Manipulative Treatment Massage
Massage has very much the same effects upon the system as the
cold-water treatment. It accelerates the circulation, draws the
blood into the surface, relaxes and opens the pores of the skin,
promotes the elimination of morbid matter and increases and
stimulates the electromagnetic energies in the body.
We have learned that one of the primary causes of chronic disease is
the accumulation of waste matter and systemic poisons in the tissues
of the body. These morbid encumbrances clog the capillaries, thus
obstructing the circulation and interfering with or preventing the
normal activity of the organs of elimination, especially the skin.
The deep-going massage, the squeezing, kneading, rolling and
stroking, actually squeezes the stagnant blood and the morbid
accumulations out of the tissues into the venous circulation, speeds
the venous blood, charged with waste products and poisons, on its
way to the lungs and enables the arterial blood with its freight of
oxygen and nourishing elements to flow more freely into the
less-obstructed tissues and organs.
Through manipulation of the fleshy tissues, the blood is drawn to
the surface of the body and in that way the elimination of morbid
matter through the relaxed and opened pores of the skin is greatly
facilitated.
Very important are the electromagnetic effects of good massage upon
the system. The positive magnetism of the operator will stir up and
intensify the latent electromagnetic energies in the body of the
patient, very much like a piece of iron or steel is magnetized by
rubbing it with a horseshoe magnet. The more normal and positive,
morally and mentally as well as physically, the operator, the more
marked will be the good effects of the treatment upon the weak and
negative patient.
Magnetic Treatment
The beneficial effect of magnetic treatment is not so much due to
the actual transmission of vital force from operator to patient as
to the arousing and stimulating of the latent, inactive
electromagnetic energies of the latter, the polarizing of his
magnetic forces.
The horseshoe magnet does not impart its own magnetism to the piece
of iron which is rubbed with it, but the electromagnetic energies in
the magnet arouse to vibratory activity the latent electromagnetic
energies in the iron. This is proved by the fact that both magnet
and iron will remain magnetic as long as they are used for
magnetizing other substances, but through disuse both will lose
their magnetic qualities.
I am often asked by my operators and others: "How can I best develop
my magnetism?" and "Is there danger of losing my vitality and
becoming 'negative' by treating the sick in this way?" It is true
that manipulative work, like everything else, can be overdone and
produce harmful effects upon the operator. But within reasonable
limits, massage and magnetic treatments will not deplete the person
giving them, providing he keeps his system in good condition. His
own vibrations must be harmonious on all planes of being, the
physical, mental, moral and spiritual. He must be inspired and
actuated by the faith that he CAN heal, by the positive will to
heal, and by sympathy for the one he is trying to benefit.
Such an operator makes himself the instrument for the transmission
of life force, which is healing force, from the Source of all life.
"As he gives, so he receives"; for this is the basic law of the
universe, the Law of Compensation. If he gives the treatments in the
right spirit, he will gain vital force instead of losing it. He will
actually feel his own intensified life vibrations and after treating
he will experience a feeling of buoyancy and elation which nothing
else can impart to him. "He who loses his life shall find it."
Like a musician who tunes up (puts in harmonious vibration) the
relaxed strings of his instrument, so the magnetic healer tunes up
and harmonizes the weakened and discordant vibrations of his
patient.
Good massage will produce electromagnetic effects even though the
operator is not aware of it and does not understand the underlying
laws; but his work will gain in power and effectiveness in direct
proportion to the conscious efforts he makes to benefit his patients
by the influence of these higher and finer forces.
I have frequently noticed in my own manipulative work how much the
conscious and concentrated effort of the will has to do with its
effectiveness. Often, when I had given the usual massage or
osteopathic treatment and the patient still complained of pain in a
certain locality of the body, I would lay my hands on the affected
area and concentrate my will upon dissolving the congestion in that
particular part or organ and upon harmonizing its discordant
vibrations. Very shortly, usually within a few minutes, the
congestion would be relieved and the pain would subside.
The electromagnetic energies of the organism can be controlled by
the will and either concentrated to or sent away from any part of
the body, just as the circulation of the blood can be controlled.
The latter I saw done by a hypnotist who made the blood flow into
and out of the arms and hands of one of his subjects simply by the
power of his will.
While this was accomplished by means of a destructive process, it
taught me a most valuable lesson regarding the power of the will to
control physical conditions.
Try it yourself. Next time when you have one of your annoying
headaches, recline comfortably in a chair or on a couch, relax
completely and then Will the blood to flow away from the brain in
order to relieve the congestion and the attendant pain. Many of my
patients have learned to treat themselves successfully in this way.
It is obvious that magnetic treatment will not remove pain
permanently if the latter is due to irritation caused by a
subluxated bone or by some foreign body or by local accumulation of
morbid matter and poisons in any part or organ. In all such cases
the local cause of the irritation must be removed before the pain
can subside or disappear.
Spinal Manipulation and Adjustment History
In many European countries "bonesetters" have, in a crude way, been
treating strains and sprains of the spinal column since time
immemorial. These bonesetters usually belong to the peasantry and
the art has been transmitted in the same families from father to son
for many generations.
Incidentally, these simple people observed that their treatment
relieved not only sprained, tired and painful backs--the result
primarily aimed at--but frequently exerted a favorable influence
upon disease processes in remote organs and parts. This empirical
discovery has gradually led to a wider application of this method of
treatment.
The various modern systems of spinal manipulation, namely,
osteopathy, chiropractic, naprapathy, neuropathy, spondylotherapy
and our own neurotherapy, are all of distinctly American origin.
During the last quarter century millions of Americans through
personal experience have become staunch adherents to one or more of
these systems of treatment. This fact has been instrumental in
directing the attention of numerous sincere and scientific
investigators to the spinal column with its associated structures as
a mechanism through which to apply therapeutic measures. It
therefore behooves every health seeker to acquaint himself with the
theories and claims of these various systems of manipulative
treatment.
Osteopathy
The autobiography of Dr. A. T. Still contains the following
interesting statement:
"In the year 1874 I proclaimed that a disturbed artery marked the
beginning to an hour and a minute when disease began to sow its
seeds of destruction in the human body. That in no case could it be
done without a broken or suspended current of arterial blood, which
by Nature was intended to supply and nourish all nerves, ligaments,
muscles, skin, bones and the artery itself. The rule of the artery
must be absolute, universal and unobstructed or disease will be the
result. I proclaimed then and there that all nerves depend wholly on
the arterial system for their qualities such as sensation, nutrition
and motion, even though by the law of reciprocity they furnish
force, nutrition and motion to the artery itself."
It may be argued that as early as 1805 the Ling System of Swedish
Movement was founded on the same principle, namely, "permanent
health through perfect circulation." The evidence at hand, however,
strongly suggests that the founder of osteopathy arrived at his
conclusions independently.
The further claims of Dr. Still as to the cause and cure of disease
are briefly as follows: Partial displacements of any of the various
bones of the body exert pressure on neighboring blood vessels,
thereby interfering with the circulation to the corresponding
organs. These displacements, called "bony lesions," are best
"reduced" by manipulations called osteopathic "moves."
Chiropractic
In 1895, Dr. D. D. Palmer put forth the following claims as to the
cause and cure of diseases: Sprains of the spine result in partial
displacement of one or more of the vertebrae which go to make up the
spinal column, thus exerting pressure on the neighboring nerves.
This shuts off the vitality of the organs supplied by the affected
nerves, hence disease results. These displacements, called
"vertebral subluxations," are best "adjusted" by means of
manipulations in the form of chiropractic "thrusts."
As soon as osteopathy and chiropractic were properly established,
the more broad-minded exponents of both systems began mutual
investigation and amalgamation. As a result, we find that only seven
years after the birth of chiropractic, osteopathic literature began
to mention vertebral subluxations as pressing on nerves, thereby
causing disease. On the other hand, advanced chiropractors soon
began to realize the importance of relaxing tense muscles prior to
delivering their thrusts. They also began to pay attention to the
bony lesions other than those occurring in the spine. Many of the
chiropractic principles and much of its technique of today has been
gleaned from osteopathy, while the reverse statement holds equally
true.
Naprapathy
The "connective tissue doctrine of disease" was first proclaimed by
Dr. Oakley Smith in 1907. It may be briefly stated as follows: A
vertebra does not become misplaced without being fractured or
completely dislocated. What is called a bony lesion by the osteopath
and a subluxation by the chiropractor, is in reality a "ligatight,"
that is, a shrunken condition of the connective tissue forming the
various ligaments that bind the vertebrae together.
Ligatights are best "corrected" by means of naprapathic "directos."
These differ from chiropractic thrusts in that they aim not at
adjusting subluxated vertebrae but at stretching definite strands of
shrunken connective tissue. Ligatights occur not only in the spine
but also in other parts of the body.
Neuropathy
This system of manipulative treatment was originated in 1899 by Drs.
John Arnold and Harry Walter of Philadelphia. Their claims may be
briefly stated as follows: Morbid matter, poisons and irritants of
various kinds, acting upon the vasomotor nerves which control the
blood vessels, produce abnormal changes in circulation which, if
perpetuated, finally lead to disease manifestations. The nerve
impulses coming from diseased parts travel to the spinal cord and,
like all other nerve impulses, are transmitted along those branches
of the spinal nerves which supply the structures (muscles, blood
vessels, etc.) along each side of the spine. Here these impulses
bring about abnormal circulatory changes similar to those found in
the diseased organs or parts.
Since nerve impulses are transmitted from diseased organs to the
spine, it is evident that they can be made to travel also in the
reverse direction. Neuropathic treatment, therefore, consists of
manipulations and thermal applications which aim at correcting the
abnormal circulatory changes as found in the spine, thereby
correcting corresponding abnormal processes in the organs or parts
supplied by the nerves coming from that region of the spine.
These men also emphasized the fact that the circulation within the
blood vessels, being propelled by the heart, needs less attention
during disease than the circulation of the fluids in the spaces
between the cells and through the lymph vessels and glands.
Neuropathy, therefore, also lays great stress on applying
manipulation and thermal applications to the lymphatic system.
Neurotherapy
While the exponents of the above systems of spinal manipulation
differ widely in their theories as to the cause of disease and the
means of removing such cause, their methods of treatment furnish
considerable evidence of satisfactory results. This seems to suggest
that there must be some real value in each system and that a great
deal of the difference between these apparently opposed methods of
treatment lies in the claims of their exponents. It will be shown
presently that, in their final analysis, the osteopathic spinal
lesion, the chiropractic subluxation and the naprapathic ligatight
represent one and the same thing.
Natural Therapeutics is broad enough to embrace all methods of
treatment, no matter what their source, provided they harmonize with
the fundamental laws of cure.
Gradually, therefore, after having gathered the constructive
elements from all the various methods of manipulation, after
considerable spinal dissection and, above all, after close
observation of the results obtained in hundreds of obstinate acute
and chronic cases, we of the School of Natural Therapeutics have
evolved our own system of spinal manipulation and have named it
neurotherapy.
The Relation of Neurotherapy to
Other Manipulative Systems
Osteopathy, chiropractic, naprapathy, neurotherapy and
spondylotherapy, as we have learned, are various systems of
maipulative treatment which have been devised mainly to correct
spinal and other bony lesions, shrinkage and contracture of muscles,
ligaments and other connective tissues.
Important as these methods are in the treatment of acute and chronic
diseases, by themselves they are not all-sufficient because they
deal only with the mechanical causes of disease, not with the
chemical, thermal or with the mental and psychical. The most
efficient spinal treatment cannot make good for the bad effects of
an unbalanced diet which contains an excessive amount of
poison-producing materials and is deficient in the all-important
mineral elements or organic salts. Just as surely as mental
therapeutics and a natural diet cannot correct bony lesions produced
by external violence, just so surely is it impossible to cure
dementia praecox, monomania or obsession, or to supply iron, lime,
sodium, etc., to the system by correcting spinal lesions.
The trouble with the manipulative schools and their graduates is
that they adhere too closely to the mechanical theory and treatment
of disease; that they reject practically all natural methods of
treatment aside from manipulative and that so far as the osteopathic
school is concerned its practitioners show a strong tendency to fall
back upon the "Old School" methods of drugging and of surgical
treatment. This is due to the fact that in many types of diseases
manipulative treatment by itself has proved insufficient to produce
satisfactory results.
In order to do justice to our patients and not neglect our
responsibilities toward them we must use in the treatment of disease
all that is good in all the natural methods of healing. In serious
chronic cases any single one of these methods, whether it be pure
food diet, hydrotherapy, massage, spinal treatment, mental
therapeutics or homeopathy, is not by itself sufficient to achieve
satisfactory results or to produce them fast enough.
To use an illustration: Suppose a wagon full of freight requires the
combined strength of six horses to move it and suppose that number
of horses is available, would it not be foolish to try to move the
load with one, two, three, four or even five horses? Would not
common sense suggest the saving of time and effort by putting all
six horses to work at once?
In Natural Therapeutics every one of the various methods of
treatment is supplemented and assisted by all the others.
The manipulative schools of healing maintain that practically all
disease is caused by mechanical abnormalities of the spinal column
or of muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues, due to
abnormal strain or injury. The philosophy of Natural Therapeutics,
on the other hand, points out that a large percentage of such spinal
and other mechanical lesions are secondary manifestations of
disease, not primary causes; that acute or subacute inflammatory
conditions in the interior of the body may cause nervous irritation
and thereby contraction of muscles and ligaments and, as a result of
these, subluxations of vertebrae or of other bony structures.
The naprapathic theory of disease postulates that it is the
shrinkage and contraction of the connective tissues, which serve as
a support and protection for the nerve matter contained in the nerve
trunks and filaments, that cause interference with the normal nerve
supply of cells and tissues and thereby abnormal function and
disease.
The philosophy of Natural Therapeutics points to the fact that this
shrinkage and contraction of the connective tissues surrounding and
permeating the nerve trunks and filaments is caused by certain acids
and other pathogenic materials which are produced by faulty diet and
defective elimination and that the same causes produce accumulation
of waste and morbid matter in the tissues of the body which, all
through the system, interfere just as effectually with nutrition,
drainage and innervation of the cells and tissue as do spinal
lesions and ligatights.
While the other systems of manipulative treatment confine themselves
almost entirely to the correction of bony and other connective
tissue lesions, to "pressing the button," as it is called,
neurotherapy, besides this, aims at other very important results.
In disease the tissues are either in an abnormally tense and
contracted or in a weak, relaxed condition. The functional
activities are either hyperactive as in acute inflammation, or
sluggish and inactive as in chronic atonic and atrophic conditions.
These extremes can be powerfully influenced and equalized by
manipulative inhibition, relaxation or stimulation.
During an acute attack of gastritis, for instance, the
neurotherapist would exert strong inhibition on the nerves which
supply the stomach. This is accomplished by deep and persistent
pressure on the nerves where they emerge from the spinal openings
(foramina). This diminishes the rush of blood and nerve currents to
the inflamed organ and thereby eases but does not suppress the
inflammatory process and the attending congestion and pain.
In case of extreme tension in any part of the system, relaxation of
the shrunken tissues can be brought about by gentle but persistent
stretching of the nerves and adjacent muscles and ligaments, in a
manner similar to that of the naprapathic directos.
When the vital organs and their functions are weak and inactive or
when nerves, muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues are in
a relaxed, atonic or atrophic condition, certain stimulating
movements applied to the nerves where they emerge from the spinal
column will energize the vital functions all through the system.
Many patients imagine that such manipulative treatment is
superficial. To them it is just "rubbing" and seems all alike. They
do not realize that manipulative stimulation applied to the nerves
near the surface of the body travels all along their branches and
filaments like electricity along a complicated system of copper
wires and thus reaches the innermost cells and organs of the body,
making them more alive and active. This internal stimulation of
vital activities is attained also by good massage through energizing
the nerve endings all over the surface of the body.
The Fundamental Difference Between Neuratherapy
and Other Manipulative Systems
The following paragraphs will explain the fundamental difference
between neurotherapy and the older systems of manipulative
treatment. The older systems, the same as the allopathic school of
medicine, look upon acute diseases as destructive processes
dangerous to health and life; therefore they endeavor to check or
suppress them as quickly as possible by their various methods.
Neurotherapy so far is the only system of manipulative treatment
that bases its work on the fundamental laws of Natural Therapeutics.
According to these laws every acute disease is the result of a
purifying, healing effort of Nature. Therefore neurotherapy would
not suppress acute processes by manipulative treatment any more than
by drugs, ice, antitoxins, surgery or any other suppressive method.
To illustrate: Supposing that spontaneously or as a result of
natural living and treatment a patient suffering from chronic
constipation, indigestion, etc., develops a vigorous purging, which
we of the Nature Cure school would consider a splendid healing
crisis. Under allopathic as well as under the treatment of other
manipulative schools such an acute reaction would be immediately
suppressed. This can be accomplished very easily by a few
manipulative moves, but it would mean the suppression of a purifying
healing crisis and this would result in throwing the patient back
into his old chronic condition. The underlying causes of disease
must be removed before we can cure chronic disease and bring about a
normal condition of the organism.
Suppose manipulative treatment should succeed in stopping a fever
instantaneously. This would suppress Nature's purifying,
regenerating efforts, the patient would continue to "load up" more
morbid materials (especially since these schools do not teach the
importance of natural living) and it would only be a matter of time
until the morbid accumulations in the body would excite new acute
reactions, necessitating more adjustments. This may be all right for
the practitioner; but what about the patient? In the long run it can
only have one result, and that is chronic disease.