Anxiety & Stress

Anxiety and stress make it difficult for your body and immune system to function normally. Your heart may begin to race, breathing may become constricted and shallow, you may feel your shoulders sneak up towards your ears and you may notice shaking hands, a pounding in your head. Though our stress response is there to protect us and keep us out of danger’s way, a response that lingers can be detrimental to our health over time. We need this response when we are confronting a threat, but we need this response to soften as the threat disperses and this doesn’t always happen.

When we experience a stress response that is sustained over time, the stress hormones continue pumping through our bloodstream and get trapped in the body. The Cortisol in your system suppresses your immune system making you more susceptible to illness. Your body has a hard time repairing damaged tissue because available resources are being used elsewhere. The American Institute of Stress suggests that 60% of human disease and 75% of all doctor visits are for stress-related conditions.

These conditions and symptoms may include:

• Heart disease

• Weight gain or weight loss

• Reduced bone density

• Psychological and learning symptoms

• Chronic pain

• High blood pressure

• Digestive problems

• Depression and mental illness

How Craniosacral Therapy can help with Anxiety and Stress related symptoms

Craniosacral Therapy combines energy work and body work. The body work can help release muscles, ligaments, and tendons that are stuck tight or have a limited range of motion. Massage can also help release intense emotions that are held within the tissue.

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) specifically focuses on the cerebral spinal fluid that is pumped throughout the body. This fluid nourishes your central nervous system and transports neurotransmitters and hormones throughout this system. The more stress you experience, the harder this system is forced to work and it’s suggested that the production of this fluid is greatly reduced when under stress.

When you go to a Craniosacral Therapist you may feel a sense of deep relaxation and peace. It is common to feel relief of pain, improved sleep, and a sense of expansion. Seeing a Craniosacral therapist can help address the root cause of one’s anxiety and depression and induce a sense of deep relaxation that has lingering benefits. This work can help restore and re-energize this system.

Stress & Anxiety symptoms that body work and Craniosacral can help relieve:

• Chronic pain

• Tight muscles

• Jaw tensions

• Emotional distress

• Insomnia

• Stress & Anxiety

• Fear & Doubt

• Feeling lost or without direction

• Lack of creativity

If you’re interested in booking a Craniosacral Session with me to get started, you can do so here.

Resources on Craniosacral for those with Stress & Anxiety related conditions and symptoms:

• Craniosacral Therapy - Paul Brown

• How Craniosacral Therapy Helped Me Deal with Anxiety - Nylon

• My Journey to Peace - Anxiety & Depression Association of America

Motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s) account for a large percentage of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s) and those who have experienced a TBI may be great candidates for Craniosacral Therapy.

Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle modality that focuses on the flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) throughout the body. This fluid nourishes the brain and spinal cord and it is felt as a physical pulse that can be palpated throughout the entire body. Restrictions in the flow of cerebral spinal fluid can result from physical and emotional trauma and restoring a natural circulation can reduce systemic and specific symptoms down the road (and immediately).

Craniosacral & Healing from a Motor Vehicle Accident:

When the body experiences physical trauma such as a collision while driving, the entire nervous system experiences shock and this can take months or years to settle. Often this can detract from productivity and can have lingering negative effects in one’s day to day life. This kind of trauma can also result in compressions and torsions in sutures, muscles, tendons, and ligaments which can impede the flow of cerebral spinal fluid preventing the natural exchange of nutrients and the flushing of toxins throughout the body.

Symptoms associated with MVA’s that Craniosacral Therapy may help relieve include:

• Pain (chronic & acute)

• Fear of driving

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Irritability

• Muscular tension

• Whiplash

If you’re interested in booking a Craniosacral Session with me to get started, you can do so here.

To learn more about Craniosacral for those who have experienced a motor vehicle accident below are a few more resources.

• Whiplash and Craniosacral Therapy

• Low Back Pain, Car Accidents, and Craniosacral Therapy

• Car Crash Recovery and Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a modality that leverages a gentle touch to access deep parts of our body, mind, and spirit. It’s no surprise that this modality really benefits senior clients and people in palliative and hospice care.

The following study can help us understand some of the benefits CST can have for elderly clients: GERIATRIC APPLICATIONS OF CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY: Established allied health professionals’ use of a complementary modality

Parkinson’s Disease

Patients with Parkinson’s disease who received Craniosacral Therapy reported a decrease in pain and improved comfort. They felt relaxed and experienced an improvement in mobility, balance, and expression. Though results were not permanent, the effects were positive and with continued treatments it’s possible that the benefits could have a longer lifespan. Cranioscral therapy lead to an improved sense of health and reduced rigidity in severely affected patients. Caregivers found that the decline of cognition, lucidity, and perception were slowed for those receiving CST which allowed longer time spent in community. Therapists noted improved passive range of motion, as well.

Post-Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attacks

Those who have suffered from a Stroke and received Craniosacral therapy in this stody reported improved movement, balance, communication, sleep, and digestion.

Gastrointestinal problems & dysphagia

Craniosacral therapy helped relieve digestive symptoms such as hiatal hernias, IBS, gastric reflux, and Crohn’s disease.

Nonspecific outcomes

Therapists noted that their patients, regardless of the presenting health concern, experienced consisten benefits in sleep, stress tolerance, energy, appetite, and focus. It helped clients to take longer, deeper breathes which can have profound effects on the body, mind, and spirit of clients. Clients had improved digestion, decreases in anxiety and depression, and felt an overall increase in general well-being.

Craniosacral Therapy can help treat or ease the symptoms of the following conditions:

• Alzheimer's disease

• autism

• back pain

• brain injury, TBI’s

• central nervous system disorders

• chronic fatigue

• colic

• concussion

• dementia

• fibromyalgia

• immune disorders

• learning disabilities

• migraines

• neck pain

• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• scoliosis

• spinal cord injury

• stress

This list is provided by the Upledger Institute and is a partial list. If you’re wondering how CST can help you, contact me.

Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle healing modality that we attribute to Dr. Sutherland, an Osteopath from the early 1900’s. Though Dr. Sutherland and later, Dr. Upledger were major movers in developing and spreading this modality, cranial osteopathic medicine dates back thousands of years to cultures of Peru, China, and India.

Craniosacral therapy helps