What Lissim does

Lissim acts primarily by unclenching the tissues of the body.

We all know how to relax our muscles in an ordinary way: we can clench our fists and then instantly release them again. But states of clenching that we don't know how to release are common, and can effect almost any part of the body. This can happen after an injury if protective tightening round the injured part lasts too long; or after a viral illness; or as a result of harmful postural habits and patterns of muscle use. It can happen for a variety of other reasons that may be complex and hard to unravel. Whatever the underlying reason, chronic clenching is bad for you.

When clenching lasts for a long time, the harmful results go beyond just pain. Tightness in the muscles and connective fibres can compress other tissues such as nerves and blood vessels, and may even affect tear ducts feeding fluid to lubricate the eyes. Blood carries inportant substances - nutrients, for example, and information-carrying substances like hormones - to cells all around the body. It also helps remove waste products arising from metabolic processes. If blood is unable to flow freely, this delivery and waste-removal service may be hampered.  Organ function, too, may suffer in quite direct ways. So, although pain is important, it is not the only reason why clenching is harmful and should not be endured if ways of releasing it can be found. 

Lissim is an effective, non-invasive way of doing just this. Moreover, because it is easy to learn it empowers people to help themselves.

How does it work?

Many factors are almost certainly at play in producing the powerful effects experienced with such a light touch. There are good reasons for thinking that Lissim may work by producing electrical effects on the body. We have begun research to explore this, but our attempts at measurement are still in their very early stages and we will not rush to conclusions. So far, all we can say with confidence is that

• we have recorded electrical signals passing between the finger and body when Lissim touch is being used, and
• that some of these signals have amplitudes and waveforms similar to those known to occur naturally in the body - and not unlike those used in some medical instruments sold for the relief of pain.

Another interesting area of exploration relates to the concept of neuroplasticity, in other words, the observation by neuroscientists that what we experience and what we do, especially activities that involve repeated, attentive action, can change our brain. In a violinist's brain, the area representing the fingers of the left hand will develop large new networks of neurons in response to habitual, conscious use of these fingers as the musician practises. Similar changes have been found in the brains of those who meditate regularly, with profound effects on mood and wellbeing; these results have been harnessed for example in novel forms of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety, phobias and other mental health conditions. As the scientific evidence in this area grows, some forms of meditation are now being adapted and used more widely for the benefits they can bring in the management of stress and pain. Examples include 'mindfulness' (mindful awareness) techniques that draw on Buddhist traditions, popularized most notably through the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre. 

Because Lissim calls for calm, focused attention and practice, it too may be acting on the brain in a manner similar to meditative activity - in other words, exerting a direct impact on the functioning of the brain so as to modulate pain perception. This certainly represents another potentially useful area for research into the effects exerted by the practice of Lissim.

There may of course be others. Considerably more work is needed. We therefore welcome communications from people who could replicate and extend the observations made so far, or help us to investigate other avenues.

Please contact us with your suggestions and comments.