Job's Body -- A Handbook for Bodywork

By -- Deane Juhan

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A number of experiments have been performed over the years concerning the therapeutic value of touch. They have found that those animals and humans who are deprived of touch experience extreme emotional and physical problems to the point of death. Often the history of a criminal will demonstrate a life with little love and, therefore, without the caress of caring.

Some time ago there was a program on television that purported to demonstrate the value of touching on sick animals. Each day the hand of someone was placed on the exposed fur of an animal -- that was all -- just touch the body of an animal. Another group of animals was denied this touch. The group that was touched recovered quickly while the others recovered slowly, if at all.

It has been postulated that one of the reasons chiropractic is so successful is because it is a touching-healing art. Job's Body -- A Handbook for Bodywork addresses this concept in concise and eloquent terms. It is written for both the professional and the serious lay student in such a manner as to be a reminder and organizer of forgotten physiology and a guide to the use of the information.

The author is a professional bodyworker and has for years seen the "magic" of touching. He feels that a healing touch comes from someone imbued with the quality of caring and the aptitude to apply this touch in a meaningful manner. A faith healer touches -- a masseur touches -- an acupuncturist touches -- a chiropractor touches. All get results after the cold objectivity of chemical therapy has failed.

For several years I have practiced craniopathy and have watched my patients experience both physical and emotional changes with but the lightest of cranial contacts -- for the energies of two bodies become one if the gate of healing is allowed to open.

After a fascinating introduction, the book proceeds into its ten sections almost as a series of revelations. In the first section it postulates the divinity of the human body. After all, we really don't heal anyone with natural or touching therapeutics -- rather we attempt to create an environment for the body to take care of itself. What follows is a wonderful series of verbal pictures explaining the physiology of touching therapeutics. In order, the subjects of the skin, connective tissue, bone, muscle, nerve, muscle as a sense organ, the sense of effort, sensory engrams, movements toward disease, and movements toward health are covered in a thoroughly readable manner.

Author Deane Juhan is a poet of physiology. She has written a volume that has to be one of the most literate and dynamic works ever written concerning the therapeutic use of one's hands in defense of the emotional and physical well-being of the human race. It is inconceivable that manual physicians could consider their library complete without this treasure of physiology, anatomy, therapy, and poetry in their possession.