Got some cobwebs? How I can help you clear your head
Did you know that your head is actually covered by muscles and fascia? Many people just feel like their scalp covers their skull and that there really isn’t anything in between there to be worried about when it comes to muscular dysfunction. My first 11 years of being a PT I barely even touched people’s heads – I did all of my work in the neck and some work in the jaw, but it never crossed my mind that there are a bunch of muscles throughout the head and the face that could be contributing to a myriad of conditions. Then I took my first John F. Barnes Myofascial Release course and my mind was blown! Once I started utilizing the cranial techniques in my practice, I was able to treat headaches, migraines, neck pain and jaw pain like I had never been able to do before. People were telling me that their head felt clear for the first time in years, that the ringing in their ears had stopped, that their migraines became minimal to non-existent and that they just felt an overall sense of being more aware and awake. Then things really started to get crazy – I found that by working through the muscles in the head, jaw and neck areas that I was able to improve pelvic conditions that were not improving with any other treatments – it was amazing! I learned later on that the pelvis and the jaw are directly related and that if someone is constantly clenching their jaw or have tightness throughout their head, jaw and neck, that it can completely affect all of the muscles down the back and into the pelvis. Everything is connected!! I had a personal realization of this when I was in labor with my daughter. I did a lot of research before the labor to figure out the best techniques for relaxing through the pelvis and allowing her to drop through the birth canal and wouldn’t you know it, the main tips that were given were to relax the jaw and the shoulders (which in turn relaxes your head and neck as well). It was extremely helpful through labor, which is why I think that I had such a short labor for my first baby.
So anyways…back to the cranial releases. I believe that the work that I do has some similarities to what is known as “craniosacral” work, but it also involves myofascial release. I have never completed this work and not had a patient get up afterwards feeling very relaxed and have less pain and tension in their head and neck. It amazes me every time how much you can feel moving in the head with these releases – you can feel the motion of not only the cranium, but also the blood flow and what feels to me like the cerebrospinal fluid flow. I would have never believed that you could feel all of these things until I learned how to be quiet and “listen” with my hands. It is truly incredible work with fantastic results and I would highly recommend that anyone that has the following to try at least 1 session of cranial work:
headaches
migraines
neck, facial or jaw pain
difficulty sleeping
difficulty concentrating
pelvic issues
and much more!!!
Contact Dr. Lisa Wilcox with Solstice Physical Therapy to get started towards a clear head, clear mind and decreased stress and tension.
info@SolsticeHealthcareResources.com