*A Journey Through CranioSacral Therapy*
A Journey Through CranioSacral Therapy
Close your eyes and try to feel what it would be like if all of the restrictions in your body released and the tension unwound. Imagine feeling completely relaxed, lighter, and even straighter. These are only a few of the comments I have heard from clients after they have experienced a CranioSacral (CST) session.
Dr John Upledger, founder of CranioSacral Therapy, studied at Michigan State University from 1975 to 1983. He worked at MSU as the Professor of Biomechanics and as a clinical researcher. The Upledger Institute in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida is one of the leaders in training various therapists in gentle hands on therapies. It is through this institute that I received my CranioSacral training and education. As stated on Dr Upledger’s website, www.upledger.com, “By complementing the body's natural healing processes, CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction.”
CranioSacral Therapy is a light touch modality done on a client who remains fully dressed and either lies on a massage table or at times stands while restrictions in their fascia and other bodily areas releas. A trained CST practitioner, like myself, either gently places his or her hands on the clients body and holds areas and waits for restrictions to release or supports a limb such as a leg, arm, or the clients head, and follows the innate movement of the fascia as it unwinds and gently releases the restrictions in the fascia that may be causing pain or a limited range of motion.
CranioSacral Therapy has proven to be beneficial for numerous issues, including but not limited to, headaches, migraines, neck aches, back aches, emotional difficulties, past trauma, and many other types of chronic pain. Our bodies are incredible in the way that they can retain past traumas, but even more incredible in the wonderful ways they are able to release them.
I would like to take you, the reader, through what a CST session would be like. When you first come into the treatment room, you will be asked to lie down on the table and remain open to any changes occurring in your body. You do not need to help or assist me, the CST therapist, during any part of the treatment, but to remain relaxed and willing to let go of whatever needs to be released for that day. I will feel drawn to different areas on your body that need to be worked on. While I’m holding an area I may feel drawn to a different location based on how I feel the CranioSacral rhythm is moving. I wait for the restrictions to release and then move to the other area. If I am drawn to support a limb I will gently pick up an arm or a leg and feel the ways in which the fascia wants to move, unwind, and release. By gently following this movement and allowing the fascia to fully release, the restrictions which may be causing pain are also able to completely let go.
While working at your head, I gently follow the flexion and extension of the CranioSacral rhythm and softly correct any imbalances found in the cranial bones. By using a light touch no more than 5 grams, or the weight of a nickel, I am able to decompress any bones that I find that are restricted and are not allowing you to function optimally.
One of the important goals of CranioSacral Therapy is to allow the Cerebrospinal fluid to flow more evenly throughout the entire body. Cerebrospinal fluid is what is all around and protecting the brain and spinal cord. According to Dr John Upledger in an interview on “ShareGuide – The Holistic Health Magazine and Resource Directory”, “CranioSacral Therapy is a very soft touch, hands-on method of treatment. It deals with what we have named the craniosacral system which is composed of a membrane that is waterproof that encases the brain and spinal cord and carries within it cerebrospinal fluid. The pressure and volume of the fluid go up and down. That makes it a hydraulic system, which needs to be free to move all the time because the fluid should be moving and bringing nutrients to all the neurons and taking away wastes and so forth. With CranioSacral Therapy, we have several entries into this system--most of them through bony attachments or through direction of energy or pulling of fascia--for alleviating any restrictions that might have accumulated due to injuries or illnesses. This therapy improves the health of the brain and spinal cord, which in turn, affects the whole body.”
If you are experiencing pain in one area of your body there is a good chance that the origin of the pain is coming from a completely different location. For example, pain in your low back may be coming from your neck or cranial region or vice versa. Pain in your shoulder may be coming from your hips. The pain is not always coming from the exact location you are feeling the sensation. A trained CST practitioner is able to find the areas of restrictions and where the pain is coming from and is then able to release those areas, often times causing a ripple effect that allows many other areas of discomfort to release as well.
Pain can be happening for a number of reasons, including emotional disturbances. After any kind of trauma, our bodies sometimes hold on to those emotions which can cause continual pain. If we don’t have an effective way of letting those emotions go, we can develop chronic pain. Often times people try many different treatments to get relief from the constant pain, never really knowing the real reason they have it in the first place.
SomatoEmotional Release (SER) can get to the core of the pain and, if there is an emotional counterpart, help it to release. SER helps people let go of past trauma and allows people to truly let go of the emotional pain that is causing other bodily aches. Our bodies know when they are ready to let issues go, so it is important to know that SomatoEmotional Release is not something that your body can be made to do, but rather it is something that is gentle and, when your body is ready to fully release, it will. During an emotional release, sometimes dialogue is done between the client and therapist and other times it is silent. Everyone has their own best way of leaving unneeded matters behind. The therapist quietly follows any movements your body wants to do and assists you in whatever way you need at that time. After people have experienced a release of this type, they leave feeling a great sense of relief and lightness that they have been unable to find anywhere else.
CranioSacral Therapy is very close to my heart. After a serious car accident when I was younger changed my life and resulted in emotional and physical chronic pain, CST was able to show me that I could be pain free and live with more clarity and ease. Being trained in this therapy since 2003 has given me ample time to truly understand the subtlety of this therapy and the incredible effects it can have on a person’s life. I am truly fortunate to be able to assist people in the many different types of healing that can take place during a CranioSacral Therapy session.
*SomatoEmotional Release*
SomatoEmotional Release
Our bodies are amazing in the way that they can process and retain an incredible amount of information. Did you know that your muscles, fascia, tissues, cells, etc are also able to hold memories and emotions? These memories and emotions aren’t always processed in the best way though. So our bodies are left with restrictions or stuck energy that doesn’t allow us to function at an optimal level. How many times does a thought go through your head about an injury or other traumatic event and you aren’t able to truly let that thought go? Are you experiencing pain that no matter what you try you can’t find relief? Your body may be holding onto emotions that it can’t find a comfortable way to let go of. SomatoEmotional Release may be what you (and your body) have been looking for. SER is another component of the amazing work CranioSacral Therapy can provide.
According to Dr John Upledger in his book SomatoEmotional Release and Beyond, “SomatoEmotional Release (S.E.R.) is the expression of emotion that for reasons deemed appropriate by some part of the patient’s or client’s nonconscious, has been retained, suppressed, and isolated within the soma.”
Dr Upledger calls areas within the body where intense feelings or past physical trauma are held ‘energy cysts.’ Energy cysts are areas on the body of blocked or chaotic bundles of energy. In the above mentioned article by Dr Upledger he states that “The idea behind this is: when an accident occurs, the energy of the accident enters the body. This fits with the laws of thermodynamics, which tell us that energy cannot be created or destroyed. They also tell us that the natural tendency of atoms, molecules, and energy is toward disorganization. When this external, disorganized energy – the “energy of injury” – is forced into the body, it penetrates into the tissues to a depth determined by the amount of force versus the density of the tissues. This force is countered only by the density of the tissues it is trying to penetrate.”
When we receive an injury anywhere on our bodies the force brought on by that injury penetrates much deeper and can travel to areas in other places on the body. For example, an injury to the lower back may go up the spine and start causing neck pain, or vice versa. Energy cysts are formed when the energy of the injury stops. If there is no way for your body to get rid of this energy – it can and most likely will start causing restrictions and pain. Stuck emotions can cause the same restrictions and pain if they don’t’ have a way to release.
You may be wondering what an energy or emotional release would be like. Of course everyone is different and their bodies are going to release however and whatever they need to for that day. But some typical sorts of releases include body movements, heat coming off the area, softening of the area, or a feeling of openness. Some of the time there will be dialogue spoken between the client and the therapist. This is a wonderful way for the client to be able to release those stuck thoughts and emotions. The goal is to not completely forget about the feelings, but to be able to release them in a way that they are not causing any kind of pain.
Tissue unwinding is another wonderful way emotions can be released. By fully supporting a limb (arms, legs, or the neck) a trained Craniosacral therapist, like myself, follows the movement of the fascia and waits for it to completely release. When there is a release, energy starts to move evenly and stronger than before. When emotions are held in the area that was just released sometimes a person’s breathing will become slower, sometimes their eyelids start to flutter, and sometimes a great sense of peace is felt in the treatment room. Clients often tell me they suddenly feel a sense of calmness and relief.
Some people are unsure what to think about the whole emotional release thing. To some it seems frightening or so far out of their normal thinking that they don’t want to have anything to do with it. That’s fine. There is nothing wrong with thinking that way. Every individual has their own ways of releasing emotions that they are comfortable with. SomatoEmotional Release is not something that can be “done” to you. Your body must be ready to have an emotional release. For those that have experienced the power of SomatoEmotional Release it is a wonderful feeling of lightness and clarity, as well as many other benefits.
A great resource to check out if you would like to read more about SER and how it can help you would be the book SomatoEmotional Release and Beyond by Dr John Upledger, DO, OMM.
I hope through this article that you are able to better understand more of the wonderful benefits CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release can add to your life. If you’re ready to start feeling better – both physically and emotionally and would like to set up a CranioSacral appointment please call me today! Please feel free to call with any questions as well.
Stephanie Stanton, NCTMB, BSNH
828.450.5050
*Dealing with Fibromyalgia using CranioSacral Therapy*
Dealing with Fibromyalgia Using CranioSacral Therapy
Does each day feel like a struggle? Do you feel like you have to drag yourself through each day? Are you simply going through the motions? Are you in so much pain that it is affecting your happiness? How would you feel if there was something that could help ease that pain? What if there was something that could work on the cause of your pain instead of just the symptoms and lift your spirits at the same time?
As a person who has been a trained CranioSacral Therapist since 2003, I can honestly tell you that I have seen a great deal of people become pain free or reduce their pain to a much more manageable point by receiving CranioSacral Therapy (CST) treatments. Trained through the Upledger Institute, I have gone through years of training and have worked with and helped many clients with various levels of pain. Dr John E Upledger is the founder and developer of CranioSacral Therapy who served as a biomechanics professor at MSU in the late 1970’s and now is the owner and director of the Upledger Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
People who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia are often depressed, in constant pain, and suffer with fatigue. They may also be dealing with many other varied symptoms. It is easy to become depressed or have low energy when we deal with pain all of the time. All of our energy goes towards figuring out how to make it through the daily tasks that are absolutely necessary. When do we have time to take a minute for ourselves or actually do something we enjoy? It seems everything has become work.
CranioSacral Therapy can help in so many ways. According to Upledger.com, “CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on approach that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance.” By releasing the restrictions/tensions, the cerebrospinal fluid in our bodies can flow easier and reach more areas which helps everything function better. Cerebrospinal fluid feeds, protects, and has a considerably positive effect on your brain and spinal cord (also known as your central nervous system).
CranioSacral Therapy works directly with the fascia throughout your body. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds and connects body structures. When fascia becomes restricted, people experience pain, reduced range of motion, etc. Through the gentle holding or slow movements performed during CranioSacral Therapy, these restrictions can release and people sometimes feel energy start to move through the area where they hadn’t before. People also feel a softening of the area and less of a stuck painful feeling. It is wonderful to be able to help people in this way and to see the softening not just in their bodies but to hear it their voices and also see the relief on their faces.
During CranioSacral Therapy, clients lie fully clothed on a massage table. I start each session by holding your feet and sensing where the greatest restrictions are in the body. I then move to different areas on the body and hold those areas waiting for the restrictions to release. I may also do unwinding work which means I will gently lift an arm or a leg and allow the fascia to unwind as the limb slowly lies back on the table while being fully supported.
People who have dealt with chronic pain for any period of time and have become depressed, as is the case with many who suffer from fibromyalgia, can be greatly helped through the part of CranioSacral Therapy called SomatoEmotional Release (SER). We hold emotions in our bodies whether we are aware of it or not. When those emotions don’t have a proper way to release they become stuck. Often times creating pain that isn’t easily dealt with. Through CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release, a therapist like myself, is trained in finding these areas of stuck emotions and using techniques and oftentimes a dialogue between the therapist and the client to help release these stuck emotions that are causing the pain. People that have experienced emotional releases like this often leave feeling lighter and with much clearer thinking. When people have dealt with chronic pain for any length of time feelings of self doubt or feelings of never being able to function the way they think they should be able to fill their bodies and minds. Depression to any degree is not healthy and can put many unneeded burdens in your life. SomatoEmotional Release is a wonderful way to get to the reasons why you’re feeling that way and can help you see that, by releasing those unneeded burdens and feelings, your life can be so much more meaningful and you can truly live the way you want and are meant to.
Chronic pain and the resulting depression is something that no one should have to live with. I hope through this article that you have gotten some ideas of ways that you can receive gentle/noninvasive help and start living life in more of the ways that you want to. I hope I have helped you learn more about CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release. If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment for a treatment, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Yours in Good Health,
Stephanie Stanton
828.450.5050
s_stanton3@yahoo.com
*Herbs and CranioSacral Therapy for Headaches and/or Migraines*
Headache/Migraine relief with herbs and CranioSacral Therapy
Most everyone can tell you how unpleasant headaches can be and how they can quickly ruin your day. Some people get minor headaches, while others get much worse and debilitating headaches. Either way, they can definitely complicate your plans for the day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a natural way to help ease these headaches and, at the same time, offer you a calmer and less stressed mind and body? Through this article I will explain a few herbs that you can add to your daily regimen that will bring relief. I will also talk about CranioSacral Therapy and how that modality can help you get rid of these painful occurrences by helping your body function more efficiently.
A few of the herbs that can help lessen the pain caused by headaches and help these occurrences become less often include Feverfew, St John’s Wort, Lavender, Skullcap, Valerian, and Holy Basil. I would like to write a little about each of these herbs and how they can help you get relief from headaches and/or migraines.
Feverfew is an herb that is mostly known for treating migraines, fever, and arthritis. With continued use this herb can actually stop migraines from happening. Feverfew can be bought as capsules, tablets, or liquid extracts. Feverfew should not be given to children under 2 years of age.
St John’s Wort is widely known as a natural antidepressant. Through these same effects, headaches can be decreased as well. When we are tensed or stressed our muscles become more rigid and everything tenses up, sometimes causing a headache. By calming our nerves and helping our bodies more effectively deal with stress, we lessen our tension and hopefully our headaches will decrease as well.
Lavender is a popular herb used to treat headaches and migraines. Combining lavender with lemon balm and skull cap can be very beneficial. Lavender tends to have a relaxing and stress relieving effect. It leaves you feeling calmer and better able to handle daily stressors. The essential oil of Lavender is also very beneficial to treat headaches – just rub it on your temples or the back of your neck. Lavender oil combined with peppermint oil are two essential oils that work well together for treating headaches.
Skullcap is a powerful herbal nervine. Skullcap is great at reducing headaches that are from built up tension such as when your neck is constantly in spasm from chronic tight muscles. Skullcap soothes the entire central nervous system. It is widely known and used for headaches and nervous stress. By reducing our stress our bodies can function more efficiently with less pain.
Valerian is excellent for insomnia, headaches, and easing pain. Many headaches can be caused by lack of sleep. Valerian, taken at bedtime, can help you get the much needed rest that you need to function more easily throughout the day. Its calming effects can help your nerves and lessen your stress which helps you let go of tension.
Holy Basil is a great stress reducing herb. Holy Basil is, in my opinion, one of the greatest herbs out there. Holy Basil has many different beneficial properties. Not only is it great at reducing stress, it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used as a pain reliever and a natural antidepressant. Holy Basil helps immune function and may also have a lowering effect on blood sugar. For people with high cholesterol, holy basil may be helpful in lowering your triglycerides and your overall cholesterol. These are just a few of the many beneficial properties of Holy Basil.
These are only a handful of the herbs that can help you find pain relief and start to ease the mind numbing pain caused by headaches and migraines. This is in no way meant to replace your doctor’s recommendations. If you have any questions, please consult your natural health provider. Always follow dosage recommendations on the bottle or by contacting your natural health provider.
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a great way to reduce and actually take away chronic headaches and/or migraines. There are many different causes of headaches and migraines. When your autonomic nervous system is interrupted in any way, it can produce a headache or migraine. When our bodies are stressed or tensed, head pain can result. If your cranial bones become restricted and have no way of letting go, pain will most likely result. It is through CranioSacral Therapy that these restrictions can be released.
Restrictions anywhere on the body can be causing headaches. When one area on your body is tight or restricted, other areas are going to be affected as well. During a CranioSacral Therapy session, your diaphragms, or specific places on your body, are evaluated to see if they are moving properly. If restrictions are felt in these areas, a Craniosacral therapist, like myself, will hold these areas and wait to feel the fascia become free and the cerebrospinal fluid start to flow more evenly. Or the therapist may do a technique known as Regional Tissue Release. This is when one of your limbs is fully supported while the therapist follows the movement of your fascia while it goes through whatever movements it needs to go through to fully release. This can be any type of movement such as flexion, extension, abduction, or adduction. The therapist carefully and gently holds the body part and waits to feel a softening to know that the limb has finished releasing for the time being. After these releases are done, the cranial rhythm is usually much stronger and more even in the area. The area also often feels much lighter.
Tension in the neck can be causing a great deal of head pain. A regional tissue release can also be done on the neck. The client is asked to slide back so their head and shoulders are partially off of the table. The therapist fully supports their head and neck and waits for the fascial unwinding to begin. The regional tissue release on the neck is an amazing one to watch. The neck goes through many different rotations and movements until it goes back to the center and then slowly releases straight back, without any restrictions making it move in different directions.
Restrictions in the cranial bones themselves can cause a great deal of head pain. The cranial bones seem to have a ripple effect on each other. Meaning that when one lets go, the other ones seem to have a much easier time of releasing. Depending on where your pain is usually located, the cranial restrictions can differ. During a treatment, all of your cranial bones should be evaluated to find out exactly where needs the most work. For example, a headache in the front of your head can be from a compressed frontal bone. Which, when released, the fluid is able to flow through the area and the pain is usually lessened. I have found that people who have a characteristic migraine where they get pain behind one or both eyes, usually have compressed frontal bones and their sinus points need to become unrestricted as well. By easing these points the cerebrospinal fluid is able to flow easier through your cranium and processes within your body can be carried out more efficiently.
I have chosen to not get too deeply into the anatomy of the cranial bones or the membranes. If you are interested in reading a more scientific approach to this subject, you can check out “CranioSacral Therapy” by John E Upledger & Jon D Vredevoogd.
As you can see, there are various herbs that can be very helpful in reducing head pain and helpful in lessening your stress and tension that may be contributing to headaches or migraines. If you are on prescription medications right now I would check with your natural health provider about trying different herbs and if there would be any problems. Most herbs are completely safe to use with other medications, but, as a precaution, I would always check before anything was tried.
CranioSacral Therapy is a wonderful way to decrease or get rid of any type of head pain. Usually after four or five treatments you will have a good idea of how much CST can help as well as all of the other amazing benefits you can receive from CranioSacral Therapy.
Stephanie Stanton NCTMB, BSNH
828.450.5050
s_stanton3@yahoo.com
*Maintaining a Healthy Digestive Tract*
This article is intended to make you aware of how important a healthy digestive tract is to your well being. To begin I will explain what causes and contributes to an unhealthy digestive tract. Poor eating habits, poor food choices, and stress are factors that contribute to a poor digestive system. When people eat fast and don’t take the time to chew their food properly, indigestion can occur. People need to slow down and actually enjoy the flavors, smells, and the various colors of the food they are eating. This will give the digestive system adequate time to actually do its job so food is properly digested. People also need to be mindful about how much or what they are drinking at meals. For optimal digestion, don’t drink immediately before or after a meal. Cold fluids are something else that should be avoided. Food and liquids are digested best around room temperature. Cold fluids can slow down the digestive process. People also need to become more aware of which foods they are combining at meals. For example, eating carbohydrates with protein almost always sets people up for flatulence and putrefaction in their systems.
How does one know if their digestive tract is unhealthy? Here are some things to look out for when unsure. When people are unable to digest foods, they end up having sluggish elimination, gas, and poor assimilation of nutrients. People may become constipated because, if their bodies are not properly digesting foods, they cannot be eliminated from the body regularly. Many may find they have pain in their stomach area. When people are not eating the proper foods, their bodies cannot break down the foods so they can be appropriately eliminated.
Now lets look at the roles vitamins, proteins, and fats play in a healthy diet. Vitamins play very important roles in our bodies and diet. Without proper vitamins, disease occurs. We must obtain the proper vitamins from our diet. “If our diet is in balance, our body has the capacity to produce enough of the necessary vitamins needed to maintain health” (Tierra 1980, 1983, 1990, 1998, p. 52). The role of proteins in the diet is very important. Protein repairs tissues and cells when they are damaged as they normally break down. It also stimulates and keeps body metabolism in good condition. “Higher protein consumption stimulates the release of glucagon from the liver, which commands the body to burn its stored fat deposits” (Tierra, 1980, 1983, 1990, 1998, p. 52). If a person consumes a great quantity of carbohydrates and highly saturated fats with not enough protein, they compromise key hormonal and metabolic roles that lead to things like an imbalance in cholesterol and fat. Fats are essential to a person’s health. Using quality unsaturated fats and oils such as olive oil, sesame oil, and clarified butter (ghee), in small amounts, actually helps burn stored fat. Fats are very important for the absorption of certain vitamins. “It has been found that a certain amount of fat is essential for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K” (Tierra, 1980, 1983, 1990, 1998, p. 52). Fat is not only important to a person’s health, it also makes food more appetizing.
I bet many of you have most of what I’m going to talk about sitting in your kitchen cupboards. Let’s look at how regular kitchen spices play a large role in your health. Many herbal spices are carminatives (inhibiting and soothing gas), stimulants, and they assist in good digestion. Many can also be used to ease nervousness and spasms. Various spices can be used to treat problems ranging from bleeding, diarrhea, and headaches, along with heart attacks and acute infections. A few common spices that can be used for medicinal purposes are basil, cayenne, and ginger. Basil can be used as a tea for indigestion, fevers, colds, flu, kidney and bladder problems, headaches, cramps, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and nervous conditions. A few of cayenne’s uses are a daily tonic for circulation and the heart, preventing heart attacks, strokes, colds, flu, lessened vitality, headaches, indigestion, depression, and arthritis. Ginger is considered the most resourceful of the herbal stimulants. It can be used for indigestion, cramps, and nausea.
Now let’s look at which are the appropriate herbs and supplements that support good digestion. “Drink a cup of peppermint or chamomile tea 30 minutes before or after meals” (Gladstar, 2001, 2008, p 94). Swedish Bitters which are a ready made digestive bitter that you can buy at a health food store will aid digestion and help it perform at its best. People can add fresh grated ginger or sprinkles of cayenne to their food or beverages, such as a warm tea. Take a daily supplement of acidophilus. Acidophilus rebuilds weak intestinal flora and can be purchased at any natural food store. Also a mixture of carminative seeds, such as anise, cardamom, cumin, dill, and fennel can be chewed at and between meals. These will help lessen gas and bloating.
For the last part of this information I would like to discuss the appropriate methods of applying herbs. The carminative herbs relieve gas and can be taken as an essential oil capsule or some such as peppermint oil can be rubbed on the outside of your abdominal region to relieve cramping and upset stomachs. Herbal bitters can be used to treat upset stomach or excess fullness. Take a spoonful before a meal to promote digestion. Herbs such as ginger and peppermint can be taken as teas. Steep a couple teaspoons of either ginger or peppermint in a glass of hot water for a few minutes and then sip on the beverage slowly. Peppermint is good for bloating as ginger is good for nausea.
These are just a few suggestions to help get you started on your way to having an optimal functioning digestive system. Good luck on your way to better health.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me by phone or email.
Stephanie Stanton, NCTMB, BSNH
828.450.5050
s_stanton3@yahoo.com
REFERENCES
Gladstar, R. (2001, 2008). Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. North Adams, MA: Storey.
Tierra, M. (1998). The Way Of Herbs. New York: Pocket Books.
