Fascial Matrix Healing and Therapeutic Integration
Fascial Matrix Healing and Therapeutic Integration
A five-year-old boy presents with open mouth posture (during awake and sleep state), snoring, and poor quality of sleep.
As we begin to work with the fascial compressions that are contributing to his condition/symptoms, the parents report that their child becomes congested, and his snoring is worse than ever!
They ask “Did he catch a cold? Is this from the therapy? How long will this last? Why is this happening?”
While we do not know 100% for certain whether these symptoms are from a cold or from the treatment, we do know that this response is extremely common within the healing stages of fascial restructuring. Working with well over 3,000 cases, we have seen this exact same response with hundreds of clients in their early phases of healing.
This healing process, as it moves through several phases, is what we call Therapeutic Integration.
Therapeutic integration is the time, whether it be hours, days, or weeks, where the full architecture of the fascial matrix responds to and absorbs the therapeutic applications.
The power of this work occurs during the healing time, in between sessions, and not during the session.
It is important to note that the true physical “release” process of the fascial matrix occurs after integration time is complete. The “release” process rarely occurs during or just after the practitioner works with the tissues during the FMCM session. In other words, a structure is rarely elongated and released instantly. Time is needed for the tissue to reorganize.
The integration/absorption process includes several steps.
1. A period of tightening occurs shortly after the session. This is a temporary and normal response. One of the roles of the fascial matrix is to support, protect and provide cohesion to all the structures in the body. The tightening response is the fascia doing what it is designed to do. This period of tightening or agitation usually lasts anywhere from 5 to 7 days, depending on the severity of restrictions and scarring. During this time, the body may seem to “regress” or worsen in symptoms. There can be temporary emotional changes, sleep disturbances, digestive upset, old aches and pains may surface, etc. THESE SYMPTOMS ARE TEMPORARY AND A NORMAL PART OF FASCIAL RESTRUCTURING. The fascial matrix absorbs and remembers every trauma and will try to hang onto these restrictive patterns to protect the body.
2. Detoxification: This phase begins as the tissue begins to loosen and start the restructuring process. The chemicals or by-products which were stuck in those tissues, are now loose within the body and will become eliminated through the skin, urine, or bowel activity. It is crucial to support the body in the detoxing process during this time. All toxins that are not eliminated will reabsorb into the fascia waiting to be released later. The release of these toxins is GOOD! The elimination of these toxins is necessary and crucial for the tissue to elongate and restore to a fluid and healthy state.
3. The weave of the connective tissue starts to tighten and loosen (like the weave of a knitted sweater) in the areas of therapy application.
4. After the active areas (in step 3) have responded, the adjacent connective tissues must respond, as they are connected with each other. They too will tighten and loosen until finding a new position, where the process is complete.
The entire process listed above can take up to 4 weeks and sometimes longer.
Let us return to the story of the child at the beginning of this article. The congestion and increase in snoring indicates that he was indeed in Phase 1 of therapeutic integration. Open mouth posture can occur from compressed tissue within the cranium and airway. As the fascia is responding to the therapy, it will tighten in the sinuses, palate, and other structures causing increase of snoring and congestion. Temporarily.
While these symptoms may be uncomfortable or concerning, it is important to remember that the symptoms indicate that healing is occurring and on a very deep level.
What to expect from Integration?
The results from an integration period varies from case to case and is dependent on many variables.
These variables include and are not limited to:
- Age of person
- Mobility/Or lack of
- Level of trauma
- Scarring
- Number of Bracing patterns
- Level of toxicity in body: drugs, diet, etc.
- Number of Compensation patterns
The above variables directly affect integration, in that the absorption process can be slower and/or unpredictable.
Improvements can be observed as late as 6 weeks or even several months after the last treatment.
Referring to the case story of the young boy with open mouth posture, snoring, and poor sleep quality – as he moved through the course of therapy and remaining phases of integration, all his symptoms gradually disappeared. His sleep quality improved, open mouth posture was 90% gone, and snoring was eliminated.
One of the most important aspects of the FMCM model is the philosophy that the body has the intelligent and innate wisdom of what needs to heal, how it needs to heal, and in what amount of time.
Through our clinical applications with over three thousand cases, we have seen significant healings and transformations during the Therapeutic Integration Period.
FMCM was developed from our personal healing journey, clinical research, and clinical applications. Spanning over a decade, we have applied FMCM to all ages, and have proven the work to be gentle, yet transformational. While this modality is incredibly effective, the healing process requires understanding and a commitment to the journey.
This information was created to help guide you through the journey. And we are happy to support you in this process.
Michael and Kristen Myers, LMT Copyright 2018
ABOUT
Fascial Matrix Connection Method® and The Matrix in Motion Somatic Movement Therapy is intended to serve as an adjunct to medically supervised healthcare. This article is not designed for and does not provide medical advice. All content in this article is for general information purposes only. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or mental advice or care. You should consult with a healthcare provider for diagnosis and collaborative treatment. Michael Myers, Kristen Myers, and the Myers Institute ® are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the method discussed within the information of this article.
