Energy Medicine and Science

Joe wrote me the following after yesterdays post recommending the book Energy Medicine in Therapeutics and Human Performance by James L. Oschman “I beg to differ with you on the energy medicine book. Oschman starts with sound science, then takes these wild metaphysical leaps. The fascia system acting as a second nervous system?? You should see the junk that's being passed off as science in some of these "myofascial mapping" courses. If you think function has been corrupted, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Is there any way we could hear the Iron Maven's take on this topic?”

Joe, I have explain my point of view on this. I know that a lot of pseudo science and mumbo jumbo, not to mention heaps of bullshitake, have gravitated toward this field, but there is something there. We as practioners cannot always wait for science to verify what we are doing. Oschman’s concept of “The Living matrix” deserves some study. To me it begins to explain some things that I have seen over the years. There is no doubt that the fascial system needs to have more consideration that we have given it. Whether or not it is a faster messenger system than the nervous system is certainly open to debate and research from greater minds than me. Don’t get me wrong I believe in science, but in sports the scientists have followed the practioner. I have never seen a scientist innovate a new training or rehab technique. They study them after the fact. Some of the biggest mistakes I have made have been to summarily reject ideas like this. I am going to keep an open mind on this one. A healthy dose of skepticism is always good. I am not ready to embrace this completely nor to reject it completely, the book got me thinking.