What is BFI [Brain Finger Interface]?
One of the rehabilitation methods for stroke is joint neurological therapy "ANT" (right image).
In the early 2000s, BFI was born as a technology that was used to treat intractable pain. [Brain-Finger Interface]
BFI is an abbreviation of Brain Finger Interface (technology that connects the brain and fingers), and is a manual therapy defined as "desensitization and reintegration method by somatosensory stimulation". It is a treatment that attempts to improve various disorders such as pain and numbness by working on the brain through "fine and detailed stimulation of the skin, bones and joints of the whole body".
BFI is extremely non-invasive to the body, does not apply any strong force, is a very delicate technique, but has excellent pain relief and rehabilitation effects, and at the same time promotes the recovery of the autonomic nervous system and mental balance. , is called "ultimate touch care (touch cure)".
In recent years, as a result of clinical research on BFI based on the perspective of "promoting brain plasticity", it has been found that its effects extend beyond the framework of conventional common sense.
When BFI was tried for all kinds of pathological conditions, there were many reports of surprising phenomena in which various symptoms improved with minimal stimulation to the skin and joints, regardless of the conventional diagnosis name.
BFI is a really subtle and delicate technique (including touch care and tapping), but why does such a technique have such a disruptive effect? The answer is actually in the brain.
The relationship between the brain and pain
From chronic pain such as low back pain and stiff shoulders, headaches and autonomic nervous system symptoms, aftereffects of traffic accidents to sports injuries, many of them are not only physical problems, but the underlying cause is the neural activity of the brain. Shown by brain science.
For example, when examining the brain activity of soccer players, it has been reported that superstar players such as Neymar and Iniesta have low brain activity and well-balanced neural circuits.
On the other hand, when we examine the brains of athletes who are in a slump and those who are suffering from pain and numbness, we find that many of them have "disturbances in brain activity," that is, biased signal transmission (disharmony of the neural network). I know that. Under normal conditions, the entire brain works in a well-balanced manner, but it is said that if only one part works too much, this triggers brain fatigue (brain overwork).
⇒What is brain fatigue?
It has been shown that such "imbalanced brain metabolism", that is, brain fatigue (brain overwork), causes various symptoms, among them a decrease in muscle strength and sense of balance, delayed recovery from injuries, dizziness and lightheadedness, and a decline in memory. , disturbance of the autonomic nervous system, depressed mood, etc., these symptoms are more likely to appear, and above all, it has been reported that "it can be the biggest factor that causes pain and numbness."
The sensations of pain and numbness are ultimately created in the brain, but recent brain science is proving that the problem lies at the site of their occurrence. Among them, many reports have been made on activity abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, amygdala, insular cortex, cerebellum, etc. (left image is brain function image in chronic pain).←NHK "Close-up Gendai" Partially processed video from the front line of trauma treatment that saves the mind and body
Delicate rhythmic stimulation restores brain function
Through these series of research results, it has been found that the restoration of brain metabolism balance leads to the disappearance of pain. The image above captures the phenomenon of chronic pain disappearing by psychotherapy using eye movement (EMDR).
BFI is a manual medicine that approaches the workings of the brain through stimulation of the skin and joints. In addition, it has been reported that stimulating the secretion of brain hormones (melatonin, serotonin, oxytocin, etc.) leads to normalization of brain metabolism.
As shown above, Swedish research has proven that the act of touching the human body, that is, touch care, promotes the secretion of oxytosy and has a significant effect on pain and cognitive function.
Among the various touch care products in the world, BFI developed especially by Japanese is said to be a remarkably delicate technique - the ultimate technique.
So why does stimulation of the joints with multi-minimals have a positive effect on the brain? The reason lies in the “work of the cerebellum,” which is not generally known!
Mechanisms that keep the body in balance
Unlike quadrupedal animals, the movement of humans standing on two legs requires a precise balance function. Therefore, the human body is equipped with a very advanced mechanism. In addition to vision and the balance organ of the inner ear, reflex functions by sensory receptors (sensors) built into muscles and joints support standing and walking.
The development of high-precision sensors is cited as the background behind Honda's ASIMO's success in walking on two legs, and the same is true for humans.
Among these sensors, the function of the "joint sensor" is particularly important, and it is said that postural sensory disturbance appears when the joint sensor in the spine is experimentally removed. It is a fact that is not generally well known, but joint sensors continue to transmit vibrations, acceleration, changes in internal pressure, etc. to the brain 24 hours a day - more than 200 joints in the human body all at once - Only when information is analyzed and processed in the brain, especially in the cerebellum, can we achieve balance.
However, when "brain fatigue (biased neural activity)" occurs due to mental and physical environmental factors, it may lead to a decline in the information processing ability of the cerebellum. This makes it difficult to maintain balance, making it easier to get injured, stiffen your muscles, and make you more likely to get tired, leading to pain and numbness. In some cases, it can affect the psyche as well.
In fact, recent research results show that the cerebellum is active in all situations other than movement. It has been shown to be deeply involved in the function of compiling information. Therefore, it can be said that the human cerebellum is strongly susceptible to environmental changes and mental and physical fatigue.
Work on your brain and balance your mind and body!
BFI is a technique that attempts to restore the balance of nerve activity by delivering minute stimulation from the operator's 10 fingers to the central nervous system.
One example that illustrates the close relationship between the sense of touch and the brain is the "inverted glasses experiment." The experiment asks, "What happens to the human field of vision if you keep wearing glasses that make you see the world upside down?"
At this time, if the subject is bedridden, "the world is upside down" will remain forever, but when they actively move around and receive various tactile sensations from their hands and feet, the sensory correction system by the cerebellum is activated. After a few days to a few weeks, the visual field becomes erect. In other words, the subject's visual field was normalized while wearing the inverted glasses.
BFIMore The effect of this is that of the 200 or so joints in the human body, the bones near the joints, which are particularly sensitive, are subjected to simultaneous and multiple minute stimulation in various combinations. This is thought to be the result of the normalization of sensory integration in the cerebellum, in other words, the effect of the sensory correction system in the cerebellum, similar to the experiment with inverted glasses (not to mention pain and numbness). Recovery of motor functions such as sense of balance and muscle coordination and improvement of mental functions are observed).
Although this kind of "sensory output research" has only just begun, it is hoped that the development of brain science will someday prove the effectiveness of BFI.
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