It’s a mouthful, or more literally a body-full. These specialized neurons are on the “main stage” during your bodywork appointment. My job is to stimulate the mechanoreceptors in your myofascia through proper application of touch, pressure and stretching. And why am I focused on doing this? Because mechanoreceptors are the way I communicate with your parasympathetic nervous system and central nervous system allowing us to create positive change in your tissues together!
During the myofascial unwinding process, relaxation is first induced through activating the parasympathetic nervous system (this is where my quality of touch and your ability to breathe and relax become simpatico). From there, we work in tandem to trigger the central nervous system which controls all of your muscle tone and movement responses. And why do we want to do this? Because the central nervous system is what encourages the “easiest” state-of-being for the muscles and connective tissue in your body. When we are able to reach this point, we are actively working on a deeper level to lessen pain and increase mobility in your body. If this sounds amazing it’s because it IS amazing. And how do we incite all of this blissful non-verbal, cellular-level communication? By talking of course! Conveying your thoughts on what you’re feeling in your body sets intentions both for you, and for me, as your bodywork practitioner.
Now let’s break down ever further how we use these miraculous myofascial mechanoreceptors to our benefit! My practice has a strong focus on myofascial unwinding because it actively supports relief from pain and restrictions felt in the body. So what exactly is myofascial unwinding? It’s a spontaneous reaction your tissues have when touch with slow, direct pressure is applied. My job is to sense this unwinding and respond by lengthening and stretching the tissue appropriately to encourage your body to move to a position of ease. Myofascial tissue (aka muscular connective tissue) surrounds every muscle fiber in our bodies. It is known as the “organ of form” as it holds us together by binding muscles to tendons which then bind to bones. This fascia is also DENSELY packed with sensory receptors (which, you guessed it) are known as mechanoreceptors! So my direct line of communication with your body is through the mechanoreceptors in your myofascial tissue. Mechanoreceptors are also the fastest nerve cells in the body, communicating with your central nervous system to immediately respond and correct an imbalance. And while only a small portion of the nerves in your myofascial tissue are mechanoreceptors, (most are pain receptors or free nerve endings), they are the integral strand of communication between you and I during the myofascial unwinding process. So when you feel me stop and “hang out” for a while on a particular area of your body, I am waiting for the “melt” in your myofascia to happen so we can begin the unwind. And cue the drum roll for what comes next…the REBOUND! This is the moment we’ve both been waiting for–when your myofascial restrictions are released and your pain is reduced. And we have mechanoreceptors to thank for all of this amazing transformational work we’ve accomplished!
Hopefully, this bite-size science breakdown has helped you understand one of the crucial things happening in your body during your time on the table. Just lay back, relax, and let your mechanoreceptors and I do the rest!
