The Beginning of Our Activities
Our activities did not begin with a large plan or a grand purpose.
We met people who were struggling with pain, and we simply wanted to help in whatever way we could. We continued to face each person in front of us, one by one.
That feeling has remained the same as we have worked not only in Japan, but also in places with different languages and cultures, such as Iran, China, and Kyrgyzstan.
The reasons we came to offer bodywork in each country have varied. Some opportunities began through chance encounters, while others started from reunions with old friends. We believe that each activity began through a certain connection with the people we met.
In each place, we met people, received help, and were warmly welcomed. At the same time, we also met people who were struggling with pain and physical discomfort.
Through these accumulated experiences, we have continued our activities to this day.
We do not have a permanent place for bodywork in the overseas locations where we work, and our time there is limited. Within that limited time, we are offering these activities free of charge so that people who are struggling with pain can experience this method.
Although these activities are free of charge, we do our best to carefully check each person’s condition and provide both bodywork and exercise suggestions.
What we want to share is that people do not need to give up on improving their condition simply because of age. By changing how the body is used and improving the condition of the muscles, there may still be ways to improve through their own efforts. We also want people to know that there are often many things they can try before considering surgery.
That is what we want to communicate through our activities.
There is another reason why we have been able to continue this work.
Our activities are not run by a large organization or institution. They are handmade activities that we continue as individuals. For that reason, preparation, travel, and language differences are often not easy.
Even so, we have been able to continue because we can share the joy people feel when they find even a little relief from long-standing pain or discomfort.
I myself struggled for more than ten years with pain and physical problems caused by the aftereffects of an accident. That is why I deeply understand the joy of becoming able to do something that once felt impossible.
Launching Our Exercise Therapy Program
When NAKO first began, we relieved pain by guiding the body toward better posture. This was our form of exercise therapy. As a method of postural correction, we adopted a program that combined simple exercises and strength training. One of the strengths of this program was that it required no special equipment and was easy for anyone to continue. Except in cases triggered by sudden events such as accidents, pain is often caused by everyday lifestyle habits. That is why continuing regular exercise was such an effective way to help the body become less prone to recurrence.
The Need for Immediate Improvement
Eventually, we found ourselves offering a back pain relief program outside Japan. Although there are differences in bone length and ligament structure, the basic structure of the human body is the same, and people improved through guided exercise. One man suffering from back pain was scheduled to undergo surgery, but he wanted to avoid it if possible. After doing the exercises for just a few days, his pain disappeared, and he was delighted to learn that surgery was no longer necessary. As these positive results spread by word of mouth, we decided to stay in the area for a while and continue teaching the exercises.
Three Problems That Became Clear
After some time teaching exercises in the area, several problems began to emerge.
The first problem was that some people were in too much pain to do the exercises.
Because the medical environment differed from what we were used to in Japan, we often met people with severe symptoms that we had rarely encountered there.
Until then, when symptoms were severe, we would tell people to move their bodies as much as they could. But that approach did not work here. Unless they endured the pain, they could not perform even the slightest exercise movement.
And because this program can only help if the person is able to exercise, there was very little we could do once they were unable to move.
The second problem was a lack of time. Since the program consists of ongoing exercises and training, it naturally takes time before people begin to feel their pain improve.
However, because our length of stay was limited by visa restrictions, we could not make suggestions such as, “If things do not improve as much as expected, let’s revise the program.”
Some people even traveled several hours from neighboring towns to see us, so we could not make recommendations based on the assumption that we would be able to see them again.
The third problem was the language barrier.
Even if people were physically able to do the exercises, continuing them until the pain disappeared required confidence that they would improve, and the longer it took, the harder that became. In a foreign language, even encouraging someone to keep going became more difficult.
On top of that, there was a time limit. In the past, every follow-up meeting helped renew people’s motivation to continue, but now we no longer had the chance to meet them again and again as we once did.
These three problems made one thing clear: we needed a way to relieve pain immediately, on the spot. We began researching how to achieve that.
Searching for a Method That Works Quickly
We believed that if we could at least relieve pain on the spot, then even people with severe symptoms, limited time, or language barriers would find it easier to start the exercises. We also expected that this would help them better understand the value of training aimed at preventing recurrence.
Among the methods considered for quickly easing symptoms were acupuncture and moxibustion, chiropractic care, and seitai bodywork.
Acupuncture and moxibustion have major advantages: they require very little equipment, are easy to carry, and can be performed almost anywhere. However, because needles are inserted into the body, people’s preferences vary. We also expected that acceptance might be difficult in places with different cultures and living environments.
Chiropractic care is widely recognized and therefore easier for people to accept, but we decided against it because it often requires X-rays before treatment and the use of a specialized treatment table.
Seitai bodywork seemed easier for people to accept because it gives an impression similar to massage. In addition, it can be performed almost anywhere with just a single mat, which made it especially practical when traveling across several countries.
In this way, we developed a three-step concept that combines bodywork and exercise.
Step 1: Reduce pain through bodywork
Reducing pain lowers the barrier to exercise.
Experiencing improvement firsthand helps people understand the benefits of exercise.
｜Step 2: Begin exercises and training
Once pain is reduced, exercises can be performed with less strain.
｜Step 3: Continue exercises and training to prevent recurrence
We also suggest new lifestyle habits to help maintain a good condition.
The next step was to investigate which techniques, among the many forms of bodywork, we should learn.
What We Looked for in Bodywork
As we selected the techniques we needed from among the many types of bodywork available, there were several things we especially valued.
A Commitment to Reproducibility
One of the things we valued most in searching for bodywork techniques was reproducibility. In other words, we wanted techniques that could produce equally good results no matter who received the treatment.
This is because we work across multiple countries and regions, where ethnic backgrounds and daily lifestyles can differ greatly. Even so, we must be able to deliver stable, reliable results every time. That is why we chose techniques based on anatomy.
Anatomy-based bodywork is treatment grounded in how muscles and bones actually function. Even the same muscle can work differently depending on whether a person is standing or sitting. Our methods were developed with such mechanisms in mind.
For that reason, we do not treat people without a clear rationale, nor do we simply loosen muscles because it feels pleasant.
I participated in human anatomy dissection training in the United States and studied how osteopathic techniques function within the body. These anatomy-based bodywork methods produced stable and consistent results in every region, regardless of sex or age.
A Commitment to Immediate Change
The second thing we insisted on was achieving change in a short amount of time.
This was because when symptoms are so severe that a person cannot even do the exercises, there is only so much we can do unless we relieve the pain on the spot. When the body is stiff and movement is restricted, people cannot perform the exercises as intended. And when the pain is especially severe, we cannot even begin teaching the exercises until that pain has been reduced.
Another reason was that our time on site was limited, which made immediate pain relief essential.
A Commitment to Safety
The third thing we prioritized was safety and peace of mind.
Of course treatment must be safe. But even when safety is assured, many people still feel anxious about what kind of treatment they are about to receive. If there is a language barrier, that anxiety may be even greater.
To help people feel at ease, we adopted a treatment method that does not involve touching the area where the pain is felt. For example, if someone has neck pain, we reduce the pain without treating the neck directly. This is essential because many people do not want sensitive areas such as the neck to be touched.
We do not use techniques that twist joints with force or make them crack or pop.