On the one hand, modern medical science has just discovered something. Sound the trumpets.

Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the “interstitium”.

These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins.

I’m glad that curious people are able to find out this stuff and get the research published.

However, on the other hand, it sounds a lot like Modern Science ™ has discovered the underlying principles of Counterstrain therapy.

Strains of these vital tissues can provoke a protective reflex spasm of the structure involved and any near-by somatic tissue (via reflex-arc). Once triggered the reflex can persist, spread and form palpable tender points. Counterstrain releases the tissue in spasm and the corresponding tender point by mechanically unloading the injured structure.

Dysfunction of this web of vital connective tissue often negatively impacts everything from our nutrition and diet, to physical health and susceptibility to disease, to the very strength of our mental and spiritual wellbeing.

I’m not completely sold on counterstrain, although I know people who have been greatly helped by it. And not just helped in a way that could also be the placebo effect, but in a documentable way: the counterstrain practitioner reached the end of what could be done with the technique, identified a problem area, sent my friend to a specialist, and lo and behold the specialist discovered a bulging disc situation that requires surgery.

(I’ve done some counterstrain therapy, for the record; it just wasn’t enough at the time.)

Do I sound of two minds about this? Probably, because I am of two minds about this.

I really am happy that scientists have “found” this organ that has existed all along. It is always good to develop a deeper, richer understanding of ourselves and our universe. Perhaps some good research will reveal how this interstitial space contributes to wellness.

But I’m always a bit leery of ~scientific progress~ when techniques like counterstrain have been derided by the scientific community for a long time. These techniques are typically developed as practice, not on theory, and often work.