Insights from Episode 3 of the “Understanding Body Pain” Series
Spine and neck pain are among the most common discomforts people live with today. Yet for all the stretching, heating pads, pillows, and posture corrections we try, the pain often returns. Why? Because spine and neck pain rarely originates from the area where we feel it. In Touch for Health (TFH) and other bioenergetic modalities, we’ve learned again and again that the body expresses imbalance in fascinating, indirect ways. The neck may hurt, but the root cause could be emotional overload, hydration issues, digestive imbalance, blocked neurolymphatics, stress patterns, or an overworked meridian system trying to get your attention.
In Episode 3 of our Understanding Body Pain series with Denise Cambiotti, Dr. Kate Montgomery, and myself, we explore how the spine and neck act as a communication system for the entire body — physically, emotionally, and energetically.
Pain Isn’t Always Where the Problem Is
One of the most profound concepts in Touch for Health is that the point of pain is often not the point of origin.
For example:
- Neck pain may be connected to an imbalance in the Stomach, Spleen, or Small Intestine meridian.
- Shoulder tension may arise from hydration stress or emotional worry that weakens the Kidney meridian.
- Lower back pain may relate to the Psoas, governed by the Kidney meridian, or emotional fear patterns.
Denise explains this beautifully in the episode: the body compensates constantly. When one muscle shuts down or becomes inhibited, other muscles tighten, harden, or twist to support us. Over time, these compensations turn into pain, stiffness, or reduced mobility. Pain is not the “problem”—it’s the messenger.
This is why techniques like muscle monitoring and muscle biofeedback are so valuable. They help us discover the priority stress the body is trying to resolve. Instead of chasing symptoms, we listen to the body’s intelligence.
The Spine as an Emotional Highway
Your spine is one of the most energetically expressive structures in the body.
Kate shared her experiences working with elite athletes who often show spinal tension before major competitions. Their upper back and neck tighten when they feel:
- pressure
- fear of failure
- imposter syndrome
- uncertainty during transitions, such as retirement
- emotional vulnerability
She noticed that when athletes learned how to balance the Central and Governing meridians, release neurolymphatic stress points, and hydrate properly, their posture changed — and their confidence returned.
This is not accidental. The spine reflects how well we are navigating life. When emotions are calm, the spine flows. When emotions overwhelm the system, the spine stiffens like armor.
Alignment Beyond Posture
One of the most empowering discoveries in TFH is the role of energetic alignment. Alignment is not simply bone positioning — it is the harmony between:
- muscles
- meridians
- emotions
- hydration
- belief patterns
- stress levels
- energetic flow
Denise explained in the episode how certain spinal muscles act as “guardians” for the nervous system. When fear, pressure, or mental overload hits, these muscles may shut down, leaving us vulnerable to misalignment or injury. By calming emotions first — through ESR (Emotional Stress Release), meridian tracing, or even simple breathing and grounding — muscle tension melts and the tissue becomes workable again.
This is why bodywork is always more effective when the emotions are balanced first.
Muscle Monitoring: The Fastest Way to Clarity
Muscle monitoring isn’t about strength — it’s about communication.
With a light touch to test a specific muscle, the body reveals if a muscle is “facilitating” (working properly) or “inhibited” (stressed, overloaded, or under-reactive).
Once the body shows us where the imbalance lies, we can correct it using tools such as:
- neurolymphatic (Chapman) points
- neurovascular points on the head
- meridian tracing
- emotional stress release
- hydration
- specific muscle techniques
- gait and posture balancing
- central & governing meridian work
Clients often feel immediate relief, not just from physical pain but from emotional heaviness they didn’t even realize they were carrying.
A New Way Forward
Spine and neck pain don’t need to be lifelong struggles. They are invitations — signals from the body requesting alignment, awareness, and emotional clarity. Our experiences with Touch for Health have transformed how we view pain. For many of us, including Denise, Kate, and myself, TFH became the missing piece that connected movement, energy, emotion, and healing.
And this is exactly why I’m so passionate about teaching TFH to others.
Want to Learn These Tools Yourself?
A new Touch for Health Level 1 class begins this January.
If you’ve ever wished you could:
✨ understand your pain
✨ help your family feel better
✨ support emotional balance
✨ learn muscle monitoring
✨ feel confident navigating stress
✨ or simply reconnect to the wisdom of your own body…
…this class is the perfect place to begin.
Fridays 2-5 pm Atlantic (10 – 1 pm Pacific, 6 – 9 pm UK): Jan 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb 6, 13,
If you’re ready to transform how you understand your body — and support others in doing the same — I’d love to have you join us.
Your spine is not just holding you up. It is guiding you home.
To learn more about Muscle Tuners International and Denise Cambiotti’s work, please visit the on demand programs found at www.muscletuners.ca.
To find Kate Montgomery, please message her at katemontgomery@me.com
This podcast reached its 160th episode with this recording. If you have not subscribed to the YouTube channel, please do so here. You can also follow us on Buzzsprout.
Lastly, Tai Chi!!! The spine is completely supported and rewired during the simple and powerful Tai Chi movements. Are you interested in making your movement activities really count for wellness? Consider the Tai Chi Cape Breton class found in the calendar. Join a class in West Kelowna, or Peachland, BC with the Wine Country Tai Chi Society. Or join our online class starting again in January – Symphony of Radiance, formerly known as Movement and Music. The class is on sale until Dec 15 for early bird registrations. Together we will discover the messages of the body, the meaning of pain, and the power of wellness habits to change the way you feel.