ELEMENT Acupuncture and Wellness
William Wessel, Licensed Acupuncturist
45 Newbury Street, Suite 208
Boston, MA 02116
617-922-1881
Zero Balancing
Zero Balancing is a very gentle form of bodywork where the patient lies on a massage table, fully clothed throughout. It was developed in the early 1970s by Fritz Frederick Smith, MD, a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. A doctor of both osteopathy and medicine, Dr. Smith has always been fascinated by the healing power of touch. There is no manipulation, as in osteopathy or chiropractic, and no rubbing of tissue, as in massage. But when the patient gets up off the table he or she is immediately aware that something has changed. It is a slightly odd sensation, at least the first time; as if the body isn't quite where you think it is. Then, for most people there follows a tremendous sense of well being, a lightness, as if everything is in the right place at last.
What Can Zero Balancing Help You With?
A lot of people come for a session because they are in pain - a bad back, sciatica, a sore knee, a wrist that has stiffened up. Usually the session helps a lot, and in some cases the change can be dramatic. I first received Zero Balancing when I developed Plantar Fasciitis. If you've ever had this you know that it is very painful and hard to walk. Within 4 zero balancing treatments my foot was completely better. Not only my foot, but everything seemed different. I felt more aligned and more connected to my body. Even my emotional state changed. I felt completely whole and that I was resonating my true inner harmony. This type of healing can happen because the effects of getting energy to flow properly through the body can be very profound on not only a body level, but also on the emotional level as well.
People also come because they are feeling confused, dispirited, uncertain, resigned - which are all common effects of stress. In this culture it seems implausible that bodywork can help with these kinds of conditions, but in the East it has been long known that getting energy to flow cleanly and clearly through the body has an equivalent effect on the mind and spirit. So people emerge from a session more able to appreciate what is really going on, more able to distinguish what really matters and more able to see what they can do to alleviate their situation. I've always believed that our bodies have "muscle memory" and after learning about zero balancing I also believe that our bones have the same type of memory. This stuck energy in bone is allowed to finally be released during a zero balancing session. It can be quite profound for some people.
How Zero Balancing Works
Our bodies are permanently subject to the force of gravity. Especially when we are standing, gravity exerts a strong pressure through the bones of the skeleton. When this pressure is carried properly our bodies function well, but when there is a misalignment between the bones and joints on the one hand and the force of gravity on the other, then we suffer pain, limitation or dysfunction. With a series of gentle stretches and light pressure on bones and joints it is possible to re-establish the right balance between the body's structure and the forces it has to carry. That's actually how the therapy got its name. A patient came off the table saying "I feel balanced, back to zero - kind of zero balanced".
Contraindications to Zero Balancing
People receiving Zero Balancing should not be acutely ill, recently injured or recovering from recent surgery, or in the first trimester of pregnancy. Practitioners should also proceed with caution in cases where the spine or joints may be compromised or unstable, such as in cases of advanced rheumatoid arthritis or Down’s Syndrome, or in cases of joint replacement surgery. If you’ve recently had surgery or a bone fracture, we recommend that you wait 2 to 3 months after your procedure or injury before receiving Zero Balancing. In addition, we recommend that people should not receive Zero Balancing while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Feel free to discuss your concerns with your doctor and/or William Wessel
A lot of people come for a session because they are in pain - a bad back, sciatica, a sore knee, a wrist that has stiffened up. Usually the session helps a lot, and in some cases the change can be dramatic. I first received Zero Balancing when I developed Plantar Fasciitis. If you've ever had this you know that it is very painful and hard to walk. Within 4 zero balancing treatments my foot was completely better. Not only my foot, but everything seemed different. I felt more aligned and more connected to my body. Even my emotional state changed. I felt completely whole and that I was resonating my true inner harmony. This type of healing can happen because the effects of getting energy to flow properly through the body can be very profound on not only a body level, but also on the emotional level as well.
People also come because they are feeling confused, dispirited, uncertain, resigned - which are all common effects of stress. In this culture it seems implausible that bodywork can help with these kinds of conditions, but in the East it has been long known that getting energy to flow cleanly and clearly through the body has an equivalent effect on the mind and spirit. So people emerge from a session more able to appreciate what is really going on, more able to distinguish what really matters and more able to see what they can do to alleviate their situation. I've always believed that our bodies have "muscle memory" and after learning about zero balancing I also believe that our bones have the same type of memory. This stuck energy in bone is allowed to finally be released during a zero balancing session. It can be quite profound for some people.
How Zero Balancing Works
Our bodies are permanently subject to the force of gravity. Especially when we are standing, gravity exerts a strong pressure through the bones of the skeleton. When this pressure is carried properly our bodies function well, but when there is a misalignment between the bones and joints on the one hand and the force of gravity on the other, then we suffer pain, limitation or dysfunction. With a series of gentle stretches and light pressure on bones and joints it is possible to re-establish the right balance between the body's structure and the forces it has to carry. That's actually how the therapy got its name. A patient came off the table saying "I feel balanced, back to zero - kind of zero balanced".
Contraindications to Zero Balancing
People receiving Zero Balancing should not be acutely ill, recently injured or recovering from recent surgery, or in the first trimester of pregnancy. Practitioners should also proceed with caution in cases where the spine or joints may be compromised or unstable, such as in cases of advanced rheumatoid arthritis or Down’s Syndrome, or in cases of joint replacement surgery. If you’ve recently had surgery or a bone fracture, we recommend that you wait 2 to 3 months after your procedure or injury before receiving Zero Balancing. In addition, we recommend that people should not receive Zero Balancing while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Feel free to discuss your concerns with your doctor and/or William Wessel
