Headache Relief in Columbus Ohio

Are you looking for headache relief to no avail?

Millions of people suffer from headaches each year. Massage therapy can be extremely useful in reducing the intensity and frequency of headaches with possibly eliminating them altogether.  

Understanding why you feel so much stress acts up in this area:

First it is important to recognize the simple fact that the neck carries the head which weighs 10-11 pounds in an adult.   That's a lot of work!  Next, take into consideration the balancing act between the suboccipitals and the jaw muscles.  With the constant push-pull action, things can get pulled out of alignment with repetitive or extreme movement.  Stress, habitually holding patterns, and things like hormonal imbalances can bring a headache on.

Treatments:

1. One of the most crucial areas that feels painful during headaches is under the back of the skull.  When certain trigger points in this area is massaged,  all that tension dissolves and changes your whole outlook on life.  It's often that kind of pain that feels great because you can feel it melting away.  Clients love having this area released.
2. Craniosacral Therapy works with the myofascial restrictions within the cranium and along the spine primarily.  However, by working with the rhythm throughout the whole body by listening and balancing,  pain often disappears easily.  Craniosacral Therapy can be taught to clients too so they can use these practices at home as soon as a headache appears.  For example, pulling the ears gently lateral and posterior may help release the temporal bones, easing the headache.
3. Posture is a big deal when it comes to headaches.  If your feet are not under you in alignment, or the hips are rotated,  whatever the torsion or dysfunction is in the body-  eventually that impacts everything.  Often people want to come in for a quick fix, but there are usually long term structural issues that need to be addressed as a whole protocol to bring longer lasting natural movement back.  Structural Integration based on the fascia produces dramatic change and transforms painful posture into a stronger more vibrant way of movement.

If you are prone to headaches, it's important to speak to your physician.  However,  it's also beneficial to look at the whole picture.  It often takes a holistic approach to heal as we are more than the segments that make us up!

If you are located in the Columbus, Ohio area,  Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST, SI is available for a 15 minute free consultation.

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST, SI   614 372-6598

www.massageincolumbusohio.com

Fascia: The Biological Fabric that Holds Us Together (Yin and Yang)

Fascia is one of the least understood networks of the Human Body.

If I were to start a conversation with just about any person outside of the Medical Field, they would say, "huh,  I have never heard of fascia".

But if you are a person who likes to have stability and enjoys movement- this part of our anatomy and physiology is very important in terms of living an optimal life.  For a thorough explanation of what fascia is, check out Tom Meyer's Anatomy Trains Website which defines fascia as: 

Here, though, and increasingly in scientific and research circles and professionals worldwide, ‘fascia’ has a wider definition: all the collagenous-based soft-tissues in the body, including the cells that create and maintain that network of extra-cellular matrix (ECM). That definition includes all the tissues traditionally designated as ‘fascia’ in classical anatomy, plus all the other very similar tissues arrayed in different ways around the body; tendons, ligaments, bursae, and all the fascia in and around the muscles – endomysium, perimysium, epimysium. Also included would be the fascia around the organs: the coelomic bags that hold the organs in the peritoneum and mesentery in your abdominal cavity, the mediastinum, pericardium, and pleura that hold the organs in the chest cavity, and the membranes – dura and pia and perineuria – that surround the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves.

As a fascial bodyworker for over 15 years, I have seen the extraordinary shifts and changes in many clients as they receive connective tissue massage that releases adhesions and patterns that keep them out of proper alignment. They walk out with less pain, sometimes no pain at all, with better posture, more sensation within the body, emotionally more stable, and definitely more flexible and more connected to their own energy source.  

And-I have learned that each client needs a unique approach that best suits where he/she is at the time of the sessions.  Some clients like more aggressive or assertive work, and others are best worked with a very soothing and whispering touch.  Even that can change from session to session.

How does Structural Integration and Craniosacral Therapy support the Fascial System?

I like to look at these two systems of bodywork (massage) as yin and yang.  

Craniosacral (CST)  is a very light touch therapy that works primarily with the Craniosacral system.  The best practitioners/therapists in this massage area of focus know how to listen well in silence and gather the necessary information to best be able to support the body to find its own corrections through the most gentle support. While much of the intention is based on the flexion and extension movements of the Cranium and Sacrum, while releasing any restrictions there, the myofascial aspect is also necessary to address for re-connection and communication. The soft tissue weblike fascia functions best when it is lengthened and strains are removed. This can be accomplished by a soft following and connection into unwinding and opening with CST. In fact, when the fascia is worked along with the Craniosacral rhythm and balancing, the collagen, elastin and ground substance transforms exponentially.  I feel this with my hands as change occurs throughout the whole body.  I would call this more "Yin" as it feels more sensitive and receptive.

I first began with a Structural Integration many years ago.  With the evolution of my work, I see the 10 sessions as a co-operation between the therapist and the client to dialogue and work from the outside in, meaning the superficial to the deeper core levels to bring the body into easy movement with the force of gravity.  Using manual hands-on techniques, the therapist moves in multiple directions to help the body to restore itself into the most natural positioning.  In the recipe, the whole of the physical body is addressed with a basic 10 series guidelines as a focus. But it is important to understand that when one part of the body is touched, the rest is too as the fascia is continuous throughout. The Structural Integration work can be quiet like the CST work, but usually it is done more assertively to support dense and scarred tissue to break up and lengthen.  It is up to the therapist and the client to dialogue and discuss boundaries in order to build trust.  If a client ends up defending or compensating, then the work looses its optimal value.  It's always a dance for the massage therapist to find the the "dance of magic" between lighter and deeper touch.  Ultimately though, what is desired is health and wellness on all levels.

I have a real passion for working with clients who are in pain, with limited motion and feeling stuck in trauma.  Working with the Conenctive Tissue Fascia can be life changing.  When you feel better in your body, your whole outlook can change into rays of sunshine!

If you are interested in finding a Massage Therapist in Columbus Ohio who knows fascia, contact:

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST, SI, BHSP     at (614) 372-6598 for a free 15 telephone consultation.

www.massageincolumbusohio.com

Craniosacral Therapy in Columbus

Craniosacral Therapy in Columbus, Ohio

Many people have not heard about Craniosacral Therapy...

I could go into the specific and the technical aspects of the work, but what I have found is that most clients like a basic explanation.  So here I go.

Craniosacral fluid runs around the brain and the spinal cord.  With the basic pressurestat model, the pressure rises in the brain and then lessens.  This brings the body into flexion and extension movements every few seconds. A Craniosacral Therapist listens to the body to  feel the symmetry, amplitude and other perceptions of how well the Craniosacral System is working.  This is a mindful exercise to listen and then trust the information that comes into the hands as it is very subtle work.

Clients are often surprised that I can feel what is going on in the feet,  but it is one of the listening stations to gather information that can be quite useful.  It is often found that what is happening in the cranium also has an impact on the rest of the body and visa versa.  For example,  if I listen to the sphenoid movement right by the temples,  I will often pick up similar imbalances elsewhere like in the hips. A seasoned Craniosacral Therapist will often follow treatment by listening to what is the primary place to begin and then treating associated issues.  Listening along the whole body gives a good overall view of how to proceed with the work in service to health and wellbeing.

Craniosacral Therapy addresses the nervous system primarily, but it also is very much engaged with the fascia, and other cellular activity in the human body.   Cells are linked together to perform certain tasks and in service to the whole of the organism.  With the human body, as one works with the Central Nervous System, it also benefits the rest of the body as dialogue opens and the body finds its own inherent balance.  What makes Craniosacral Therapy such a great healing modality is that is calms, yet also energizes and the touch is so gentle almost anyone can receive it.

Some clients who are very self aware can feel the work right away and notice the big shifts that are happening and continue after a session.  Other people may take some time to get use to such a light touch.  They may not yet understand that deep aggressive work is not always the best method to relieve pain and tensions,  based on their history and how they are organized.  In truth, anyone can eventually begin to gain insights and feel healthier once they learn to accept this delicate yet profound work.

I also love the Structural Integration work which is layering and goes deep,  but there also are wonderful benefits from trusting the Craniosacral system's wisdom to work with some of the deeper primal forces of the human body.

Craniosacral Therapy is great for newborns and I have used with clients in their 90's.  If you are looking for a therapy that brings about real positive change, it may be something you want to consider.  If you have more questions, please feel free to call Sharon Hartnett at (740) 966-5153 for a free 15 minute phone consultation.

Warmly,

Sharon Hartnett LMT
Certified Advanced Cranosacral Therapist
Upledger Institute
www.massageincolumbusohio.com
www.columbus-craniosacral-structuralintegration.com