Technique to be evaluated: Skin/Scar Treatment
References:
Goodheart 1977, p. 6 ff, p. 22 ff
Goodheart: 1983, p. 87 ff.
Goodheart 1986 p. 15 ff.
Walther Synopsis 1st Ed. p 66-67
Walther Synopsis 2nd Ed. p 66-67
Gerz AK 2nd Ed. pp 99, 107, 119
Leaf Manual BP – 10
Description of technique:
Challenging the skin to evaluate whether disruption in the proprioceptors may be a
cause of recurring muscular inhibition and maintained structural pain.
Skin:
1. Originally presented (GG 77 p. 10) as a correction of the skin following a bony
manipulation: The challenge is to lift the skin over a vertebral segment and stretch it.
Inhibition of a previously normal indicator muscle indicates involvement of the skin.
Treatment is to find the direction of pull on the skin that negates the previous
inhibition and to treat with a light jerk in the direction opposite the inhibited (weak)
skin challenge. This is especially important if the skin needs to be moved in a
different direction than the underlying bone. If it needs to go in the same direction as
the bony adjustment, often it will be taken care of during the osseous manipulative
thrust.
Skin treatment over soft tissue structures is also done in the direction of strength or
opposite an inhibited (weak) challenge. Over old injuries, the skin challenge may be
evident only when the skin is stretched apart over the area. (GG 77 p 23) NLs are
also treated relating to the structures underlying the affected area of skin.
2. Due to gravity, some patients may show a positive challenge over large areas of
skin in a footward direction. To treat this, while doing Logan basic or other pelvic
correction do a gentle headward tug on the affected skin area.
3. Some skin lesions or auto-immune conditions show a positive TL over the skin
over the affected organ when tested together with the thymus. (GG 77 p. 25) Find a
direction and respiratory phase which will cancel the inhibited TL response, and treat
with soft tissue manipulation in the direction which cancels the inhibition from T.L.
during the phase of respiration of strength. Supplement with thymus glandulars.
4. Goodheart 86 notes that it is normal for a muscle to become briefly inhibited when
the skin over the muscle is stretched as it would be during contraction of its
antagonist. The skin is thought to be producing part of the signal for normal
reciprocal inhibition of the underlying muscle while the antagonist is facilitated. If
this signalling becomes aberrant, it can contribute to muscle inhibition:
Procedure: If a muscle is inhibited due to failure of skin proprioception, stretching the
skin over the area which would be stretched by that muscle’s normal contraction, in
other words, the skin over the antagonist muscle, will facilitate the muscle. The
treatment is to stretch and vigorously vibrate the skin over the antagonist muscle.
Alternatively, this area of skin may be treated with an acupuncture instrument which
can produce a low intensity, 300 Hz current.
Supplement with vitamin B complex.
If a muscle fails to become inhibited when the skin over it is stretched as it would be
by contraction of its antagonist, this is also seen as a failure of skin proprioception.
The treatment is to treat that skin by stretching and vibrating the skin. This is seen in
areas with skin lesions such as psoriasis and acne.
5. Leaf suggests challenging the skin over weak muscles to find a direction and a
phase of respiration, each of which returns the muscle to normal facilitation. Treat as
above. When starting with a normally facilitated muscle, if a directional challenge to
the skin weakens the underlying muscle, treatment is tugging and vibration opposite
to the direction which caused inhibition, on the phase of respiration of strength.
SKIN GENERAL RULE: Treat in the direction opposite the inhibited challenge
during the phase of respiration which negated the positive T.L. (Direction of strength
on the phase of respiration of strength)
Scar:
1. A positive TL to a scar is treated spraying with a topical cold spray, or ice massage,
while stretching the scar tissue and then putting the part through all of its ranges of
motion. Repeat the cold spray/ stretch and mobilization until the TL does not recur
after motion. Goodheart notes that a scar may only therapy localize when tested
against specific muscles related to the organs associated with the patient’s symptoms
or the site of a visceral surgery. (GG 83)
2. Leaf also refers to the use of the B & E points in the treatment of scars and injured
tissue; whereby the relevant B & E point that negates the challenge is tapped for 60
seconds.
3. Gerz talks of scars as being important sites for Therapy Localization and
Challenge, and refers to the fact that scars will commonly cause disruption in the flow
of energy in the underlying meridian. He makes reference also to scars in the midline
of the body being a cause of switching.
4. Goodheart and Gerz refer also to the use of neural therapy or procaine injections to
treat scars.
Recommendation:
This procedure has been in the A.K. literature for over 3 years with minimal
disagreement among sources. Accordingly, the recommended rating is Approved.
Tracy S Gates 5/02, expanded by Katharine Conable 8/13/03