As a long time practitioner of Craniosacral therapy, I have treated quite a few concussions. Desperate to reverse the symptoms or feel some relief, I would be their last resort. My athletes were my typical client, with no patience for anything less than a speedy recovery. They would complain of headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, and nausea. My process is very gentle; lay on the table clothed, face up. I place my hands on their body, typically one hand on the cervical spine, the other gently placing my fingers barely on the clavicle bones. I would feel the rise and fall of the breath. Naturally, I turn my attention to the flexion and extension of the cerebral spinal fluid, like an ocean wave I can feel the rise and fall of the hydraulic system. A client with a concussion has a very distinct rhythm. The fluid fills unevenly within the cranium, pushing more fluid to one side of the head and less on the other side. Gently I put a little pressure on the parietle bone guiding away for the midline creating more space and balancing the fluid. The client releases stress and relaxes into a deep dream like state. The breath evens and the fluids flow. Typically the body begins to balance on its own. I feel the releases and continues to focus my intention toward releasing blockages and suporting balance.
The Upledger Institute is a promminent organization designed for research and education. A study was conducted by famous athletes who have received concussions throughout their carreer. The dangers of concussions are becoming widely recongnized in the recent years and the affects are long term and complex. According to the Upledger Foundation and the Ricky Williams Foundation, results from the study concluded with less overall pain, an increase in Quality of Life issues, a significant difference for symptoms associated with depression and another set of significant differences for decreased cervicogenic pain, increased cervical ROM and an increase in the average number of hours able to sleep per night. You can access more information about this study by https://www.upledger.com/docs/The-Ricky-Williams-Concussion-Project.pdf
The research is coming to support a mysterious new techinique. We are fortunate to be in a world with intellegent visionaries pursuing an unknown path trusting intutition and intention. Neuroscience and Osteopathy merge together in union to discover the impossible is possible. You never know what you don’t know.
Leave a Reply