The Shape of Sound

The maleus, incus & stapes bones are so small
that they all fit on the face of a penny.

A Little Background on Sound

As you may already know, deep within the human ear are the smallest bones in the body: malleus (mal'-ee-us) or hammer; incus (in-kus) or anvil; stapes (stay-peez) or stirrup. They percuss on delicate auditory membranes in response to sound vibrations in the environment. Perception of sound is a complicated matter involving the fields of physiology, neurology, psychology, and acoustics.  In the human auditory system invisible sound waves become noise that is perceived as language, music, emotions, and memories.

How Does it Work?

Sound waves travel down the ear canal, hit the eardrum which stimulates the vibration of the smallest bones in the body that

The ear has sensory receptors for both sound and balance.

causes a chain of events through a densely anatomically populated area behind the temporal bone culminating in signals sent to the brain via the auditory nerve. After arriving in the brain (very much unlike taking an elevator up a couple of floors, but more like fireworks in the night sky), synapses in various parts of the brain take this info from the outside world and turn it into our auditory perception of the world.

Good Vibes Are For Real

Sound is vibration and vibration affects the physical form. Chanting in the spiritual practice of yoga is thought to influence how the physical and spiritual bodies function. Since these practices have been around for a few millennium, you'd think there must be something to it. Perhaps these yogis fine tuned their senses so that they could feel the effects of sounds on their bodies. The following video backs up what I'm trying to explain here. Just watch how the sand dances and then settles into various patterns depending on the tone of the resonance. If we surround ourselves with or create certain vocal frequencies why wouldn't our bodies shift in response to this?

Visual Patterns of Audio Frequencies

Please watch this astounding video. It depicts the patterns formed by varying tones of sound and it blows my mind. Honestly, after seeing this video I had to come up with some legit anatomical reason for sharing it with you, hence this blog post. The comments on Youtube are wonderfully nerdy. It makes me so happy to know that some folks use math to quantify beauty such as this. I'm fulfilled by knowing that beauty simply exists whether or not we know how or why.

See you in the clinic,
Dana






Sources:

• http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/06/the-visual-patterns-of-audio-frequencies-seen-through-vibrating-sand/
• http://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc_center/information_and_resources/info_to_go/hearing_loss_information/hearing_loss_for_older_children.html
• http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/sound/u11l2d.cfm

I Heart Myofascia

I talk about fascia with my clients a lot, mostly because I often work with this tissue and I want my clients to be informed about what I'm doing to their bodies so that they understand my treatment rationale and get behind my approach. I also do this because I'm a fan of informed consent. 

Many people are not aware of what fascia is, and until fairly recently - the past couple of decades- mainstream medicine has not really appreciated it's importance either. Fascial connective tissue surrounds every tissue in the body and is completely continuous throughout. It's contribution to bodily biomechanics and physiology has been historically underestimated. Scientists are now looking very closely at the importance fascia which is really exciting for manual therapists because it helps to give our profession more quantitative evidence that further validates the medical importance of fascial release techniques and massage therapy in general. 

Don't let fascial adhesion interfere with your jazz hands.

So what is it?

Fascia is tough connective tissue that creates a 3-dimensional web extending without interruption from head to toe. Fascia surrounds every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel, and organ all the way down to the cellular level.

The fascial system acts to support, stabilize, and cushion the structures of the body. Fascia creates separation between vessels, organs, bones, and muscles. It creates space through which delicate nerves, blood vessels, and fluids can pass.

Trauma, repetitive motion, inflammation, or poor posture can cause the fascia to become solidified and shortened. These thickened areas are referred to as a fascial restrictions which can cause pain and dysfunction. Fascial restrictions do not show up on common standardized tests such as x-rays, MRI, or CAT scans and are therefore often overlooked as a cause of dysfunction.

Analogy #1: The Unitard

Sometimes I use the metaphor of a full body unitard as an example. I know - great image to conjure up. If your unitard gets all bunched up at the knee - maybe you snagged it while prancing about - it can affect your ease of movement at other areas, perhaps pulling in the groin or even as far north as the shoulder or neck. Fascial adhesion can affect bodily function in a very similar way. If left for long periods of time, these adhesions can lead to postural imbalances, movement restrictions, and the sequelae of dysfunctions that can follow these. It is possible to reverse the damage of fascial adhesion with the skillful application of myofascial release. But remember, it is always better to prevent injury rather than having to recover from one!

Analogy #2: Chicken Skin

Superficial fascia lies beneath the skin & surrounds the muscles.

Another example I use to explain this tissue to my clients is chicken skin. (Yes, more lovely imagery.) If you have ever skinned a chicken - or watched someone else - you may have noticed a slippery spiderweb-like tissue beneath the skin that surrounds the muscles of the bird. It is durable and dynamic, easy to lift in some places but adhered firmly in others. This is chicken fascia and our bodies have tissues just like this.


Please understand that this is a massive topic to address, and in no way am I trying to encompass all significant fascial topics, nor sound like any sort of expert on the matter. (My brilliant uni-tard analogy certainly boosts my credibility as a near-expert, no?) This is simply an introduction.

Videos to Deepen Your Understanding:

Gil Headley's entertaining "Fuzz Speech" explains - with great enthusiasm - how fascial adhesion can accumulate due to lack of movement. *Just a little warning: Human cadavers are used for demonstration in this video, but don't let that deter you.

This next video explores fascia magnified 25x. Subtitles explain what is being viewed, and is a great addition to Dr. Headley's previous talk.

Take care & I'll see you in the clinic ready to answer your questions about fascia,
Dana





Sources:

• A great link to Overview on fascial mechanoreceptors written by Robert Schleip, PhD., who I had the pleasure of very breifly meeting while he was in Vancouver for the Fascia Congress a couple of years back. 
• Website full of useful links to fascia research articles - http://fasciaresearch.de/
• image - http://tarhearted.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/my-life-is-unitarded.html
• image - http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/cooking-tips/remove-chicken-skin#slide-1
• http://loseandimprove.tumblr.com/post/40846187585/handmadehealth-from-anatomy-in-motion-on-fb

DIY After Sun Gel

aloe + lavender + vitamin e = skin happiness

Since it's been so delightfully sunny in these parts lately, it seemed the perfect time to share with you my all-natural, skin saving, after-sun lotion recipe.

After-Sun Lotion

• 1/2 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 Tbs vitamin E oil
• 15  (+ or -) drops lavender essential oil

Pour all ingredients in a small bottle or jar and shake vigorously for several minutes until well incorporated.  Apply some and adjust lavender oil to your liking (perhaps add lavender conservatively if using on children). Rub into sunburned skin frequently especially if badly burned. All three ingredients are readily available in natural pharmacies.

Adding witch hazel to the concoction will make a watery version that can be poured into a small spray bottle. (Add a splash at a time until it's the right consistency.)

Why Does it Work?

• Aloe is cooling to the skin, replenishes lost moisture and acts as an antioxidant, providing electrons for free radicals to bind to, saving your healthy molecules from becoming depleted.
• Lavender essential oil is known to be a powerful skin healer for all types of burns that can even be applied undiluted to acute burns to speed healing, and act as an antiseptic.
• Vitamin E is extremely important in skin healing, and also acts as an antioxidant.
• Witch hazel is a distilled liquid that has soothing, anti-inflammatory properties on irritated skin. It is also a useful facial toner as part of cleansing regimes.

This lotion can also be used after shaving/waxing, and to recover from other types of burns or abrasions.

Take care of your skin so I can see you this summer for a massage in the clinic,
Dana