So WTF is interoception really?<\/h6>\n
Interoception could be seen as the scientific term for how someone feels. <\/em>More technically, though, interoception is the internal bodily sensations, such as:<\/p>\n Interoception also includes sensations of bodily systems, such as:<\/p>\n and autoregulatory systems and sensations like:<\/p>\n Current definitions of interoception generally don\u2019t include pain or proprioception as part of interoception but they are closely related.<\/p>\n This short animated video<\/a> gives a useful overview of the terrain. Even though it\u2019s aimed at exploring the connections between interoception and autism, it provides some clues about why the concept of interoception might be something that massage therapists could use in practice and in self care.<\/p>\n Recent research, for example, here<\/a> (pretty darn heavy!), here<\/a> (very readable) and here<\/a> (rewarding for the brave) has shed light on how interoception relates to pain and all sensation within the body. This has a huge impact on what we do as massage therapists because most of what we treat is sensations created by the nervous system that actualise the brain\u2019s best representation of what is going on within the body. Most of the time, the brain does this really well but sometimes it needs a little help.<\/p>\n Pain, like interoception, is very real, but you can\u2019t put it in a cup or take a photo of it, and you can\u2019t objectively measure it. You can only measure someone\u2019s experience of pain.<\/p>\n Have you ever tried to measure how much cold air hurts your face?<\/p><\/div>\n Why is interoception important to massage therapists?<\/strong><\/p>\n For a long time, we have been trained to think about muscle knots, tight fascia, joints that are out<\/em> or locked<\/em>, and all sorts of physiological maladies that may occur. However, research is increasingly showing that many of these previously used concepts are fallacies and that manual therapy has, at best, a minor impact on the physical structure<\/em><\/strong> of the body.<\/p>\n BUT … we do know<\/strong> that massage and manual therapies are an effective means of treating pain, including chronic pain. While the effects are only mild to moderate, they do meet the criteria required for a clinically effective method for treating pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n The simple conclusion drawn from this is that manual therapies can be effective for managing pain and soreness via changing the \u2018output\u2019 of the nervous system. One of the ways this might be mediated is through interoception. This means that massage is more likely to change our perception<\/em> of what is going on in the body rather than actually changing the physical structure of the body. Tasha Stanton\u2019s recently published findings<\/a> on perceptions of stiffness are relevant here.<\/p>\n It is likely that it\u2019s these central changes or changes in brain function that lead to decreased pain and improvements in function, demonstrated by range of motion and motor recruitment tests.<\/p>\n For a long time, manual therapists were the \u2018go to\u2019 for getting fascia lengthened, knots rubbed out and spines realigned or put back into place. Manual therapists have kind of been human bulldozers, required to pummel, crush, crack or stretch the body into better shape. Anyone wonder why massage is such hard work?<\/p>\n Is this really the most effective way to think of massage? Should we be thinking of ourselves differently? Should we be metaphorically massaging the brain instead of the brawn?<\/p>\n Interoception, and the practical application of what we\u2019re discovering about it, may change how massage therapists approach treatments.<\/p>\n Our increasing understanding of placebo shows that the brain has powerful pain modulating mechanisms that can make our body more (or less) sensitive depending on how it functions. Manual therapy may be able to tap into these mechanisms. There is one important factor with placebo \u2013 the client has to be believe<\/em> it will work.<\/p>\n A client who likes strong pressure typically doesn\u2019t feel better unless they have that style of treatment, much like someone who is sensitive can feel worse with too much pressure. Or they want to hear a crack or be stretched or needled. The client’s interpretation<\/em> of what sort of treatment they received will matter more than the actual<\/em> type of treatment. Clyde Andrew’s alluded to this phenomenon in last week’s AMT blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Instead of working on<\/strong> people, why not focus on working with<\/strong> people?<\/p>\n We are not that human steamroller needing to put bodies back into place. Understanding the sensations that someone is feeling (interoception) will begin the process of allowing a client to reintegrate into their body.<\/p>\n If the sensation therapists provide through manual techniques is sufficient for a client\u2019s nervous system to decide pain is no longer an appropriate sensation, then we see changes in how clients feel. This is because we\u2019ve changed the client\u2019s perception of their body.<\/p>\n This process of interacting with a client on a neurological level has been called an interactor<\/em> model of therapy, as compared to a traditional operator<\/em> model. The interactor model has a requirement to always check how a client perceives a treatment. Is treatment being received in the way the therapist intends? Or is the client experiencing a treatment that may actually make things worse for them?<\/p>\n The concept of intersubjectivity describes how, between the client and manual therapist, a view is formed about what is happening. Intersubjectivity is neither objective nor subjective \u2013 perhaps a shared subjectivity is the best way to describe it. Manual therapists need to constantly check with the client\u2019s impression of what is occurring during a treatment to ensure that client and therapist are sharing in the therapeutic process together and communicating optimally.<\/p>\n Interoception is a more complex than can be conveyed in a short blog post. On Sunday 22 October 2017, I\u2019ll be co-presenting a post-conference workshop with Colin Rossie on \u201cInteroception \u2013 why you are the best person you could ever hope to meet<\/a>\u201d. We\u2019ll be digging deeper into how massage therapists can integrate interoception into their treatments. If you haven\u2019t signed up to attend the conference, you can still register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Aran Bright started his career as a massage therapist in 2002 after graduating from the Australian College of Natural Medicine in Queensland. In 2006, he completed his Diploma of Remedial Massage and, in 2007, his Bachelor of Health Science in Musculoskeletal Therapy. Aran has also graduated from University of Queensland with a Graduate Certificate of Sports Coaching, completed a Certificate IV in Fitness and an Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy. He currently runs his own businesses, Bright Health Training<\/a> and Brisbane Workplace Massage<\/a>, with his wife, Sheree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Massage Therapist and Educator, Aran Bright introduces the concept of interoception ahead of the one-day workshop he is co-presenting at the AMT Mini Conference 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,2],"tags":[15,17,18,19,14,10,16],"class_list":["post-156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-events","category-professional-practice","tag-amt-conference","tag-aran-bright","tag-colin-rossie","tag-human-bulldozer","tag-interoception","tag-massage-therapy","tag-tasha-stanton"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/amt-conf-2016_1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3977,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2025\/02\/10\/take-the-pressure-down\/","url_meta":{"origin":156,"position":0},"title":"Take the pressure down","author":"admin","date":"10\/02\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Popular music is littered with examples of songs about pressure. 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WARNING: there may\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Clinical Practice"","block_context":{"text":"Clinical Practice","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/category\/clinical-practice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hammer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hammer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hammer.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hammer.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hammer.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1471,"url":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2019\/03\/13\/improving-quality-of-care\/","url_meta":{"origin":156,"position":1},"title":"Improving Quality of Care","author":"admin","date":"13\/03\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Massage therapy struggles with the baggage of outdated ideas. How can Massage Therapists rethink their practice to keep up with other professions? 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\u00a0<\/strong>Why are bodily sensations important?<\/strong><\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.amt.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/windchill.png?resize=400%2C400\")
Does this spell the end of manual therapists being human bulldozers?<\/strong><\/h6>\n
Why your client\u2019s interpretation of what you are doing matters more than what you <\/strong>are doing<\/strong><\/h6>\n
Integration, intersubjectivity and interacting<\/strong><\/h6>\n
AMT’s post-conference Workshop on interoception<\/h6>\n
About the author:<\/h6>\n