Robert has turned the updating process over to me today!! So please bear with me. Last Thursday, I was able to witness a new kind of therapy used with David. It is relatively new, so Robert has already copied a portion of a website article below. I was amazed at what the therapist did. Before she began, she explained that it might appear that she wasn't doing anything, but as I watched her work at the base of David's skull, I was encouraged. He, on his own, without her forcing the movement, moved his head to a position that was nearly at midline. For those of you who have visited David, you have seen how his head is turned severely to the right. She is planning to use this therapy twice a week. She isn't normally at Summit Place, but at another nursing home. We are grateful for the Summit Place staff's willingness to facilitate David's progress. Outdoor construction projects are on hold today due to a sleet and freezing rain storm that hit yesterday and more is predicted for today. Hopefully work will pick up later in the week. We continue to appreciate your prayers for and notes to us and David.

What is Myofascial Release? A gentle blend of stretching and massage, myofascial release therapy uses hands-on manipulation of the entire body to promote healing and relieve pain. Just as its name suggests--myofascial comes from the Latin "myo" for muscle and "fascia" for band--therapists use the technique to ease pressure in the fibrous bands of connective tissue, or fascia, that encase muscles throughout the body. Sheaths of this dense and elastic connective tissue weave about blood vessels, bones, and nerves as well, forming an intricate, 3-D web that supports your organs and joints from head to toe and acts as the body's shock absorber. According to practitioners of myofascial release, scarring or injury to this network of connective tissue is a major cause of pain and impeded motion. The therapy's easy stretches aim to alleviate these problems by breaking up, or "releasing," constrictions or snags in the fascia. People with longstanding back pain, fibromyalgia, recurring headaches, sports injuries, and a host of additional complaints are all said to benefit from the technique. The therapy itself is relatively new. Osteopathic physician Dr. Robert Ward of Michigan State University taught the first course entitled "myofascial release" at that school in the 1970s.

How Does It Work? Myofascial release therapy is based on the idea that poor posture, physical injury, illness, and emotional stress can throw the body out of alignment and cause its intricate web of fascia to become taut and constricted. Because fascia link every organ and tissue in the body with every other part, the skillful and dexterous use of the hands is said to free up, or "release," disruptions in this fascial network. Pressure on the bones, muscles, joints, and nerves is relieved in the process, and balance is restored. Like a "pull" in a sweater, the effects of tension and strain are thought to snowball over time. Abnormal pressures may tighten or bind the fascia to underlying tissues, causing "adhesions," or dabs of scar tissue that cling to muscle fibers. Even though these adhesions do not show up on x-rays or other scans, they can stiffen joints or contribute to painful motions. If they occur near a nerve, they may cause numbness, pain, and tingling. The gentle and sustained stretching of myofascial release is believed to free these adhesions and soften and lengthen the fascia. By freeing up fascia that may be impeding blood vessels or nerves, myofascial release is also said to enhance the body's innate restorative powers by improving circulation and nervous system transmission.

What You Can Expect-Whereas muscles often respond to the firm strokes and thrusts of massage, fascia is thought to respond to a much milder touch. And unlike a typical chiropractic manipulation, myofascial release works on a broader swath of muscles and connective tissue. The movements have been likened to kneading a piece of taffy--a gentle stretching that gradually softens, lengthens, and realigns the fascia. The bones in your neck, chest, pelvis, back, or other areas will be felt and the skin stretched to feel for areas of tightness. Using the fingertips, knuckles, heel of the hand, or arm, the therapist then feels, or "palpates," deeper layers for any areas of bound-down fascia. When a restricted area is found, the tissues are stretched gently along the direction of the muscle fibers until a resistance to further stretch is felt. The stretch may be held for one to two minutes, and sometimes for up to five minutes, before a softening, or "release," is felt. The release indicates that the muscle is relaxing, fascial adhesions are slowly breaking down, or the fascia has been realigned to its proper orientation. The process is then repeated until the tissues are fully elongated.

John 6:63-72 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.