedia is: “the characteristic property of a stable three dimensional structure consisting of members under tension that are contiguous and members under compression that are not”.

Some examples of tensegrity structures are the Munich Olympic Stadium, the Biosphere, and Denver International Airport. Tension and compression are the forces that make these structures.

In the game of Jenga, I am often surprised by a block that is so easy to move even though it is near the bottom.  Again, tension and compression are involved.

In the human body, our spine is an example of a tensegrity structure. The bones float in the fascial matrix.

When I treat you using the tensegrity principles, I am testing your fascial system to see which structures are out of balance. The muscle that is not contributing to the tension and compression principle is held by a fascial sheath that is too tight for the muscle to fire to its full potential, causing compensation patterns to occur.

I look at any of your muscles that are not firing as the “criminals”-not participating and creating “victims” as the tissue that is overworked, usually sore and often the source of pain that you come in for. The “criminal” tissue is often soft and therefore not drawing attention to needing to be massaged. Most of the effort is spent treating the “victims” which are tight and sore, demanding relief.

However, when the tight muscles get treated, the relief is often temporary as the criminal is still at large, unless it gets some treatment as well. Since the muscle is not firing due to the tension in the fascia, the treatment must be focused on the fascia.

The main goal of the treatment is to create balance 3 dimensionally, so that the pain patterns are alleviated for longer if not forever.

A typical session will start with a fascial test followed by treating the tightest tissue, using the ligaments and having you contract the muscle or by treating the fascial sheath surrounding the muscle directly.

Other bodywork modalities can be mixed in as well. 

You will walk to integrate the system and then another fascial test will be done to see the results and to guide further treatment for a balanced system.

I would suggest a Tensegrity treatment if you are experiencing pain patterns that are chronic and not being relieved by other modalities.

This modality is also helpful for people who are hypermobile and are unable to get relief from stretching.

The other reason is to try Tensegrity is for cost effectiveness. Bodywork is expensive and if the pain is requiring many different treatments for pain management, then a Tensegrity treatment might last longer since the work is targeted on the pain/compensation pattern, therefore saving money in the long run.

Book your Tensegrity session here. 

Connection: The Forgotten Human Necessity

Connection: The Forgotten Human Necessity

by | May 19, 2023 | Flourish Community

“Human connection is the most vital aspect of our existence. Without the sweet touch of another being, we are lonely stars in an empty space waiting to shine gloriously.” ~Joe Straynge

Blog shared by our Founder, Jen Owen, N.P. 

One of our core values at The Flourish Center is that “We believe that community is an essential ingredient for humans to thrive, and we strive to bring people together at our Center”. 

And there’s research to back us up.

According to the CDC, “Social connectedness influences our minds, bodies, and behaviors—all of which influence our health and life expectancy. Research shows that social connectedness can lead to longer life, better health, and improved well-being”. 

When you think about necessities for humans to survive, you probably think about food, water, air, and sleep. Feeling connected to other human beings is often forgotten.

In this day and age of technology it’s easier than ever to connect with human beings. Now we’re starting to miss out on being connected to other humans in their physical presence.

In the fabulous book, Belong, Radha Agrawal shares the following data:

~One in four American report that they have ZERO friends to confide in and discuss important matters with (and that was in 2006).

~One in three Americans over the age of sixty-five is socially isolated and the number goes up with age.

~Another study found that having weak social ties is as harmful to your health as being an alcoholic and twice as harmful as obesity.

~Yet another study found that isolation sets off a cellular chain reaction that increases inflammation and suppresses the body’s immune response to disease.

We are sick from loneliness!

In his book, Young Forever, Dr. Mark Hyman says, “Building community, creating belonging, nurturing relationships and support groups, even being in a knitting or bowling group, is associated with better health and longevity”.

He goes on to talk about how there’s even a new area of research called sociogenomics, which explains how our social and psychological environments influence our gene expression. “Loss of agency, rejection, loneliness, and social isolation impact our immune system, our hormones, and our gut”.

Basically we’re finding that social determinants of health, including community, relationships, stress, and sense of purpose and belonging, are just as important for your health as what you eat or how you move. 

So, be sure to get out and be with people. Join a new group, attend a social hour, take a walk with a friend, simply enjoy human connection, because it’s a necessity!