What are Trauma Release Exercises?
This generic tremor mechanism re-integrates the organism safely and creates healthier relaxed fascial tissue. In manual therapy when working with fascia we often encounter these spontaneous tremors or jerks in our clients. Until recently these were not understood and often feared. We are now able to recognise, appreciate and encourage these for what they are. In physical therapy a wide range of vibrational healing tools are employed to heal the fascia; however our bodies are able to create this organically. Once the neurological pattern for tremoring has been established and is constantly repeated, the rhythmic cycles of the movements become easier to achieve and are easily accessed when needed in tissue repair. Sport injuries and postural challenges can be self-repaired and certainly encouraged to repair with the combination of self-induced tremor work and fascia release techniques.
When people are able to self-induce the body’s tremor mechanism in a safe environment, the physical challenges of a highly aroused nervous system are relaxed, and the fascial tissue as well as the emotional state of the individual, are relaxed. This gives us as manual therapists the unique privilege to guide our patients through their natural process if it should arise in the fascia release. It can then be given as a self-help tool at home to reinforce the work done in manual therapy. ‘Pain is a multiple system output constructed whenever the brain concludes that body tissues are in danger and action is required…and pain is allocated an anatomical reference in the virtual body.’ (Moseley).
Mammals possess the neurophysiological ability to generate our own healing vibration which we are able to activate soon after a stimulating hyper-aroused event.
Stressful and traumatic events are by definition based on some perceived or real threat to life, and therefore have close associations with the basic response to survival. Once the body feels that it is once again safe and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system has completed its adrenal fight/flight or freeze response, it can discharge a massive energy build up and adrenalin release. This seems to be the key to providing an optimal environment after survival in all mammals.
Myofascial patterns that become constricted through the ANS hyper-arousal are also released through the tremoring mechanism. What is fascinating is that when an individual accesses a specific myofascial pattern that is unique to a past injury or tension, the body often moves itself organically into the same tension pattern it experienced at the time in order to release it, even though the event has long passed. The release can contain muscle tremoring, myofascial movement, shaking and a memory of an emotion or event. The variety and diversity of expressions that occur appear to be identical to the injury itself.
