Historical references to a universal energy field date back as far as 5000 B.C. to India where prana was considered to be the basic source of life. In China it was referred to as chi and was believed to be in all matter. Two polar forces were recognized, yin and yang. When these two forces were in balance one was considered to be healthy. More recently Western medicine has begun to recognize energy within the body with the advent of devices capable of detecting its effects in the body. Energy fields associated with the human body have been detected by electroencephalograms (EEG), electrocardiograms (ECG), and very highly sensitive devices such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID). Practitioners of alternative forms of health care often believe much of the illness we see in the human body is the result either a blockage of the flow of the energy of the body, or an imbalance in the energy from one side of the body to the other. When the energy balance is restored, the body begins the healing process. Often, symptoms seem to almost miraculously lessen or even disappear. Energy imbalance is the result of too much nerve energy being sent to a part of the body in response to pain or dysfunction. The body gets caught in an endless loop of trying to make corrections. The result is an imbalance in which the deficient side develops painful trigger points. These trigger points are formed in the areas where acupuncture meridians are located. Therapies have been developed using these points to release blockages of energy and allow the proper amount of energy to flow. One does not need to use needles. These are the same acupressure points used by massage therapist to release tension, increase blood flow, and strengthen the body's natural life force to assist in healing.
When energy is flowing to one side of the body more than the other, it can be easily felt in the form of muscle tension. Nerve impulses are sent along the nerves to muscles and other locations in the body. In the muscles this naturally causes them to be more contracted. A muscle that is contracted is shorter than a muscle that is relaxed. As a result of the increased muscle contraction, one entire side of the body will often feel tighter. How can we balance this energy and cause both sides of the body to be equally relaxed? The method is simple.
Trigger points are located by their tenderness, and once located, gentle pressure is applied. The initial stimulation of the trigger point sends a signal to the central nervous system to send more energy to the deficient side. The side that was getting the excessive energy suddenly has energy diverted from it, and the deficient side begins to receive an increase in energy. After a short time, a balance is achieved. The body is then able to use its resources for healing instead of continually attempting to bring the flow of its energy back into balance.
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