Craniosacral Therapy: psychotherapy for the body

Posted on April 26, 2011 by

Psychotherapy for the body? Well, that is one way to describe the effects of Craniosacral Therapy.

Trauma therapist and psychologist Dr Susanne Babbel gives an excellent outline of how traumatic experiences and unprocessed emotions can lead to chronic pain.

“PTSD and chronic pain are often connected, and both must be addressed in order to help a person be fully functional again. Although one might not be aware of the lingering effect of the trauma, or believe that the traumatic event has been put behind them, the body could be clinging to unresolved issues.”

This is a quote taken from Dr Babbel’s post, which also advises a combination of psychological and physical therapy is recommended to alleviate the issues that combine to create chronic pain.

Craniosacral therapy is an excellent resource for those who are traumatized and in pain and therapists are often trained in verbal skills to help clients verbalise the thoughts, feelings and emotions that arise during sessions.

Focusing on deep body-centred release can also prevent re-traumatization, which can sometimes happen with purely talking-based therapies.

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The Power of Touch

Posted on April 19, 2011 by

 I like this article by Kellie Bartlett about how to deal with children’s challenging behaviour.  The growth and development of a child’s brain means that they are not able to rationalise and stay calm when they become overwhelmed by difficult feelings.

The article goes on to explain how parents can use touch in different ways to help their children stay calm, calm down and to develop a close physical bond with them.

This also speaks to me of the Porges vagal brake theory, where stress and the stress response is down-regulated by stimulating the vagus nerve to kickstart its parasympathetic effect – and touch is one thing that can help with this process.

This is also one of the system-wide effects that craniosacral therapy can have through therapeutic touch.

Read more about the vagus nerve.

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Treatment successes: persistent pain in hand after frozen shoulder

Posted on March 29, 2011 by

A recent client describes her experience of Craniosacral Therapy:

“For the past two years I have been trying to overcome a debilitating and painful frozen shoulder – at times it felt as though I had lost the use of my arm.

“Through various complementary therapies (Thai Massage, Hot Stone, Swedish Remedial and aqua aerobic exercise) I have regained the use of my arm, but it had left me with a recurring pain in fingers 4 and 5 of my left hand – described by my Consultant as an aggravated ulnar nerve.

“Conventional treatment could only advise physiotherapy, but I found that created more problems than it solved.

“A close relative recommended Alison for Massage and Craniosacral Therapy. Craniosacral was a completely new experience for me and I found the treatments wonderfully relaxing and I have been known to drop off during treatments.

“Alison followed a series of different holds and positions – during which I experienced lots of colour visualization and deep relaxation and over a course of 8 – 10 treatments, the ulnar nerve pain has considerably lessened to a point where I have not experienced it at all now for several weeks.

“I really do feel Alison has got to the source of the problem and I would without hesitation recommend Craniosacral Therapy with Alison.”

(Image from Hughston Health Alert)

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How does Craniosacral Therapy work?

Posted on March 29, 2011 by

A case study client has submitted a testimonial after around 10 sessions of Craniosacral Therapy, describing the positive benefits the therapy has had for her, after trying all other avenues.

Often people have not heard of this therapy, and don’t really understand it.  It can be described and explained in many different ways, referring to the relationships between the tissues, nerves, joints, fluid and bones of the body.

I think an important message we need to get to our clients is that CST may often help with certain conditions that have not responded to other treatment. This can help prevent unnecessary suffering, as well as promote a greater understanding of the physical body and the emotions, through the framework of CST.

Continue reading →

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The positive effects of Craniosacral Therapy on chronic pain

Posted on March 29, 2011 by

A qualified physiotherapist, working as a craniosacral therapist in an NHS hospital, carried out a research review into the effects of craniosacral therapy on patients with chronic pain.

Her findings state a strong case for the benefits of craniosacral therapy for persistent pain conditions, where conventional treatment is not providing any relief for chronic pain, and complex cases involving trauma.  I have had similar results with the reduction of persistent pain and nerve irritation with a recent case study client.

Continue reading →

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The Body Never Lies by Alice Miller

Posted on November 30, 2010 by

World-renowned therapist Alice Miller has devoted a lifetime to studying the cruelties inflicted on children.

In The Body Never Lies Miller goes further, investigating the long-range consequences of childhood abuse on the adult body. Using numerous case histories gleaned from her practice, as well as examining the biographical stories of celebrated writers such as Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, Friedrich Nietzsche, and others, Miller shows how a child’s emotional traumas, repressed humiliation, and bottled rage can manifest themselves as serious adult health problems.

In discussing the lives of these literary giants, Miller explores the known or, in some cases, unknown traumas that haunted each author’s childhood. More important, Miller connects the writers’ painful childhoods with their later afflictions, which included depression, anorexia, cancer, and even insanity.

Go to Alice Miller’s website for the full review.

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Anatomy of the brain

Posted on November 28, 2010 by

Basic anatomy of the human brain including illustrations, provided by Mayfield Clinic.

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