Vascular Facilitation Process® (VFP®) is an authentic bodywork system that facilitates the flow of vascular structures including arteries, veins, and lymphs by means of gentle touch, attention, movement and collaborative work of the practitioner and the client. As a consequence, a client can regenerate the tissues in stagnant areas of his/her body, and improve the movement quality.
When the body stops listening to what we want it to do, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it must be because of age. But, if that was really true, then why are there some older people who can walk smoothly without any problems while there are others who can not? Also, is the reason why the body stops listening to us really only related to DNA? Or, does it have something to do with neuroplasticity?
Injuries and accidents, giving birth, psychological trauma and limitations based on cultural background all contribute to inhibiting blood flow in the body. Literally, the supply of nutrients from arteries, and the elimination of toxins from veins slow down, and develop a chronic state of stagnation. Therefore, by getting a grasp of the stagnated arteries or veins with our hands, we can bring back optimal flow to that area. By doing so, the feeling, or awareness, starts to return and we create an environment where the body can more easily access the motor system (it becomes easier to move that part). Then, when the client is ready, in order for the pain or discomfort not to return, a VFP® movement therapist also provides movement re-education, and helps the client to continuously keep improving.
Who a VFP® session is for and some reasons why clients come for a VFP® session:
– It is especially for people who don’t get swayed by, but instead doubt the “common sense”, or who have tried everything within the realm of “common sense”.
– Performance enhancement (dance, martial arts, yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic®, tennis, singing etc.).
– People who have been told that they need surgery (hip and knee issues are common), or people who want to rehabilitate quickly after surgery.
– Professional athletes and dancers who are thinking about retiring because of injuries or decreased physical fitness and vitality.
– People who want to recover from injuries and pain (especially bunion, ankle sprain, bone fractures such as tibia/shin bone and clavicle/collar bone), osteoarthritis of the hip, hernia, tendonitis, rotator cuff injury, brain injury, cervical spine injury etc.
Some things that VFP® movement therapists value and also want clients to become aware of:
– The parts of your body that you cannot feel, you cannot move well either. From one rule of the brain that says: What is located next to each other in the brain gets affected by each other (the sensory and motor cortex of the brain are located next to each other), it becomes clear that the parts of the body that you have a hard time feeling, or sensing, becomes difficult to move. Also, likewise, the parts that are difficult to move becomes harder and harder to feel (downward spiral). This is what Thomas Hannah has termed “Sensory Motor Amnesia” (Can we call it a loss of memory in the sensory and motor nervous system?).
– If you get pain and injuries from moving your body in the same way you always have, it means that your movement pattern is not efficient, and that your body is trying to tell you something. The solution is to re-educate your body to use a different movement pattern. – (SAID Principle= Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand)
– To open up space in all joints of the body and to learn to move while having this space. When we move with joints that are stuck, or jammed, the brain, or nervous system will not let the muscles generate as much power (you feel weaker), and, in turn, when we move with joints that are open, or free, the brain will give the go sign for the muscles to contract more (you feel stronger).
– To move the body using bones and joints. Whereas it is more common to think about moving the body by using muscles, it is more efficient to learn how to stand up through support from the bones, and to move from the joints. We are not saying that muscles are bad. We need muscles. But, if we contract the muscles excessively before using up the full range of motion of the joints, the range of motion potential will for sure be limited.
– Pain exists in the brain. Because of this, for example, even if you have a loss of cartilage somewhere, it doesn’t mean that you will experience pain because of it. Also, if the pain didn’t exist in the brain, then how can you explain phantom limb pain? (Pain in a limb that you have lost).
– Become friends with gravity. As long as we are here on this planet, we will be affected by gravity. It is not something we can change, so it is not worth trying to fight it. Instead, as VFP® movement therapists, we help our clients to let gravity be their ally.
– The importance of your eyes and ears. The cerebellum/small brain uses information from proprioceptors throughout the body, as well as from your eyes and ears to control movement, so the way your eyes and ears function become very important.
– We are going to re-write the map in your brain. In order to do this, repetition is necessary.
There are a lot of trainers and therapists in the world today. However, from my viewpoint, currently, most trainers are comfortable with movement, but not so much with pain and discomfort. Likewise, most therapists are comfortable when it comes to treating pain and injury, but not so comfortable if they have to teach movement after their session. Because of this, the ultimate goal of VFP® is to increase the number of “hybrid therapists” who can both resolve issues of pain and injury as well as provide better movement education/re-education by rewriting the sensory and motor map in the brain.