earliest to develop in the human embryo and at less than eight weeks of gestation, a
light stroking of the face will cause bending of the neck and trunk away from the
source of stimulation. The skin has four main functions: protection from mechanical
and radiation injuries, and from invasion by foreign substances; as a sense organ;
as a temperature regulator; and as a metabolic organ. Of all the sensory organs, the
skin is the most important. People can survive without the senses of sight, sound,
smell, and taste, but would find it difficult to survive without the functions per-
formed by the skin.
Touch
Touch is a primal need, as necessary for growth and development as food, clothing,
or shelter. Touch can be thought of as a nutrient transmitted through the skin in
many different ways: holding, cuddling, nuzzling, caressing, and massage. From the
bonding of parent and newborn to the holding the hand of a dying loved one, touch
is the most intimate and powerful form of communication between people. It can be
aggressive as in the spanking of a child or a punch in the face. It can be tender as in
the hug that comforts a crying friend or the touch of a lover. Even casual touch has
an effect. Waitresses who touched their customers on the hand or shoulder as they
returned change, for example, received larger tips than those who did not.
Politicians act on this knowledge when they reach out to touch potential voters.
Trigger Points: A Pain in the Neck.
When a person is injured or bodily systems are malfunctioning, trigger points or
pain reflexes appear throughout the body. A trigger point is a “knot” of tensed mus-
cles, which, when stimulated, triggers a referred pain response in other parts of the
body. Some of the trigger points are in the area of the injury or problem, while oth-
ers are at a distance. Rubbing and exerting pressure on these points have been
found to have a positive effect on the healing process.
Fascia and Fascial Restrictions
The fasciais the tough connective tissue that exists in the body almost like a three-
dimensional web from head to foot. If somehow every structure of the body were
removed except the fascia, the body would retain its shape. Every muscle, bone,
organ, nerve, and blood vessel of the body is covered with fascia like a continuous
cellophane wrapping. It varies in thickness and density and in the amount of col-
lagenous fiber, elastic fiber, and tissue fluid it contains. The function of the fascia is
to support cells, muscles, groups of muscles and organs and to act as a shock
absorber. At the cellular level, fascia creates the interstitial spaces and is important
in cellular respiration, elimination, metabolism, fluid, and lymphatic flow.
CHAPTER 11 MASSAGE 145
