(20) Rocking chair motion:
Sit on a mat or bed, legs straight, arms at side. Recline so that the upper part of the body almost touches the mat, at the same time swinging the legs upward. Return to original position and repeat without any pause between the movements, rocking back and forth until slightly tired.
As you get stronger, clasp the hands behind the head. As a variation, rock with the knees bent, hands clasped below them.
Special Exercises for Reducing Flesh and
Strengthening the Abdominal Organs
(21) Lie flat on stomach, heels and toes together, hands stretched out in front. Fling head and arms upward, at the same time raising the legs, knees straight. Avoid straining.
(22) Same position, hands clasped on back, feet together. Roll from side to side.
(23) Lie flat on back, seize a bar (bed rail or rung of chair) just behind the head. Keeping the feet close together, raise the legs as high as possible, then swing them from side to side. As a variation, swing legs in a circle without flexing the knees.
(24) Same position. Raise and lower the legs up and down without letting them touch the floor, keeping the knees straight.
(25) Lie flat on the back, fold the hands loosely across the stomach. Raise and lower the upper body without quite touching the floor.
(26) Stand erect, heels together, arms raised above the head. Bend forward and downward, endeavoring to place the palms of the hands on the floor in front of the body without flexing the knees. Return slowly to original position and repeat.
(27) Stand erect, hands on hips. Keeping the body motionless from the hips downward, sway the upper part of the body from side to side and forward and backward, and in a circle to right and left.
(28) Stand erect, raise the arms above the head. Rotate the trunk upon the hips with extended arms, bending as far as possible in each direction, but avoiding undue strain. These are strenuous movements and should not be carried to excess or performed very long at a time.
Physical Exercises for Invalids
Persons who are very weak and unable to be on their feet for any length of time need not, for this reason, forego the benefits to be derived from systematic physical exercise.
A low chair, with straight or very lightly curved back and no arms, or a rocking chair of similar construction with a wedge placed under the rockers in such a manner as to keep the chair steady at a suitable angle, is well adapted to the practice of a number of corrective movements, such as rotating of hips and waist, forward and sideward bending of the trunk, the various arm and neck exercises, bending and twisting of feet and toes, the internal ma.s.sage (Exercise Number 12) and "Breathing Exercises to be Taken in Bed," in previous Chapter.
Chapter x.x.xII
Manipulative Treatment Ma.s.sage
Ma.s.sage has very much the same effects upon the system as the cold-water treatment. It accelerates the circulation, draws the blood into the surface, relaxes and opens the pores of the skin, promotes the elimination of morbid matter and increases and stimulates the electromagnetic energies in the body.
We have learned that one of the primary causes of chronic disease is the acc.u.mulation of waste matter and systemic poisons in the tissues of the body. These morbid enc.u.mbrances clog the capillaries, thus obstructing the circulation and interfering with or preventing the normal activity of the organs of elimination, especially the skin.
The deep-going ma.s.sage, the squeezing, kneading, rolling and stroking, actually squeezes the stagnant blood and the morbid acc.u.mulations out of the tissues into the venous circulation, speeds the venous blood, charged with waste products and poisons, on its way to the lungs and enables the arterial blood with its freight of oxygen and nourishing elements to flow more freely into the less-obstructed tissues and organs.
Through manipulation of the fleshy tissues, the blood is drawn to the surface of the body and in that way the elimination of morbid matter through the relaxed and opened pores of the skin is greatly facilitated.
Very important are the electromagnetic effects of good ma.s.sage upon the system. The positive magnetism of the operator will stir up and intensify the latent electromagnetic energies in the body of the patient, very much like a piece of iron or steel is magnetized by rubbing it with a horseshoe magnet. The more normal and positive, morally and mentally as well as physically, the operator, the more marked will be the good effects of the treatment upon the weak and negative patient.
Magnetic Treatment
The beneficial effect of magnetic treatment is not so much due to the actual transmission of vital force from operator to patient as to the arousing and stimulating of the latent, inactive electromagnetic energies of the latter, the polarizing of his magnetic forces.
The horseshoe magnet does not impart its own magnetism to the piece of iron which is rubbed with it, but the electromagnetic energies in the magnet arouse to vibratory activity the latent electromagnetic energies in the iron. This is proved by the fact that both magnet and iron will remain magnetic as long as they are used for magnetizing other substances, but through disuse both will lose their magnetic qualities.
I am often asked by my operators and others: "How can I best develop my magnetism?" and "Is there danger of losing my vitality and becoming "negative" by treating the sick in this way?" It is true that manipulative work, like everything else, can be overdone and produce harmful effects upon the operator. But within reasonable limits, ma.s.sage and magnetic treatments will not deplete the person giving them, providing he keeps his system in good condition. His own vibrations must be harmonious on all planes of being, the physical, mental, moral and spiritual. He must be inspired and actuated by the faith that he CAN heal, by the positive will to heal, and by sympathy for the one he is trying to benefit.
Such an operator makes himself the instrument for the transmission of life force, which is healing force, from the Source of all life.
"As he gives, so he receives"; for this is the basic law of the universe, the Law of Compensation. If he gives the treatments in the right spirit, he will gain vital force instead of losing it. He will actually feel his own intensified life vibrations and after treating he will experience a feeling of buoyancy and elation which nothing else can impart to him. "He who loses his life shall find it."
Like a musician who tunes up (puts in harmonious vibration) the relaxed strings of his instrument, so the magnetic healer tunes up and harmonizes the weakened and discordant vibrations of his patient.
Good ma.s.sage will produce electromagnetic effects even though the operator is not aware of it and does not understand the underlying laws; but his work will gain in power and effectiveness in direct proportion to the conscious efforts he makes to benefit his patients by the influence of these higher and finer forces.
I have frequently noticed in my own manipulative work how much the conscious and concentrated effort of the will has to do with its effectiveness. Often, when I had given the usual ma.s.sage or osteopathic treatment and the patient still complained of pain in a certain locality of the body, I would lay my hands on the affected area and concentrate my will upon dissolving the congestion in that particular part or organ and upon harmonizing its discordant vibrations. Very shortly, usually within a few minutes, the congestion would be relieved and the pain would subside.
The electromagnetic energies of the organism can be controlled by the will and either concentrated to or sent away from any part of the body, just as the circulation of the blood can be controlled.
The latter I saw done by a hypnotist who made the blood flow into and out of the arms and hands of one of his subjects simply by the power of his will.
While this was accomplished by means of a destructive process, it taught me a most valuable lesson regarding the power of the will to control physical conditions.
Try it yourself. Next time when you have one of your annoying headaches, recline comfortably in a chair or on a couch, relax completely and then Will the blood to flow away from the brain in order to relieve the congestion and the attendant pain. Many of my patients have learned to treat themselves successfully in this way.
It is obvious that magnetic treatment will not remove pain permanently if the latter is due to irritation caused by a subluxated bone or by some foreign body or by local acc.u.mulation of morbid matter and poisons in any part or organ. In all such cases the local cause of the irritation must be removed before the pain can subside or disappear.
Spinal Manipulation and Adjustment History
In many European countries "bonesetters" have, in a crude way, been treating strains and sprains of the spinal column since time immemorial. These bonesetters usually belong to the peasantry and the art has been transmitted in the same families from father to son for many generations.
Incidentally, these simple people observed that their treatment relieved not only sprained, tired and painful backs--the result primarily aimed at--but frequently exerted a favorable influence upon disease processes in remote organs and parts. This empirical discovery has gradually led to a wider application of this method of treatment.
The various modern systems of spinal manipulation, namely, osteopathy, chiropractic, naprapathy, neuropathy, spondylotherapy and our own neurotherapy, are all of distinctly American origin.
During the last quarter century millions of Americans through personal experience have become staunch adherents to one or more of these systems of treatment. This fact has been instrumental in directing the attention of numerous sincere and scientific investigators to the spinal column with its a.s.sociated structures as a mechanism through which to apply therapeutic measures. It therefore behooves every health seeker to acquaint himself with the theories and claims of these various systems of manipulative treatment.
Osteopathy
The autobiography of Dr. A. T. Still contains the following interesting statement:
"In the year 1874 I proclaimed that a disturbed artery marked the beginning to an hour and a minute when disease began to sow its seeds of destruction in the human body. That in no case could it be done without a broken or suspended current of arterial blood, which by Nature was intended to supply and nourish all nerves, ligaments, muscles, skin, bones and the artery itself. The rule of the artery must be absolute, universal and un.o.bstructed or disease will be the result. I proclaimed then and there that all nerves depend wholly on the arterial system for their qualities such as sensation, nutrition and motion, even though by the law of reciprocity they furnish force, nutrition and motion to the artery itself."
It may be argued that as early as 1805 the Ling System of Swedish Movement was founded on the same principle, namely, "permanent health through perfect circulation." The evidence at hand, however, strongly suggests that the founder of osteopathy arrived at his conclusions independently.
The further claims of Dr. Still as to the cause and cure of disease are briefly as follows: Partial displacements of any of the various bones of the body exert pressure on neighboring blood vessels, thereby interfering with the circulation to the corresponding organs. These displacements, called "bony lesions," are best "reduced" by manipulations called osteopathic "moves."
Chiropractic
In 1895, Dr. D. D. Palmer put forth the following claims as to the cause and cure of diseases: Sprains of the spine result in partial displacement of one or more of the vertebrae which go to make up the spinal column, thus exerting pressure on the neighboring nerves.