CHI WELLNESS CLINIC
in Boston, Somervilles and Waltham, Massachusetts
Tensiolax Therapy for Neuromuscular & Mental Stress Disorders
Tensiology
Dr. Chen coined the word, tensiology in 2006. He hopes to
develop a new discipline that studies the structural and functional properties,
and their clinical implications of hardening soft-tissues in the human beings
and animals. Soft-tissues include muscles, ligaments, organ systems, blood
vessels, and nerves. The objective of tensiology is to understand the
structural, functional or dysfunctional (pathological) processes underlying the
tension and relaxation of soft-tissues.
Since 1999, Dr. Chen had observed and investigated how
blind massage therapists in China could find source of pains, injuries and
discomfort in patients without being informed of such conditions. He personally
sought out treatments from many blind massage therapists in China, from expert
physicians in hospital to novice sole proprietors; and the results were
excellent.
After Dr. Chen started up Chi Wellness Longwood Clinic in
2001, he had opportunity to hire a female massage therapist, Ms. Tang from Hong
Kong. She had been blind since birth and studied in a blind massage therapist
training program offered by teachers from Beijing. Dr. Chen had opportunity to
observe more closely how Ms. Tang, who knew little English, treated conditions
ranging from pains, stresses to insomnia.
Dr. Chen went back to China in 2004, and studied and worked
with teachers at China Blind Massage Center in Beijing. He made a documentary
film, the Healing Touch of the Blind (2006), about how blind people study and
practice their healing art in China. Dr. Chen hypothesizes that blind massage
therapists have heighten tactile sense which allows them to discriminate subtle
signs between healthy and pathological issues. He develops a manual therapy,
called Tensiolax therapy and applies it relax soft tissue tensions associated
with muscle spasm, organ spasm, neuromuscular spasticity and rigidity caused by
injuries, inflammation, neurodegeneration or autoimmune process.
Tensiolax Therapy
A session of Tensiolax therapy consists of three steps:
- Mapping of tensions. Practitioner uses tactile sense of
fingers to detect and map out tensions in soft tissues, including spatial
distribution and the depth of tensions.
- Relaxation of tensions. Practitioner uses the thumb
(sometimes other fingers) to relax tensions layer by layer by back and forth
crossings (perpendicular with muscle fibers) or circular motions with rhythmic
pressure.
- Assessment of relaxation. Practitioner uses tactile
sense of fingers to assess the degree of relaxation on each treatment area.
A session may last one to two hours. Most patient feel sore
afterwards (not unlike a good physical workout), and the same time a deep and
lasting relief of their symptoms such as pains, spasticity or numbness. As for
general well-being, they feel more relaxed physically, mentally and emotionally,
warmer in basal body temperature, and better circulation.
Treatment Program of Tensiolax Therapy
There are two treatment principles when applying Tensiolax
therapy to chronic conditions:
- The treatment must be progressively deeper. Over the
course of treatment, practitioner should feel the volume of the tight soft
tissue getting smaller; and the tension in the deeper layer is tighter than
superficial layer. In the deepest layer, tension may feel like a knot.
- The treatment must generate sustainable relief of
tensions. In most of muscular conditions, knots in soft tissues can be
eliminated. In neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis,
tensions or knots can not be eliminated.
