The Essence of Bodywork

Recently , I’ve found myself asking a fundamental question: Why should we receive regular bodywork?

It’s an odd question for someone who has practiced hands-on healing for more than 25 years as a Doctor of Chiropractic—but it’s one worth asking. The more I’ve reflected on it, and the more I’ve spoken with many of you, the clearer my answer has become.

When I began this work, my goal was straightforward: fix injuries, improve performance, restore movement. Together with my amazing team, Kent, Cindy, Yolanda, and Brooke we continue to do that every day. But over time, my understanding of what bodywork truly is has deepened. It’s no longer just about treating pain or dysfunction; it’s about caring for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.

And, of course, after two weeks of overthinking this, leave it to my patient Natalie to capture it best: “because if you don’t, you hurt!” Exactly. Yet, as straight forward as that is, I know there is more.

The reason we should receive regular bodywork is that it is essential.

To call something essential is to speak of its essence- its very being. In this sense I am suggesting that bodywork is not merely therapeutic (fixing a sprained knee or a tweaked spine or an impinged shoulder – important as these are) but an expression of what it is to be human. Human existence is not merely abstract or mental, it is embodied- lived through our bodies, our senses, our movements and our feelings. We live through our bodies and bodywork can reconnect us through awareness back into our bodies.

It is essential because skilled, caring and intentional human touch remains the best medicine for most of what ails us. If you are reading this it is very likely that you are fortunate enough to have your basic health care needs met. That being said we are mostly ravaged by pain and disability in our bodies; in our tissues, in our muscles, fascia, joint capsules, the discs of our spines, nerves and dura and this is where hands-on therapy becomes essential.

It is essential because although they can (mis)behave differently, all these tissues of our bodies tend to contract, congest, strain and sprain, get entrapped, adaptively shorten to create tension, adaptively lengthen to create instability; all of which creates pain and disability which keeps us from moving with ease, grace and pleasure.

It is essential because in this age of rushed medical appointments, the time needed for effective bodywork affords us the time to go beyond the tissue work and have a valuable conversation about our health , fitness and wellbeing.

It is essential because our structure- what makes us who we are is composed of a variety of tissues that organize into what we can call the dynamic living matrix. Connective tissues: fascia, tendons ligaments, joint capsules, spinal discs and dura all combine to form the organ of structure. More than simply a structure that houses our muscles, nerves, joints and internal organs, our connective tissue is wildly dynamic in that every move, every pull, every warp and weft, is communicated throughout our bodies.

For example:  I will  your feel the thickened texture in the bottom of your right foot which hints at a restriction in your right hip which will then  potentially stress the structures  of your  low back of which your body will  then compensate with  tension in and around the left shoulder, this then travels up to your neck finally settling into a strong rotation restriction just under your head, possibly causing you headaches. We quickly travelled from the bottom of your foot to the top of your head. It is truly all connected.

Beyond this, housed in the matrix of our connective tissues are immune cells and countless free nerve endings. When our tissues are softened released and decongested, we cannot help but feel a greater ease of movement and a deeper sense of wellbeing. We are, after all, at a conscious level, just an accumulation of sensory experiences. By reorganizing these experiences through a process of getting to know our own bodies we can establish a more knowing and friendlier relationship with our bodies. How we “feel” is housed in our tissues and this is where skilled, caring and intentional body work can directly affect our perceptions of how we feel.

It is essential because, as Roman physician Paracelsus says, “There is but one disease and its name is congestion”. We are on a very basic level, bags of water. With the bags being our connective tissue and the water being all the fluids that run through our bodies. Not just blood in our arteries and veins but lymph and interstitial fluids and digestion and cerebral spinal fluids.  Freeing up the pathways for improved fluid dynamics is a critical component of effective body work.

It is essential because we understand that a muscle under chronic tension is working just as hard as an exercising muscle – a muscle getting actual work done.  It is a vicious cycle.  A restricted muscle has more tension in it resulting in more fuel needs yet because of the tension there is less fuel delivery making the work more difficult which then requires more fuel and so on  until tissue exhaustion with all of its pain, limitations and toxic side effects. (A far to common example of this in all of us is the tension and pain in and around our shoulder blades.) Freeing this muscle(s) of this tension liberates us from the fatigue and stress of this and invites better pain-free joyful movement. 

It is essential because beyond the physical aspect of the treatment there is a powerful energetic component to bodywork. It is here that I have truly started to experience the magic of bodywork. I am fascinated by the changes I can see and sense in my patients and although the metaphysical changes are difficult to measure or even explain, I just know that my energy- the energy I bring to every session - needs to be open, present and grounded. It I here that I have had the opportunity to develop my intuitive process to be a facilitator of healing.

It is essential because the energy, care and intention I need to bring to every treatment requires of me a deep sense of presence and wellbeing. I need to be happy and healthy to treat you, and because of that I am very grateful.

What good fortune!

In health,
Dr. Steve