In Namikoshi Shiatsu, treating the front of the neck (Anterior Cervical) is considered the ‘ultimate skill’ -奥義. This is because the neck acts as the critical gateway between the head and the body. It contains the essential pathways for our nerves and circulation, manages our metabolism, and supports our respiratory and digestive systems.
The clinical significance of this area is backed by modern findings:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-019-06233-5
Dysfunction in the cervical muscles is often a hidden cause of general physical malaise. By addressing these muscle lesions through specialized Shiatsu techniques, we can restore autonomic balance and provide profound relief from various unexplained symptoms throughout the body.
Here is an excerpt from “Absolute Effectiveness of Fundamental Shiatsu Treatment that Enhances Natural Healing Ability” by Yoko Muraoka-sensei.
I asked Tokujiro sensei, for example,
“How to treat a patient with a frozen shoulder?”
Then he replied instantly,
“Treatment on anterior cervical and abdomen.”
I then asked him,
“What about back strain?”
He replied,
“Definitely solar plexus and anterior cervical.”
“What about a patient who spits up blood due to duodenal ulcers?”
His reply,
“Anterior cervical and first point of posterior cervical and gentle pressure on lower abdomen.”
Anterior cervical for headache, eyes, sudden hearing loss, and so on. He taught me that the imbalances of the human body will appear in the anterior cervical and abdomen region. Treatment of these regions helps to alleviate the symptoms.
When Tokujiro-sensei was a young boy, his mother who had a cold asked him to apply pressure to the anterior cervical area. This was the beginning of how Tokujiro sensei came to be interested in the effectiveness of applying pressure to the anterior cervical region.
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In her book, Yoko Muraoka sensei explores the unique power of the anterior cervical region.
Patient S: “Rather than for relief, treatment of the anterior cervical helps me to learn what my health condition is today. “
Patient T: “I can feel the pressure on the anterior cervical throughout my body. I feel it in my stomach today.”
There is no other area that elicits such different responses from patients as the anterior cervical. It is connected to the whole body, and interestingly elicits a response if there is an area of weakness in the body.
Since the fourth points of the anterior cervical region are very important in Namikoshi Shiatsu, the therapist’s hands might be tensing up rather than relaxing. If so, the patience naturally tenses up as well. However, this makes it harder to apply pressure. Unless the therapist knows how to apply pressure without tensing, it is impossible for him or her to reach the exact pressure points that are necessary for the patient.
Muraoka sensei graduated from Japan Shiatsu College and has been practicing fundamental Shiatsu treatment for decades. She promotes the effectiveness of “Applying pressure without tensing up” (無駄な力を抜いてしっかり圧す) through her clinical practice, as well as her book and DVD entitled “The Textbook of Shiatsu.-Fundamental Shiatsu”.
