Psychokinesiology & Emotional Release
How unresolved emotional experiences are stored in the body — and how osteopathic treatment can help release them.
Traumatic experiences can leave their mark on our bodies. An ‘emotional release’ refers to the spontaneous emergence of intense feelings, memories or physical sensations during an osteopathic treatment. In most cases, this emotional reaction occurs spontaneously, without any prior information from me about traumatic experiences and without patients coming with the conscious intention of working through emotional issues. The scientific basis for this can be explained by an understanding of the nervous system, as well as explicit and implicit memories.
Emotional Release in Detail
To understand this phenomenon, it is worth looking at how the body processes stressful experiences. Traumatic experiences arise from events that overwhelm our normal coping strategies and fundamentally shake our sense of security. What is crucial here is not only the event itself, but also the coping capacities available at the time it occurred. In addition to psychosocial factors, the body also possesses physical mechanisms for processing stress. In the animal kingdom, we can observe how animals tremble or fall into a state of shock-induced paralysis following a threatening situation, before returning to normal. These physical reactions help to dissipate the energy mobilised by stress. People often do not have the space to pause after extreme stress and allow their bodies to undergo these natural reactions. When the nervous system remains on high alert If the natural processing mechanisms are interrupted following a stressful situation, the nervous system can remain in a state of heightened alertness. Harmless everyday stimuli are then interpreted by the subconscious nervous system more quickly as potential threats, and the body reacts by releasing increased levels of stress hormones. For the nervous system, the stressful experience is still very much present; it has not been classified as resolved. This persistent state of alertness can manifest in many different ways. Due to this heightened alertness, the brain is constantly processing information from the environment, whilst the body struggles to relax because it is subconsciously searching for potential sources of danger. Those affected often experience this as chronic tension, persistent exhaustion or unusually strong reactions to everyday situations – both physically and emotionally – entirely without any conscious intention. Many people report persistent inner restlessness or anxieties that are difficult to explain. As a protective response, a tendency sometimes develops to process distressing experiences mainly in the mind, without allowing physical or emotional reactions. Withdrawing into the mind provides protection from overwhelming sensations. In other cases, emotions and bodily sensations are shut down to protect oneself from further pain. Whilst this may be helpful in the short term, in the long term it often leads to people feeling emotionally empty or less alive. Paradoxically, at the start of a healing process, symptoms may temporarily intensify as the body is consciously perceived once more. This is a natural part of the integration process. This overstimulation of the nervous system can also manifest physically: persistent tension, digestive problems with no apparent organic cause, sleep disturbances, headaches or an increased susceptibility to infection. However, the nervous system possesses a remarkable capacity for adaptation and healing, known as neuroplasticity. Even if patterns of stress have become established over many years, they can be changed again through appropriate approaches. The body ‘remembers’ not only stress but also feelings of safety and relaxation. With the right support, the nervous system can learn to distinguish between real dangers and harmless situations.
Explicit and implicit memories
Our memory functions in two fundamentally different ways. Explicit memories are conscious, narrative recollections. They can be deliberately recalled, put into words and placed in a chronological context. Implicit memories, on the other hand, store bodily sensations, movement patterns and emotional reactions without a conscious narrative context. They have no clear time stamp. For the body, they can be present beyond time. Put simply: explicit memories are conscious images or details from our life story. Implicit memories are also memories, but not in the form of images, rather in the form of sensations and physical reactions.
Practical examples
Example: Fear of dogs
A young child is pounced on by a dog and experiences intense fear. Years later, the adult can no longer consciously recall that moment (the explicit memory has faded). Yet as soon as they see a dog, their body tenses, their heart beats faster, and a vague sense of unease sets in. The body remembers an event, not through images, but through a strong physical reaction. This is an implicit memory.
Example: The gut
Chronic or acute stress can leave implicit memories in the body, with tangible physical consequences. The digestive system is a clear example of this. Let’s imagine: a person spends weeks in hospital caring for a seriously ill relative. Day and night, hardly any sleep, constant tension. During this time, the body activates its emergency response. The autonomic nervous system releases stress hormones; blood is diverted from the gut to the muscles and the brain. The body wants to function; digestion takes a back seat. The intestinal muscles tense up, bowel movements slow down, and nutrients are absorbed less efficiently. Breathing becomes shallower, and the vagus nerve, which controls digestion, is less active. In this situation, this is a sensible protective response. Years later, the person has made a full recovery. Yet whenever they face an important appointment or a family conflict, their stomach tightens up again. Not because the situation is objectively dangerous, but because the body is repeating an old pattern. It has stored what stress means and automatically activates this implicit memory without consulting the mind. Over time, this can lead to the development of a chronic pattern of tension in the abdominal region. Those affected suffer from functional digestive problems, even though medical examinations reveal nothing abnormal. The link to the original source of stress usually remains hidden. These implicit memories do not only have physical effects. Alongside the physical sensations, vague emotional states often arise: inexplicable restlessness or unease, for no specific reason. This is because the same regions of the brain that control physical stress responses are also involved in emotional processing. The body and emotions react via the same pathways.
What the research says
When one thinks of osteopathy, the physical effects of a treatment usually come to mind first. An ‘emotional release’, however, describes a predominantly emotional effect of a treatment. Touching certain areas of the body that are tense can bring to the surface implicit memories, as described above. This might manifest as trembling or as tears flowing without the patient knowing why. Science is only just beginning to explore this phenomenon. Research is providing insights into how touch actually reaches the brain and thereby triggers emotions. Certain nerve fibres in the skin, known as C-tactile fibres, respond to gentle touch and send their signals directly to the emotional areas of the brain, rather than to the somatosensory cortex, as is usually the case with sensory fibres (2). This partly explains why osteopathic treatment can trigger emotional reactions without the person expecting them or consciously controlling them. Another study used magnetic resonance imaging to examine patients with chronic pain whilst they were undergoing osteopathic treatment. Here too, during osteopathic treatment, the area of the brain considered to be the interface between physical sensations and emotional processing became active. This area is called the insula and also plays a role in implicit memories. If this area changes during treatment, this suggests that osteopathy has an effect not only physically but also at the level of emotional processing (1). Another study involving therapeutic touch demonstrated that gentle manual techniques can improve the ability to consciously perceive one’s own body. Whilst this may seem unimportant at first glance, it is a sign that the nervous system is functioning more accurately. People with better body awareness are also better able to regulate their emotions, as both are processed in the same area of the brain (3). Another factor is the level of stress in the nervous system. Initial pilot studies suggest that regular treatments can reduce stress hormones (4). A systematic review confirms that osteopathy tends to have a stress-reducing effect (5). It has also been shown that osteopathic treatments can improve heart rate variability, a measure of how flexibly the nervous system responds to different situations (6). As described earlier in the text, in cases of trauma the nervous system reacts excessively strongly to stimuli or remains in a state of sustained alertness. The nervous system therefore exhibits a certain rigidity. Although the evidence is still limited overall, the trend is consistent and helps us understand that emotional reactions during treatment are not unusual, but rather a completely normal response that can be well explained by the nervous system.
The Diagnosis
What makes implicit memories unique is that they feel like genuine physical problems, because the body actually reacts physically to stored stress patterns. However, conventional medical diagnostics often fail to identify any structural causes, which presents challenges for both patients and therapists. It is important to understand that not every unexplained symptom is trauma-related, as physical complaints usually have a variety of causes. Osteopathy can be a useful supportive measure within an interdisciplinary treatment plan. In cases of trauma or mental health conditions, psychotherapeutic support is essential. We would be happy to discuss with you whether osteopathic treatment is suitable for you and how it fits into your treatment plan.