Wolff's Law
anthony bruni
We all grow under pressure. I thought I explore this concept a bit.
Wolff's law, named for 19th-century German anatomist, states that bone tissue forms in response to pressure. When our bones are subjected to pressure fluid is squished out of our osteocytes (our bone cells). When this happens they signal to osteoblast (a cell that creates bone tissues) to increase bone production. Inversely when our bones are relieved of pressure, our osteocytes will send signals to our osteoclasts (cells that break down bone tissue) to reabsorb bone tissue. Do a headstand and your cervicals and skull will increase in bone density. Spend some time in a space station and you will lose bone density due to lack of gravity. Our skeletons are literally sculpted by the pressures we expose them to. We all have the ability to create our bodies right down to our skeleton system.
I think of this process as an extension of evolution. To oversimplify a bit evolution describes a process where organisms that are most adapted to an environment survive whereas less adapted organism are culled by forces of nature. Of course, there is no clear demarcation between organism and environment. Whether something is foreground or background is just a matter of perspective. Every organism forms part of the background environment of every other organism. If we think of our bodies as an environment composed of trillions of cellular organisms, we can see how our skeletons are constantly being formed and reformed to the environmental pressures our life put on it, much the same way, environmental forces over generations sculpt the DNA of its endogenous lifeforms.
When I think deeper about Wolff’s law I see this is one expression of a perennial pattern found throughout nature. That growth happens in relation to stress. Many arborists will beet trees to promote growth. An embryonic bird with struggle up against the inside of egg in order to develop the strength it will need once it is hatched. We all have had trying times in our lives, challenges that at the time seem to be insurmountable, that have made us stronger by facing them.
The Buddhists say pain is inseparable from life, suffering is optional. We have a choice in whether we allow pain to invades us, or we struggle to find meaning in hardships. Most of us do what we can to ease the pain of life. Most of our attempts will most likely fall short. I certainly can't say I gained the level of enlightenment where I can transcend all suffering, but I do see value in making an attempt.
Massage can certainly be a time to cleanse ourselves of whatever external stressors there may be in our lives. There is value in doing so, but I do feel massage is too often marketed as an escape, or as a luxury. Sometimes this is exactly what we need, but it can also be a time to confront such stressors. A massage can be the perfect opportunity to explore how our bodies are adapting to the pain it has endured. Through a thorough massage, we can catalyze our somatic consciousness into profound growth, by exploring our pain and sensitivities. This isn’t to say massage should hurt, that a sign something is wrong. Rather it can be about learning to find comfort in increased sensation, comfort in growth.
Anthony Bruni