Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on approach that supports your body's natural ability to heal and restore balance by enhancing the function of the craniosacral system, membranes, and cerebrospinal fluids that surround and protect the brain as well as the spinal cord and the entire body. It is characterized by a strong orientation to the holism of the human experience where both the body’s anatomy and physiology are related to in real time with the subtle forces of life that act through the interface of the body’s fluids. Subtle movements in the body’s fluid and tissue fields are being listened for and the natural movement towards stillness is seen as deeply healing.

The approach to biodynamic craniosacral therapy includes a developed model of working with trauma processes. The therapists embodied experience, touch and presence are the key components in creating a Relational Field that generates a deep sense of safety and capacity to heal from within in a client led and paced approach. 

By promoting deep relaxation and calming the nervous system, this therapy can help reduce stress, alleviate pain, and enhance overall well-being. Many clients experience improved mobility, relief from chronic pain, and a greater sense of calm and vitality after sessions. 

 

 

How can BCST help me?

Stress/Anxiety: BCST is excellent for help with regulating the nervous system. Learning how to monitor your physical response to stress is the first step in self-regulation and is one of the key features of BCST.

Pregnancy: BCST promotes relaxation and reduces stress for the mother. It enhances the body's natural healing process. It can alleviate common pregnancy discomforts like pack pain and nausea. It can also support optimal fetal positioning and development, encourage emotional balance and well-being during pregnancy, and facilitate a deeper connection between mother and baby. 

Menopause: Promotes relaxation and reduces stress, helping to alleviate mood swings. It can enhance emotional balance by addressing underlying tensions in the body, improves sleep quality by calming the nervous system, alleviate physical discomfort, such as headaches and joint pain. It can support hormonal balance by facilitating the body's natural rhythms and encourage a deeper connection to one's body, fostering self-awareness and acceptance.

Endocrine Disorders: All the body systems have to communicate in an integrated and holistic way. BCST helps promote communication between the nervous system and the endocrine system thereby supporting the optimal function of the endocrine system.

Trauma/Shock/PTSD: Effects of overwhelming experiences can be held in the body and nervous system and when left unresolved can continue to be triggered in stressful situations. BCST is a gentle way to start unraveling trauma affects and gain more control and regulation in stressful situations.

Digestive Disorders Peds/Adults: Poor digestion can be the first sign of stress/anxiety and leads to many more serious issues. BCST can help calm the nervous system and help you develop mindfulness about dietary influences on digestion.

Back Pain/Slipped Disc/Pregnancy back pain: The most common reason people seek manual therapy or medical care is for relief from back pain. Whatever stage in life you are, from infancy through adulthood and old age, BCST can safely and effectively help. Whether your back pain stems from acute injury; accidents, injuries, exercise, "slipped disc", extra strain during pregnancy, or chronic aches and pains from repetitive, stress/strain, poor posture, or desk-bound stress, BCST is an effective means to recovery.

BCST for Children/Infant Colic: Infants and children can be subject to stress and strain, from the birth process on through growth and development. This can have a detrimental effect on their nervous system compromising their ability to: bond, feed, vocalize and fight off colds and flu; early stresses and strains can contribute to digestion and sleep disturbance throughout life. BCST is gentle, safe and effective for infants and children and can help restore the optimum function of the nervous system.

Postural Issues: The posture of the spine depends of the proper balance of the muscles on either side of the spine. If the muscles are weak or too tight, they can distort the spine causing slouching or discomfort when trying to straighten the spine. BCST can support muscular balance around the spine and even long term postural distortions can resolve to improve posture. 

Musculoskeletal Pain, Numbness, Leg Pain, Sciatica: A common cause of leg pain or sciatica is nerve irritation the starts at the level of the spine. The muscles attached to the spine become tight and short, compressing the sciatic nerve, this can cause a cascade of issues in the whole length of the nerve, from the piriformis muscle down the leg and all the way into the foot including pain, numbness or weakness. BCST is an effective therapy to relax muscles and ease irritated nerves, relieve pain and restore normal function.

Headaches, Neck Pain: Headaches are commonly caused by muscle tension in the upper back and neck. As the muscles get tight and short they can cause misalignments of the vertebra which can compress the nerves and inhibit proper circulation to the muscles. BCST can restore normal alignment of the vertebra, relieving pressure on the nerves and restoring proper blood flow.

TMJ Disease (Temporal Mandibular Joint Disease): This common problem is getting more and more widespread due to our stressful lifestyles. Anxiety and stress can result in teeth grinding or bruxism, which leads to muscles of the jaw, neck and upper back becoming tight. short and painful. It can cause a variety of painful and disturbing symptoms including headaches, insomnia, tinnitus, ear pain, tooth pain and sensitivity, difficulty chewing, speaking, and hearing. BCST can be helpful and effective in resolving underlying stress that causes TMJD. It can relieve muscular stress and strain and restore function.

Sleep Disorders, Insomnia: Our modern lifestyles are causing an increase of a variety stress/anxiety that lead to sleep disorders. BCST helps to gently balance the nervous system, promote self awareness, and thereby help restore normal sleep cycles.

Myofunctional Therapy

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) can be characterized by abnormal resting tongue and lip posture, atypical chewing and swallowing patterns (tongue thrusting), dental malocclusions (under-bite, over-bite, over-jet, end-to-end...), blocked nasal airways, and speech issues. Other presentations are lisping, mouth-breathing, bruxism (teeth grinding), and other maladaptive patterns. OMDs are multifaceted and require comprehensive assessment. During a full evaluation, I focus on identifying the underlying causes of dysfunction and addressing individual needs.

The same muscles we use to talk are the same muscles we use to eat/drink, sleep, and breathe. These patterns can be complicated; they require stability, strength, and coordination. When there is a disruption or an imbalance, this can cause Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD's).  

Common OMD's: 

ADD/ADHD                                    Bedwetting

Chapped lips                                  Crooked teeth

Dark circles under eyes           Daytime Drowsiness

Depression/Anxiety                  Difficulty nasal breathing

Difficulty swallowing                Digestive Issues

Drooling                                           Enlarged tonsils

Fatigue                                             Frequent Ear Infections

Feeding difficulties                   Headaches

Heart-shaped tongue             Long facial growth

Mouth always open                 Poor sleep

Poor speech                             Prolonged Oral habits (Thumb sucking, pacifier, etc.)

Recessed chin                            Relapse of Orthodontic Treatment

Snoring                                          Teeth Clenching

Teeth grinding                          TMJ pain or jaw locking/popping

Deeper Dive into Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional therapy focuses on restoring and/or achieving healthy breathing, sleep quality, speech clarity, and efficient chewing and swallowing. Each session is tailored to each individual and an evaluation and subsequent treatments address the root causes and aim to significantly improve clients' overall health. Therapy can improve:

-Breathing: establishing a tongue up, lips closed, nasal breathing posture. It can help eliminate/reduce sleep apnea by strengthening the muscles that support the airway.  Improved breathing can lead to better sleep and improved energy levels. 

-Speech Clarity:  By strengthening and retraining the oral muscles, myofunctional therapy can improve articulation and enunciation.

-Improved chewing and swallowing:  improve the coordination and strength of the muscles involved in chewing and swallowing. It can address issues related to tongue posture and swallowing patterns, making these functions more efficient and comfortable. 

-Reduced Snoring and Sleep Apnea: By strengthening the muscles that support the airway, myofunctional therapy can reduce the severity of snoring and help manage sleep apnea

-Supporting Orthodontic Treatment: Myofunctional therapy can improve the outcome and stability of orthodontic treatment by retraining the tongue and oral muscles to maintain proper tooth alignment.

  • It can also help prevent orthodontic relapse, where teeth shift back to their original positions after treatment

-Addressing Other Issues:  Myofunctional therapy can also be beneficial for individuals with TMJ disorders, tongue and/or lip ties, and those who have engaged in prolonged thumb sucking or pacifier use.