Itching and Body Work

Comment

Comment by Walt Fritz, PT on June 4, 2010 at 7:55pm

In Schleip's article, "Fascial plasticity – a new neurobiological explanation:
Part 1" (http://bodyworkcpd.co.uk/articles/Schleip/schleip2003.pdf), he talks about the enteric brain, that is, the enteric nervous system (ENS), contained within the abdomen. The ENS contains over 100 million neurons and seems to work largely independent of the cortical brain. Many of the snesory neurons of the ENS are mechanoreceptors which, when activated, can trigger neuroendocrine changes. This includes a change in production of histamine.

These changes in skin color and, occasionally, itching, seem to occur largely in the trunk, including the chest wall and abdomen. Stimulation of the mechanoreceptors in the ENS just may be responsible.

Comment by Walt Fritz, PT on June 4, 2010 at 7:17pm

I admit, I had not even considered lotions, as I work dry all of the time. The response I was speaking of occurs while working dry skin. While I use MFR exclusively, I must think that similar reactions are seen with other forms of bodywork. I know that simple redness occurs with soft tissue mobs as well.

Vlad,
Somasimple has a wealth of great information, though I took a thrashing by them until I was able to stop defending what I thought was true.

Comment by Vlad on June 4, 2010 at 6:09pm

This is great info, Walt.
The somasimple site is very cool.
I had noticed that the torso got red pretty quick (and I don't use lotion when I'm doing MFR so a reaction to it wouldn't apply) - I'd never been given any explanation for it. I've noticed a substantial increase in heat though.

Comment by Walt Fritz, PT on June 4, 2010 at 6:44am

There is an article by Robert Schleip, a German Rolfer and fascia researcher, that talks specifically about the role of mechanoreceptors and how they are affected with fascial manipulation. The vasomotor response is mentioned within this rather short article, though not in the exact context of the present topic.

Schleip has managed, through his research, to move fascial work beyond the pure mechanistic model and has blended more current research of neurology to form a more complete description on the mechanisms to describe myofascial release.

Comment by Marilyn St.John on June 3, 2010 at 8:40pm

Hi Walt ~ This is fascinating, and thank you for sharing Ms. Sherwood's explanation-- that's a lot to chew on, it'll keep me busy for a bit!
As for Lara's suggestion about Biotone, I also reacted to the cream we used in school even though I have no known allergies. Then in private practice, I tried using the lotion and oil for my clients, and my forearms reacted to it after awhile...so perhaps there's something to that. None of my clients reported a sensitivity to it, however.

Comment by Walt Fritz, PT on June 3, 2010 at 8:10pm

Lara,

The lymph system may play a part, I am not sure. On my blog I posted this same question and got a reply suggesting the the vasomotor response was the answer. My response was:

We have been taught (in MFR training) that the fascia is responsible for this reaction, which may be the case. Another view is provided by Diane Sherwood, a physiotherapist from Saskatchewan, Canada and contributor on SomaSimple.com. In a correspondence regarding the itching that often accompanies bodywork, Diane states:

“autonomics are only sympathetic. The sympathetics control vasoconstriction and sweat glands – the vasculature to sweat glands, the sympathetics can dilate. However, the reverse has to happen too, and skin has six sizes of vasculature and no parasympathetic innervation (except in the lips..) in humans. So, the sensory nerves handle vasodilatatin. Each size vessel is controlled by a different neuropeptide, secreted by afferent neurons. Its complex, especially when you start thinking about the vascular plexuses inside nerves themselves, called vasa nervorum. Nerves do not have any lymph drainage, so the nerves rely on vascular drainage only. If the plexus is stalled in some part of the nerve for some reason, drainage won’t happen, the neurons can get irritated, and the substances they release won’t flow away from the neurons like they should, instead they’ll back up and irritate the neurons, like pee in a diaper giving a baby diaper rash. That’s how I look at it, at least… cranky neurons will give rise to sensations that may not be being caused from outside the nerve, but from inside its own tunnel. The skin will react though.

There is another piece, and that piece is that skin cells themselves can signal, are sensitive to neurotransmitters, have transient receptors for this and that, can signal to a limited extent. Why? because skin, nerves and brain are all made out of ectoderm. They are always checking in on each other. The sensory nerves can bother the autonomics and the autonomics can bother the sensory neurons. Reacting to signals from each other. More sensitive to each other than to signals from mesoderm.”

When asked if she had an idea as to why the area of the trunk/ribcage seems especially susceptible to this phenomenon, she states:

“If the sensitivity of cutaneous nerves (which carry all the epicritic and exteroceptive neurons) is a factor, then the ribcage would be a likely place for such sensitivity because of how long and how vulnerable the lateral cutaneous nerves of the trunk are. Check them out in Netter or something, trace their path. They have to branch at extreme angles and have to navigate ribs and three sets of respiratory rib muscle to surface. It’s a perilous journey for them to get to their skin targets. Depending where they surface they also have to get through serratus and lat.”

The influence of the autonomic nervous system seems to play a crucial role in the vasomotor response. When we lay our hands on people we are working from a set of assumptions that were taught and that we often take at face value. Is the fascia a crucial part of this process, or just a body part under the control of higher centers?

Comment by Lara Rininger on June 3, 2010 at 10:04am

Maybe it's more evident in the trunk because there are more lymph organs?

Comment by Lara Rininger on June 3, 2010 at 10:02am

Hi Walt, I experience this after I receive a massage at our student clinic. They use Biotone oils and the only problems I normally have with my skin is if a product containing wheat is used on it. Nevertheless, I experience the itchiness shortly after the massage as you describe above. I was not really taught anything about this other than the client may have allergies-difficult to believe when you use fairly pure products. I suppose I could bring in olive oil and have them use that and see if I still get the itchiness. I do think it has something to do with histamines being released from the cells as it would certainly make sense in my case. I look forward to other's comments...