Research, Articles & Case Studies

When a professional massage therapist or bodyworker branches out and brings a whole new modality into his or her practice, there are usually several motivating factors for such a change. CranioSacral Therapy is the perfect example of the type of touch therapy massage therapists and bodyworkers are often motivated to learn and bring on board with their won practices. In this article we explore a few of the most common reasons professional massage therapists and bodyworkers choose to learn CranioSacral Therapy and integrate this gentle hands-on method into their own practices. 

Cranial bone motion has been one of the most controversial aspects of CranioSacral Therapy, but there is ample evidence that the cranial bones do rhythmically move a small, but definite amount. In summary, substantial support for life-long sutural patency and mobility of cranial sutures in healthy human beings is well established within the scientific and medical literature. Cranial bones can move small amounts, and so possess inherent rhythmic motion.  

The CNS complicated Design is a double edge sword.

Absorption, Circulation, CFS flow and Production.

If you're feeling sad or blue or suffering from mild to moderate depression, dysthymia, seasonal effective disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, bipolar II, or anxiety, Dr. Ellen Vora has the tips and tools you need to help manage symptoms and feel vibrantly healthy.Many of us have been taught that depression is the result of a genetic chemical imbalance. And while there is certainly a genetic component to depression, and, yes, neurotransmitters like serotonin do play a role in mood, depression, actually has many potential root causes. 

Did you know you have tiny tunnels in your head? That's OK, no one else did either until recently! But that's exactly what a team of medical researchers have just found in mice and humans - tiny channels that connect skull bone marrow to the lining of the brain. The research shows they may provide a direct route for immune cells to rush from the marrow into the brain in the event of damage.

NIH- funded study suggests immune cells rush through channels to get to injured tissue quickly. Bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside most of our bones, produces red blood cells as well as immune cells that help fight off infections and heal injuries. According to a new study of mice and humans, tiny tunnels run from skull bone marrow to the ling of the brain and may provide a direct route for immune cells responding to injuries causes by stroke and other brain disorders.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have discovered an important mechanical trigger in the gut for releasing serotonin in the body. Serotonin in an important hormone and neurotransmitter in the human body, believed to help regulate digestion, appetite, mood, social behavior, sleep and other important functions. The researchers' findings were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academics of Science.

Many athletes suffer from recurrent injuries and persistent muscle and joint discomfort. As a hands-on therapists we know that much of it is related to structural misalignment. We have numerous skills to address muscles and joints to help our active clients; however, when they return time and time again with the same alignment problems we addressed in previous visits do we ever wonder "What am I missing?" The organs (viscera) may be the answer to that question. According to French osteopath John Pierre Barral, 90% of musculoskeletal problems have a visceral component. So how do we treat the organs? Visceral Manipulation often referred to as the missing link in manual techniques, is the answer.

This article reviews 12 scientific studies, involving 1822 patients, and suggests a link between high vagus nerve activity and better cancer prognosis. The effect, the authors wrote, was most likely due to an anti-inflammatory effect created by the vagus nerve. 

Generally, the paper found that the higher a persons HRV, or vagus nerve activity (also known as vagal tone), the slower the progression of cancer, and this was true for all cancers studied. The effect was especially pronounced in late stage, metastatic cancers. 

This Study has shown that the visceral Manipulations are likely to increase the level of serotonin as a consequence of their execution.

Future studies with a larger population can prove the validity of the thesis in this study and support the research of other authors on the effect of Visceral Manipulation on Neuroendocrine Secretion.

This study provides preliminary evidence for the influence of Visceral Manipulations on serotonin secretion due to enteric nervous system stimulation.