August 13 – 2007
Questions and comments for this issue:
+ Comments about Parkinson’s disease from
Vicky in Melbourne, Etienne in Belgium,
Nica in Berlin and Joyaa on the Gold Coast
in Australia.
Hello,
I’m feeling a bit like Tarzan in this issue.
Standing manfully atop a tall tree and sending out
the call. The difference is I’m not summoning an
army of elephants to rescue Jayne. Jayne rescued
herself years ago and has in fact rescued me quite
a few times, something my chimp pals love to
remind me of.
No, I am putting out the call for cranio sacral
therapists. Particularly in France, particularly
in the South and South West of France and Denmark,
particularly near Copenhagen. I have had quite a
few requests from people looking for cranio sacral
therapists in these areas and so far have only
been able to find a few. Do you know or have any
cranio chums in these areas?
Let me know.
As you can see there has been an excellent
response to the question about Parkinson’s disease
that was asked the last issue. It prompts me to
once again encourage you to ask a question or send
in a comment. You can be sure 10 other people are
thinking of the same question or will benefit from
your comment.
On the website front, you can see pictures of
me treating children here
http://www.open-source-cranio.com/baby.html
And my links page is up and growing. There are
5 main categories – Research and Information,
People, Climate, Services and Products, Funny and
News.
http://www.open-source-cranio.com/resources/links.html
Have a look let me know of any sites you think
I should include.
Let me just climb down from this tree and
change out of this loin cloth and we can get on
with the mailbag.
***COMMENT FROM VICKI IN MELBOURNE***
Hi John and JN
I have worked with a Parkinsons Patient for a
short period of time.(6 sessions. I was standing
in while his usual therapist was away.) This
gentleman has a CST treatment weekly and has been
doing so for quite a few years now. He is also
under the care of a Homeopath in Melbourne who
specializes in Parkinsons Disease.
(www.returntostillness.com.au )
It was quite amazing working with this client
because as soon as I put my hands on him his body
“grabbed” me. After not too long the shake would
cease and there would be a tremendous quiet within
his system. This peace would last from a couple
of hours to a couple of days. There didn’t seem to
be any rhyme or reason to it.
In answer to the question, I feel CST is a very
effective management strategy for Parkinsons. In
conjunction with the Homeopathic treatment this
client had used CST to lessen the severity of
symptoms and too slow the onset of the disease. (I
would like to say “Halt” but I am not sure about
this.) He had been given a pretty short time line
by specialists in which to expect to live a what
he would consider a full life but at the time I
was treating him he was successfully running his
own business.
The other thing I did was organize for his wife to
come in and experience CST for herself and then to
learn some simple techniques like Still Point
induction. Now the client gets treatment once a
week from a CST practitioner and nearly daily from
his wife. I have not seen him for over a year now
but I will enquire how he is going at my next
Cranio study group meeting. I hope this helps.
Warm regards from Frosty Melbourne
Vicki Saray
MY COMMENTS:
Thanks for that Vicky. Lots of very useful
tips, particularly the shaking and the inclusion
of Homeopathy.
As you know I’m not a big fan of teaching
simple techniques to family because I don’t think
there is anything simple about cranio sacral work.
In my experience it is complex, layers within
layers and all that. . .
I know that after 14 years I am still trying to
figure it out or maybe it is figuring ME out. One
way or the other, the idea of teaching simple
techniques feels like going to have your portrait
painted and the artist encouraging you to paint
the background of the painting while they get on
with painting the more technically difficult parts
like the hands and face. Images of the Mona Lisa
against a Simpsons background come to mind.
Having said all that it sounds like in this
case it is working so what do I know?
***COMMENT FROM ETIENNE IN BELGIUM***
Hi John,
I had some excellent results with Parkinson’s;
however it is a long term commitment for therapist
and client (nothing wrong with that – if you have
the patience).
Parkinson’s is not a disease; it is a simple
question of waste management.
Too much toxic material has accumulated in the
center of the brain (due to stress patterns around
it), that simple Cranio (releasing the chronic
tensions all around) will already have a
beneficial effect.
The fluids need to move!!!
Toxic waste accumulates in and around the
substantia nigra (who produces dopamine) that its
production becomes limited and its dopamine (who
is the messenger that stimulates to the Basal
Ganglia, Globus Pallidus and Caudate Nucleus)
cannot reach its destination. It is the restricted
function of the Basal Ganglia that creates the
typical Parkinson’s lack of movement control.
So, any CS will be beneficial.
Also I instruct my clients (during the sessions –
so they can directly connect with them) about the
functions of the different brain structures
involved and how they work and get blocked due to
the accumulation of waste.
I introduce them to the glia cells who can help in
the removal of waste products and I set up a home-
work program, where the client works twice a day
talking to his glia cells while on a still-point
inducer or on a tennis-sock (if there system can
take the pressure – rarely they cannot).
I also convince them (by asking their brain
structures) that they need to drink more water
(besides the coffee their used to) and I start
them on a daily intake of flax-seed oil, what will
soften the membranes of their brain cells
(instruction also during the sessions).
In the beginning I work on them bi-weekly (or
weekly – depending on your confidence) and after a
few months, they come once a month, depending on
their home-work.
It can become a months long program, sometimes for
the rest of their lives and often (hopefully) they
will get hooked on what you have to offer. Since
they are usually quite old CS will benefit them
tremendously with rounding of this life time.
The elderly are like baby’s, they are so happy to
ride the wave.
Have fun,
Etienne
Belgium.
www.craniobabies.com
MY COMMENTS:
Thanks for that Etienne. I really like the
whole waste management perspective. Very useful.
I also like the way you talk about getting the
person involved their own recovery by telling them
about the different structures you are both
working with. Top Stuff.
I’m not wild about the use of still point
inducers for the reasons I mentioned in my
response to the previous letter except in this
case it is images of the Mona Lisa against a
computer pixelated background coming to mind.
Personally I haven’t found the elderly are like
babies . . . at all. Hang on, maybe I am being
too quick to say that. They are like babies, just
babies that are locked behind 500 layers of
compensation.
***COMMENT***
yes indeed I have some (small) experiences with my
female cliente (82 years old). as you say john:
take time for the treatment itself and be there
every week, working on the same structures.
maybe the client “really” feels any release just
for a short time – but YOU will feel changes in
each session. sometimes my cliente preferes to sit
instead of lie on the treatment table.(sorry for
my bad english-writing — french is my mother
language!!) just be there…..
love and peace – nica Berlin.
MY COMMENTS:
Thanks for that Nica. More confirmation that
treating Parkinson’s is more of a long term
proposition.
And Nica, compared to my French your English is
outstanding.
***COMMENT***
Hi John,
I am only part-way thru’ reading your latest
missive (massive missive?) and am sending in this
response in case I otherwise never get around to
it(!)
Parkinsons:
My experience is about the same as the South
African cranio-chiro chappy.
The best results I have achieved with PD is by
using gentle stretching / articulation techniques
using the patient’s (client’s) arms and legs as
“long levers” – that loosens up their muscles to
give them some ready relief. I believe that
abdominal stretching (a technique that has been
coined the “tummy tug”) is also useful with some
of the abdo sx (e.g. bloating and constipation).
PD is a condition which, in relation to cranial
work, I still find myself thinking “Can I do
better?”
All the best, Joyaa
Gold Coast
Australia.
MY COMMENTS:
Thanks for that Joyaa. The main thing that
stands out for me in your email is the last
sentence. ‘Can I do better?’
That is a courageous and honest question to
ask? It’s not an easy question to ask because of
what you may have to live with if the answer is
‘Yes.’ But it is a question that we need to ask
ourselves at the end of each session and the end
of each treatment program.
Not in a beating yourself up sort of way but in
an honest appraisal of how it all went.
Did the person get what they came for?
If not, why not?
Even if you arrive ate the conclusion that they
didn’t get what they wanted because their issues
got in the way, it is still worth asking ‘Could I
have dealt with their issues better?’
So that’s it for this issue.
Cheerio for now.
Till the next time.
Your Mate,
John D.