by SharonHartnett | Jan 23, 2016 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, Structural Integration
Have you been suffering from Neck Pain?
Whether you are experiencing neck pain from degenerative disk disease, an injury, osteoarthritis or bad posture, there is usually something you can do to help your condition.
Today, we are going to look at massage and bodywork as a way to treat neck pain. I think this is a relevant topic because millions of people in the US are faced with daily discomfort with their neck. Often the pain will go away by itself, but other times it may become severe enough that people will go seek a doctor’s help, often receiving a steroid injection. This may or may not help overall, but in conjunction with other modalities, there may be a more effective integrative approach.
Neck Pain?
Let’s start by talking about different types of pain. Acute pain is usually the result of the body saying to itself that it is injured. If you have been in an accident or hurt yourself in some way-time to go get this issue checked out with a physician right away. Even if it hurts a little, it can end up becoming a bigger problem later. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is long lasting. Pain signals are constantly firing in the nervous system with no relief. This can go on for a day, or continue into years. The most common types of longing last pain are in the back, next with headaches, and following that with the neck. Neck pain can be serious, and it is important to get it checked out-especially when one starts to feel tingling, numbness or pain down the arm into the hand. What these all have in common though, are that they are connected to the structure of the spine, the cranium and the surrounding soft tissues.
Fortunately, physicians like Dr. John Upledger understood the advantages of using a hands on therapy to help alleviate both acute and chronic pain. His modality of choice, Craniosacral Therapy, came from his background as a doctor of osteopathic medicine. He developed a protocol with different techniques to help therapists worldwide be able to address pain issues with a very gentle touch. We now call this Craniosacral Therapy. While the foundation of the work is based on working lightly with the Cranium and Spine, the work can improve overall functioning of the whole body. In regards to the neck in particular though, Dr. Upledger established a routine so to speak regarding the thoracic inlet, neck and cranium to release tension in that area. It’s called the Avenue of Expression because this of course is the area that connects the body to the head and allows us to fully express ourselves in relationship to others.
The Avenue of Expression when opened up can be life changing for a person. It helps one to find pain relief, open up the throat, the breath and the voice. First, we always begin by spending some time releasing any adhesions or restrictions along the dural tube. Once this is completed, we can take a look at the thoracic inlet which connects the root of the neck with the thorax. Many vital anatomical structures lie within this area. Just to name a few, there is the phrenic and vagus nerve entering the chest, subclavian and thoracic arteries, the T1 nerve room, supra pleural membranes, scalene, lamp channels and brachiocephalic artery and vein on the left side. We do a gentle pressing and releasing there that opens up the area so there is an increased flow between the head and the chest. Next we move on to the infra hyoid musculature, the hard palate and the supra hyoid area. There is more detail to this, but basically the work is designed to approach the avenue of expression in a way to promote flow, dialogue and interconnection. Often, after this is accomplished clients will find themselves also being able to verbally communicate better. When the tension in the throat and chest is released, it’s easier to have a brighter more integrated outlook in life.
If you have more questions about how Craniosacral Therapy can help you to find more balance, wellness and feeling good, please contact Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST, SI at 740 966-5153
Sharon Hartnett LMT
Serving the Columbus Ohio area.
by SharonHartnett | May 1, 2015 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit
Neck Pain can occur for numerous reasons.
It could be the aftermath effect of an accident, poor postural strain, a pinched nerve or the result of an illness. Whatever the reason for your pain and discomfort, what matters most is finding the best method that will work to help alleviate your symptoms.
There are some basic things that you can do at home:
- Taking a warm epsom bath full of Magnesium Sulfate can help wonders.
- Put two tennis balls in a sock and place them on the back of the neck while lying on the ground. Relax.
- Place your hand on the back of your neck and press where it hurts. Stretch slowly and gently away in the areas that feels good. Overstreching could make it feel worst so listen to your body.
- Ask your sports trainer to give you some strength building exercises. Very important for long-term recovery.
- Breath and gently turn head in easy directions that are unusual. Various planes of motion benefit.
- Use a Stillpoint Inducer from Upledger for a minute or so, thereafter increasing time each day to help diminish pain.
- Buy a neck traction machine and use as needed.
- Eat healthy foods and exercise. Stay away from processed food and perhaps check in with a functional physician or nutritionist to make sure you are using food as medicine. Changing your diet can help fight against arthritis.
Neck Pain Relief
Things that you can do outside of this are:
- Find a good Physical Therapist who does manual work as well as giving you exercises.
- Swedish Massage helps with Circulation and Lymphatic Flow.
- Find a Structural Integration Therapist who works with posture and movement to help you getting better aligned.
- Craniosacral Therapy helps to relieve dysfunction along the spine and cranium, often helping to relieve pain symptoms.
- Chiorpractors vary in their methods as much as Massage Therapists. Ask questions and state what you want. Some can apply abrupt moves and others can manipulate much more gently.
- Myofascial Massage works with the muscles and the fascia primarily. By lengthening the layers releasing trigger points and knots, clients often feel much better.
- Sometime emotional issues needs to be expressed. Speak with a healer or counselor about what is going on in your life and work towards resolution.
Listening to your body and taking a holistic approach to health is your best option. If you are suffering from neck pain, take this opportunity to turn it around. There is no reason why you should neglect your self-care!
Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST, SI, Brennan Healer
740 966-5153
Columbus, Ohio
by SharonHartnett | May 29, 2014 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, Structural Integration
Are You looking to find some Back Pain Relief?
Lumbar strain and injury can result from accidents, overuse and certain traumas.
The severity of your pain can range from mild to severe, from discomfort to muscles spasms. Wherever you are in your process of healing, Structural Integration can help you to find longer lasting pain relief.
Structural IntegrationRelieving Back Pain
Want to find more freedom and grace in your step? It’s smart to investigate finding a way to correct your posture in order to live in more ease in movement. A healthy spine and relaxed surrounding soft tissues will help you to feel happier and healthier all the way round.
Structural Integration in particular is a method of bodywork that aims to restore balance, increase energy, and improve flexibility. If you are experiencing extreme pain, usually the fascia, musculature and ligaments are overly short or overly-extended. Structural Integration is comprised of a ten series of treatments that work on the fascial web that spans the whole body from superficial layers to the deeper containers holding the viscera, skeletal systems and other internal structures. Through the touch and treatment by the practitioner, neurologic receptors fire and the fascia shifts into a gel-sol transformation. What this means to clients is better and softer functional movement. The connection and release of fascial adhesions also relieves the musculature to relax back into its natural form. Fibroblast repair allows for better circulation and fluid exchange.
Gameplan:
If your back is in severe pain now, speaking to your physicians office would be helpful to see if you need to go in for a visit. If they advise you to stay home, it is helpful to ice your back immediately after an incident, apply some compression and get some rest. Massage therapy can be very helpful if it is a soft tissue injury.
If your back issues feel more chronically uncomfortable, finding a healing plan would be the best bet. Usually chronic softer pain is an indicator that muscles and approximate tissues are overly short, tense and overstretched. From a holistic perspective, rotations and twists in one part of the body could be causing misalignments throughout the rest of the body. Finding a massage therapist who knows how to work with fascia would be a great bet to helping you to find your line and more comfort in day to day movement. For each session of Structural Integration, a certain recipe of techniques is applied with a uniquely tailored experience to bring you back to center. When the whole body is addressed holistically each week, the body begins to relate to itself in a more healthy way. Each session is built on the foundational ones behind it to help you to find the freedom and movement you long to feel. Look up Structural Integration Therapists in you area. Write down your questions and make sure they are addressed in a phone interview. If there are no SI therapist near you, research myofascial and Craniosacral Therapists (upledger). They can also focus on unwinding painful patterns and restoring health and wellness in your tissues. If your skeletal structure feels out, you may want to find a reputable chiropractor to make adjustments after the soft tissue restoration.
For more information, call Sharon Hartnett LMT
www.massageincolumbusohio.com
740 966-5153
Columbus, Ohio
