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Chaos Theory: Now Playing in Your Body

Einstein was right. I love it. If a gravitational wave, which is 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a proton, can be measured and can be significant, the slightest touch with the right intention can create a dramatic change in someone’s health. The physical response to input such as human touch is often reported as “surprising” or “shocking.” We have a hard time believing that something so simple can “work.”  In Chaos Theory it is understood that the smallest incremental changes can produce measurable effects. This, too, was surprising because we have believed that only big efforts can produce big results. In working with the body, I have found that often the lightest touch can produce far greater effects than a heavy hand. 

As a culture, we put great emphasis on the measurable, on the visible. That which moves us most profoundly, however, we can’t see or explain: love, loss, faith, spirit. The proof that gravity does, in fact, move in waves demonstrates that simply because something has not yet been measured or proven does not mean that it isn’t so. 

“In recent decades, inroads have been made into understanding these complex patterns which characterize living things.  One major discovery in the mathematics of complex phenomena is that complex patterns can arise from simple causes.  A number of factors seem to be required:  time irreversibly, far-from-equilibrium structures, self-similarity on different scales, repeated feedback or iterations, and non-linearity.  Given these conditions simple mathematical equations can produce a wide variety of complex patterns which resemble those seen in living nature.  Living things, conversely, conform to all of these conditions.  Time is irreversible; all living things age and die. Life maintains itself far from equilibrium; the form is relatively stable while the material constituents are constantly being replaced, with a steady supply of energy from the environment in the form of food, air and sensory stimulation. Living things make extensive use of self-similar structures: the branchings of bronchial tubes, blood vessels, and neurons allow interpenetration and intermixing of different substances needed for metabolism.  Repeated and complex feedback is one of the most salient features of the living world, from the fact that everything eats and is eaten to the complex interactions that characterize social structures.  And non-linearity, provided by the basic dimensions of the world, is the rule: a moment of passion can produce a new being, a step off the edge of a cliff can kill a man and one incident can trigger a world war.”

-Christian Wertenbaker Parabola Magazine, Spring 1999


Living systems are decidedly non linear. Much of modern medicine, however, views and treats people and bodies as linear structures that are mechanical. Bodies are complex, dynamic, and often unpredictable. There are an infinite number of variables that affect one’s health and well being, but that is messy and hard to study. It is easier to view the body as a series of mechanical and chemical interactions yet this approach fails to take into account the fundamentally energetic, intangible, and unpredictable nature of a living system.

In Bio Geometric Integration, a holistic approach to chiropractic care, we teach that the body can be seen as a tensegrity structure. 

The video demonstrates how impact is dispersed throughout the tensegrity structure. It has two implications. First, any experience that we have, whether physical, emotional, chemical, happy, sad, good, etc will affect the body as a whole, not just in the “area of impact.” We know this to be true experientially. When we receive bad news over the phone, we feel it in our gut, our knees weaken, breath becomes shallow, our heart races, our throat constricts. The trauma is not localized to the ear, the part that “received the news.” When we eat a healthy meal, the effects are global, as are the effects of eating a giant plate of junk food. If one experiences a physical trauma, the effects are not limited to the area of impact, but can be felt all over the body. As a chiropractor, being aware of the tensegrity structure of the body I am conscious of the global impact my touch has, thus enriching the exchange between me and my clients. We teach these principles in our BGI Europe Posterior Seminars. 

 

“I feel like I have been released from a prison of pain through your gentle chiropractic care.” Vincenzo A. age 37

 

“Amy need not say in words what her hands always communicate in action: That our bodies are filled with so much good, waiting to be recognized and reintegrated with our consciousness.” Theresa M. age 34

 

“I thought I would never see my sister in law again. She is bed ridden and lives on the second floor. Until I began to receive your care, I couldn’t imagine climbing those stairs, much less do it. I spent last Sunday with her. Thank You.”  Antonia R. age 75

 

“I can’t believe that this is actually how a neck is supposed to feel. I feel twenty years younger.” Gaetano B age 62

 

“You have no idea what it feels like to be able to sleep through the night again.”  Nicola M. age 47

 

The comments that people share about their experience at Salute PNL remind me of the profound effect that my work has. The ramifications of that wave of energy being released begins as a small ripple, almost imperceptible, and grows into something very quantifiable in terms of changes in quality of life.


“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”  Albert Einstein

In honor of  Einstein’s theory being validated, I will notice a few more miracles around me today, starting with those in my office. 


Amy Burke, D.C. is a seasoned health professional. She is a chiropractor with over 15 years experience in clinical practice and has taught Bio Geometric Integration to chiropractors and students in the United States and Europe since 2000. An honors graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, she graduated with Doctor of Chiropractic from Life Chiropractic College West. Before becoming a chiropractor she worked as a massage therapist for ten years. Her practice has shifted from working predominantly with pregnant women and infants include a large base of seniors. Her clients have benefited greatly from the gentle care she provides based on the principles of Bio Geometric Integration. She currently resides and practices on the island of Pantelleria, Italy

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