Why do the "way you touch" and the "words you use" affect the effectiveness of a treatment? | If you are a therapist school, executive academy Osaka | Blog

Why do the "way you touch" and the "words you use" affect the effectiveness of a treatment?

The mechanisms of muscles, bioelectricity, and the subconscious mind

"Even though I try to be gentle during the treatment, the client's tension just doesn't seem to go away."
"With just a shout or a few words, the customers' bodies suddenly relaxed."

As a therapist working in the field, you sometimes have those kinds of strange experiences, don't you?

This isn't just a matter of reassurance or feeling. From a physiological and neuroscience perspective, the client's body perceives the therapist's "touch," "words," and "aura" all in real time as "changes in bioelectricity."

This time, I'll be discussing the inseparable relationship between muscles, bioelectricity, and the subconscious mind—something every therapist should know.

1. Muscles are moved by "electrical signals" . When we move or relax our bodies, weak electrical signals (bioelectric currents) called "action potentials" are sent from the brain to the muscles through the nerves.
In other words, muscles are not just tissue, but "electrical pathways."
If the flow of electricity is smooth, muscles will regain their natural suppleness and unnecessary tension will be released. Conversely, if there is noise in the flow of electricity, unconscious tension will not disappear no matter how hard you try to loosen it.
And what greatly influences this flow of electricity are the "autonomic nervous system" and the "stimuli being received."

2. The therapist's "way of touch" can cancel out electrical noise. Have you ever heard the phrase, "The skin is the exposed brain"?
In embryology (the process of fetal development), the skin and the nervous system (brain) are made from the exact same cells (ectoderm).
In other words, touching a customer's skin is like touching their brain directly.
When a therapist makes close contact with the skin with the intention of "treating it with care" and touches it gently and carefully, that sense of security is directly transmitted to the brain. This causes the parasympathetic nervous system to become dominant, and the "defensive tension signals (electrical noise)" that were being sent to the muscles disappear in an instant.
A therapist's hands are not merely tools for relieving stiffness; they can also be described as "tuners" that regulate the client's bioelectric currents.

3. The words spoken and the space created are also part of the treatment.
It's not just stimulation from your hands that can change the flow of electricity.
The words used in counseling, the tone of voice during treatment, the salon's atmosphere, and even the therapist's own mindset all have an influence.

⚪︎ Switching the nerves with words: Pleasant words and reassuring phrases for the customer deactivate the brain's alert mode and clarify how electrical signals are transmitted to the muscles.

⚪︎Resonance and resonance between place and person Humans unconsciously sense the atmosphere around them and the tension of the people they interact with. When the therapist is relaxed and respectful of the client, the subtle vibrations of the client's muscles synchronize, creating a state where they can naturally relax.

4. Muscles are "monitors of the subconscious mind."
"Even though my mind is trying to relax, my body tenses up."
The reason you see this in your customers is that the deeper parts of the brain (the areas that govern instincts and emotions) sense the stimulus and send electrical signals to the muscles in milliseconds, faster than the human mind can process the words.
Muscles are also a "monitor of the subconscious mind," reflecting true feelings and subtle stresses that a person may not yet be aware of.
Therefore, it is crucial for therapists not to be misled by the client's words alone, but to approach the client while sensing the subtle movements of the muscles and their receptiveness (bioelectric response).

The way you touch someone can start to change their body. Muscles are not just organs of movement.
It's a highly sensitive sensor that perceives everything—the words the therapist uses, the way they touch you, the atmosphere of the space, and their genuine care for you—as a "weak electrical current."

The words we use to greet our clients, the way we touch their skin, and the feelings we bring to their bodies—while improving our skills and knowledge is essential, simply paying more attention to the way we touch and interact with them each day can evolve our treatments into something deeper, drawing out the fundamental healing power of our clients.

I encourage you to experience the depth and potential of the therapist profession through your daily treatments.

KAORI