“It’s all connected.”   

I hear the phrase “it’s all connected” often in my treatment room, as well as from other therapists.  

This phrase has always frustrated me because of its vague nature.  It can leave a therapist or client with the idea that we should address all of the soft tissues in the body in one session in order to possibly stumble upon finding the solution to a persistent ache or pain.  This isn’t to say that a general full-body session isn’t great for maintenance or de-stressing.

However this method would cancel out any opportunity to explore a variety of structures surrounding a problem area and trace them out to see what tension patterns are present.  

Assessment of range-of-motion and locating restricted soft tissue patterns through touch paints a picture of the underlying condition of the body and, more importantly, the way a client is using their body regularly.  

Once we can see this picture, we find alternative ways to use our bodies that restores balance rather than perpetuate aches and pains.  

While many of the aches and pains that pop up are caused by tensions existing elsewhere in the body, it’s our job as a soft tissue therapists to help our clients understand the underlying pattern so they can bring awareness to their activities of choice and move through their lives with reduced pain and ease.