I
left people hanging after the last post wondering what the possible reasons exist
for the effectiveness or lack thereof for energy based massage and bodywork
techniques. Let’s look at that now.
How
Can We Know if Energy Based Techniques are Working?
That
is a very good question. I remember
reading an article many years ago[i] where the author claimed
there was no way of determining if a person had a good massage. I remember thinking that to be a rather silly
at the time and immediately wrote a rebuttal that no one wanted to
publish. It may be better to change the
question and ask if it is possible to demonstrate physically that physical
changes have happened following an energy based treatment.
I
believe it is possible to document many things before and after any type of
treatment and see if there has been any change.
I have been doing this for many years.
Here are a few things that I have measured and that I believe could be
applied before and after treatment to see if any change has occurred. I will limit my comments to things massage
therapists can do within their scope of practice. There are a number of other ways to document. Here are a few that I use:
- ROM testing
- Neurological Testing (reflex, strength, sensation)
- Neurodynamic Testing
- Algometer readings
- Breath Changes
- Percentage of body surface pain
- Foot turn out
These
are simple things that any massage therapist can easily learn and incorporate
into their practice. Things used by
others that I do not use are visual analog scales, Oswestry tests, and
orthopedic tests. These are just off the
top of my head – you may know of others.
The
point is that we have ways of measuring if something is changing after using
these techniques. We are not left to the
whim of the therapist or the report of the client. These are not useless by any means. I just want to point out that we can measure
the physical effects of therapy.
It
Works – But How?
If
we determine by some of the above tests that people are experiencing a change
following therapy we then need to ask a really important question. Why? Why are they getting better? I can think of a few possible reasons. There may well be others.
If
the practitioner is doing the centering and attunement practices they are
plainly doing occult practices. If the
person is doing this (centering and attunement) as a believer they are doing
occult things in the name of Christ in a manner similar to the seven sons of
Sceva and the others who performed exorcisms in the name of Jesus (Acts
19). They are like the people say to
Jesus in Mt 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in
Your name? And then I will declare to
them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
There
may indeed be changes that may happen after treating with an occult based
therapy. Scripture is certainly full of
instances where spiritual activity resulted in changes in the physical
realm. The entrance of sin in the Garden
of Eden (Gen. 3) introduced such changes (Rom. 8:19-25).
If
someone who practices this way gets results we know that there is a strong
likelihood the possibility that the results can be a result of supernatural
activity. We need to stay clear of these
activities.
Other
people attempt energy types of healing with no discernible link to occult types
of activity. They too claim
results. Are there other reasons that
these techniques may work? I believe
that there are and they may fall into at least one and probably more of the
following categories:
1) Placebo is a very good
possibility. Placebo gets a bad
name. It should not. It simply means that the person is expecting
the intervention to work and so their brain believes it and creates the change. It is important that our medicine be
investigated to make sure that it actually does what we think it does. How does placebo work in normal massage and
possibly in energy work also? If the
client expects to get better it is likely that the expectation alone is enough
to trigger the body to deal with the problem.
When I walk into a room with confidence and I assure the client that I have helped people with similar issues before there is
an immediate expectation of help. If I
actually demonstrate by my demeanor, intonation, and actions that I care, then
that expectation is further raised. If,
in addition, my touch communicates a level of confidence I have already won a
good deal of the battle. Now sprinkle in
a small amount of a believable explanation and bake till done. In the end it will not matter much what I
have done. I have done this many times
and used different techniques to get great outcomes.
Experiments noted that EP can’t detect an
energy field under test conditions.[ii] Researchers specifically ruled our radiant
heat, air movement, noise from clothing, and on some occasions actually miscued
the therapist. This may well relate to
the patient as well. In the presence of
these sensory cues coupled with expectation a potent placebo effect is
certainly possible.
I do not believe that placebo is a reason to
justify utilizing techniques that are indefensible. We should always have an understanding of
what we are doing and why it should work.
We should be able to communicate that.
We should also understand the importance of the placebo effect and
realize that pretty much everything in the presentation of the dish called
therapy is important and that any element can change the outcome.
2. Neurology may very well explain aspects
of energy based therapy. A good deal of the preceding argument in this as well
as in the preceding post, have been in regard to Therapeutic Touch and
Reiki. They have been evaluated on the
basis of biblical considerations and in light of the detection of an energy
field. There are a number of other
therapies that also claim to work energetically. A number of these approaches incorporate
eastern meridian based systems. These
energy based treatment modalities actually touch the body and are performed by
massage therapists.
In the massage profession these come in the
form of Polarity Therapy, Qua Sha, and Shiatsu to name a few. Skeptics dismiss these modalities as quackery
and assume that they work simply due to placebo. I have no doubt that placebo is part of the
explanation but it is highly likely that there are neurological mechanisms at
work here also. (I critique the
theological foundations of these systems in a previous post [iii] regarding the Creator
Creature Distinction.)
Meridians are said to be channels where the
energy travels through the body. They
are named for organ systems that they are believed to be connected with. These systems use touch and because of this
they must of necessity activate the cutaneous receptors of the nervous
system. The acupuncture points along
these meridians are generally located in the intramuscular septums where the
peripheral nerves travel. Activation of
the receptors of these nerves make for a much more reasonable explanation for
the supposed energetic effects of meridian based therapies.
3. Ideomotor Activity is movement that is
secondary to thought. When a peripheral
nerve is not getting enough blood a sense of discomfort or even pain is
felt. It is natural to move into a
position where the blood returns and the discomfort is relieved. This is an example of ideomotor
movement. A very through explanation is
available at: http://barrettdorko.com/articles/analgesia_of_movement.htm.
Myofascial Release[iv] and CranioSacral Therapy[v] are two very prominent
systems that purport to be energy based systems. Network Spinal Analysis[vi] is yet another. In the absence of any documentation of a
human energy field that can be identified under controlled conditions it is
more plausible to view ideomotor activity as the origin of the therapeutic effects
of these modalities when they are practiced in the absence of occult
ideology. The problem is that MFR and
CST are described by their chief proponents in conjunction with occult
practices. This is aptly demonstrated by
the books referenced above.
I watched a demonstration of Network Spinal
Analysis. I had an immediate sense of
evil when I walked into the room. I had
no idea of what I would be experiencing before I arrived. I am not aware of any preconceptions that I
might have had. There was a brief
lecture before the demonstration.
In the first phase the doctor did a neck
manipulation. The 3 models began to
twitch on the tiny chiropractic adjusting tables. The DC explained that they were self
adjusting. I have seen a number of
seizures and that was what it looked like to me. The doctor explained that the patients were
in full control and could stop this activity at will, if they so desired. This continued for 15-20 minutes.
The second phase began with the doctor
reaching toward the navel and lifting his hand high. He then opened his hand and explained that he
was lifting the aura. The patients began
moving into spontaneous yoga positions (the doctor said this). None of them fell off of the table. This too lasted 15 -20 minutes.
Finally we came to phase 3. The doctor once again reached down and
dramatically lifted the aura. I could
not believe that I was watching what appeared to be an orgasm. The pelvis began to move and the patients
began to moan in apparent ecstasy. The
doctor explained that the patients were having an emotional release.
At the end the 3 patients came before us as a
group. We were allowed to ask questions
about what we had seen. I had none. I was in a state of shock and in prayer for
protection. One of the participants did
explain to us that she was thankful for the doctor. She usually had to travel to India to see her
guru to get this type of help.
I have seen each of these therapies practiced
in an occult manner. I have also seen
them practiced apart from these occult foundations. These other instances appeared to me to be
examples of ideomotor activity that resulted in pain relief. They were given by practitioners who had no
occult foundation and do not deserve to be labeled as such. We need to be very clear that just because a
doctor or therapist practices one of these techniques that we do not paint them
all with the same brush. We may be
talking about our brother or sister in Christ.
On the other hand, if the practitioner holds to these occult teachings
we need to take them at their word.
4.
There is the possibility that there is a possible energy field (EF) that
we have as yet been unable to detect with our current science but which our
hands can sense and manipulate for purposes of healing. Given the sophistication of our current
science I have my doubts as to this one – but I can’t demonstrate that this is
wrong. I do not have all of the facts
and history demonstrates many instances of new information being
discovered. We can’t dismiss this as a
possibility. This is important. We need to have a creaturely humility
here. If a practice does not fall into
an occult category we need to hold open this possibility.
There
is more that could be said. These 2
posts have dealt with a number of issues that both massage therapists and their
clients need to be aware of. It is of primary
importance that we pay attention to what the scriptures teach regarding the reality
of the spiritual world. I hope these posts have helped you to evaluate energy
medicine in a biblical manner.
[ii]
Long et al. Perception of Conventional Sensory Cues as an alternative to the
Postulated “Human Energy Field” of Therapeutic Touch. Review of Alternative Medicine 3, no. 2
(fall/winter) 1999 © Prometheus Books
