Is it too late to rename “Prilutsky’s method of silicon jars massage” to “Prilutsky’s method of fascia mobilizations using silicone jars?”

Friends, I could have given several titles to this blog.

“Is it too late to rename Prilutsky’s method of silicon jars massage toPrilutsky’s method of fascia mobilizations using silicone jars?”

or

“Techniques by themselves have no power without deep understanding of what we do, as well as techniques without understanding of the entire concept, including understanding that we are not treating a disease, but treating person, techniques have no power.”

or

”Teaching seminars are also an ongoing process of learning.”

I just come back from Chicago, where I presented the seminar on utilization of silicon jars massage in cases of fibromyalgia. I have enjoyed many aspects of this seminar. In particular, I’ve gotten a huge satisfaction from a realization that participants are ready to provide a professional procedure, reaching a positive outcome when treating people, suffering from fibromyalgia.

Friends, I’d like to share my entire seminar experience with you, because for me it was just as educational as for its participants.

The class was very eager to start learning techniques. I always love this kind of energy. However, right from the beginning, I cautioned the class that of all painful disorder fibromyalgia produces the most complicated snowball effect and without a thorough understanding of these effects, techniques that they learn would prove useless.

Conceptually, the pathological processes leading to fibromyalgia are easy to understand. Due to the cases mentioned in the article (link to the article is supplied below), muscles all over the body start gradually accumulate tension to the point that microcirculation is disturbed, pH drops, pain-analyzing system activates, causing constant pain all over the body.

As it well known, fascia surrounds muscles, providing pathways for nerves and blood vessels. Constricted muscles also imply constricted blood vessels, decreased blood supply and decreased blood supply to fascia. In turn, this triggers tension accumulation in fascia.

Very tense fascia produces dysfunction and becomes a constant irritant for muscles, fueling low-grade inflammatory conditions, including formation of adhesions.
As a side note, I’d like to add that the concepts presented in the article were the topic of my theoretical presentation. At the risk of repeating myself, I’d like to emphasize that without an understanding of the fibromyalgia snowball effect, one would not be able to change the clinical picture for the better in a short period of time.  The article also explains how the gradual accumulation of tension in muscles causes clinical depression.  Please read this article to be on the same page with my narrative. Massage Therapy is a beneficial tool in treating fibromyalgia
This is mind boggling that not so long ago patients suffering from fibromyalgia were diagnosed as having a psychosomatic problem.  Drs. believed that fibromyalgia is a psychosomatic disorder, not a physical condition because after conducting lab tests and X-rays, they couldn’t find the evidence of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other pathologies such as many different autoimmune diseases that produce pain in muscles and connective tissue all over the body.  Of course, with fibromyalgia these tests showed nothing, patients behaving strangely, for example crying, etc.
The moment when practitioners understood the principles of fibromyalgia development, they started treating clients and not the disease.  This understanding is crucial, and has to exist before very effective massage therapy protocol will be applied correctly.  If you are a clinician, practicing massage on a daily base and is in a position to deliver results in short period of time, you must understand this principle.  In other words, if symptoms seem to indicate mental psychosomatic disorder, it shouldn’t be confused with the case of fibromyalgia.  As everyone could understand from my presentation, fibromyalgia is not a mental disorder even when patients demonstrate symptoms similar to psychosomatic.  If we look at a person as a whole and understand the original reason that caused manifestation of these symptoms, then we should direct our treatment to address this cause.  In such a case treating patient and not the symptom results in confidence, different practitioner’s energy status, and leads to great outcome. The lack of evidence within lab tests and radiological examinations used to lead to conclusions of mental disorders.  At the same time, using our own hands, we can detect restrictions within fascia, muscular tension, etc.  That would support pains all over the body, as well as put us in a position to eliminate mentioned above abnormalities.

So, I will repeat myself stating that in cases of fibromyalgia a practitioner must understand that the snowball effect of this disorder starts at the level of muscles, and therefore it has to be addressed on the level of muscles.  At the same time, it is important to understand that a fibromyalgia patient is physically and emotionally exhausted.  As you can see, the combination of this knowledge allows one to treat patient rather than a disease, and not to suspect that something is not okay with client’ mental state.

Luckily, the class understood and then practiced techniques with the understanding that silicon jars massage, essentially, is fascia mobilization methodology, but much more intense and powerful than fascia mobilizations (or connective tissue massage) done by hands.

At that moment, it just hit me: ”Why didn’t I call the methodology I have developed ”Prilutsky’s method of fascia release and mobilizations/connective tissue massage using silicone jars?” Maybe because it would sound excessively long. LOL  From now on, though, from the very beginning of any seminar on the subject of utilization of silicon jars I will make it clear that what I am going to teach is fascia release and mobilizations using silicone jars.

As you understood from the article, we must eliminate tension in the fascia and adhesions before we are able to sustain normal resting tone in muscles. Silicon jars techniques allow us to achieve fascia releases and adhesions eliminations practically immediately.

As a side note, I’d like to add that receiving treatments and feeling the effect of the methodology, is also shall be considered as an educational component. When one practicing this techniques and know about healing power of it, one performing it much better, because one   know about this therapeutic powers, and not just believe in it.

On the second day of training in Chicago, I started asking participants, if they felt any difference after receiving the treatment. To my great satisfaction, people who had pain before the treatment reported that pain was gone after treatment was completed. Practically all participants also reported experiencing stress management affect. Listening to the participants, I felt proud that I was on a way to educate them to deliver results.

During the next day I was pleased to see that, practicing on each other, the participants were having fun, and worked with silicon jars with great interest and enthusiasm. It was obvious that, practically, all of them have demonstrated confidence. In my view, performing a procedure with confidence means that one knows what he or she is doing. Provide intensive treatment and results will come.

Apparently, you can teach old dog new tricks.

Teaching in America, I have always faced the same difficulty. The difficult to convince massage therapists that excessive pressure is not the way to stimulate deep layers of muscles and other soft tissues and that it is premature to learn the techniques before adopting the concepts. In most cases, participants rushed me to put them on tables.

During this Chicago based seminar, I have concluded that the quality of my teaching would not suffer if after a few minutes of introduction I start teaching techniques, and then later teach the concepts. Never have I realized how well this approach could work! Again, I had an opportunity to learn something.

Overall, this was a very successful seminar. Using the opportunity, I would like to thank Lauri Novak and Mike Divo, the organizers of this seminar. Everything that they did was excellent, including walking extra mile and providing breakfasts and lunches. I believe that each of us could have afforded to purchase food, but it was a pleasant surprise to see how well they treated us.

I’m looking forward to come back to Chicago in September to teach a seminar on medical massage in cases of sciatica, neck and upper back disorders, including thoracic outlet syndrome and incorporation of silicon jars into the orthopedic massage procedure.

Best wishes,

Boris
Boris Prilutsky

Posted by Boris Prilutsky at 11:26 AM No comments: