What is the craniosacral rhythm?

Posted on February 20, 2012 by admin

Our spinal cord and brain are wrapped in a strong membrane called dura mater derived from the Latin “tough mother”, it is tough, inflexible and leather-like.   The bones of the head are bonded to the the dura and it attaches to the first three vertebrae in the upper neck before it glides through the rest of the vertebra descending down and attaching to the sacrum in the pelvis.

There is cerebral spinal fluid in the dura mater that nourishes the brain and spinal cord.  The cerebral spinal fluid or CSF for short, is created in the ventricles of the head.  As this fluid is being created and added to the inside of the dura the volume increase slightly.  This increased volume creates an expansion at the joints in the head and a contraction as some of it drains back into the blood supply.  This expansion and contraction happens on average between 6 to 12 times a minute.

 

CSF Flow

Due to injuries the joints can become restricted and the flow of fluid is slightly reduced.  Through gentle assessment and treatment these restrictions are easily treated helping the body to heal itself, reduce chronic pain and optimize its ability to heal.

 

 

Posted in Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy, Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy for infants and children, Seattle Craniosacral Therapy, Seattle Headache Treatment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A gentle treatment for torticollis – Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy for infants and children.

Posted on January 21, 2012 by admin

A gentle treatment for torticollis – Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy for infants and children.

It is very common for a newborn to come into this world with torticollis, basically muscles on one side of the neck that are short causing side bending and often rotation.  It is not hard to imagine that after being in utero, twisted, compressed and growing at a fast pace that the neck could end up with some tension in it.

Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy - Michael Hahn

My experience has shown me that treatment requires looking at the entire body, not just the neck. Usually the tension spirals from head to toe and the neck is a place where the untrained eye actually sees this distortion.

The good news is that it is easily treated with gentle hands-on corrections.  The work gently restore mobility to the body allowing for nature to take over and let the body grow as intended without undue stress altering its course.

Posted in Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy, Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy for infants and children, Seattle Visceral Manipulation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time to heal that back pain!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by admin

Maybe a few years or decades ago you had a fall while skiing, playing soccer or wrestling with the yard waste bin (sounds odd, it happens).  The possibilities are endless, although the end results are similar. PAIN!

Often we do not think about or even know our spinal cords should glide within many of our vertebrae. This action is critical to a properly functioning and pain free body.  Nor do we realize the ligaments that hold our organs in place could end up short and inflexible.

When we accumulate these types of restrictions year after year we get to a place where our bodies can no longer compenstae comfortably and ultimately we HURT!

These types of restrictions are rarely addressed and usually over looked. The evolution of the work I offer directly addresses these issues through a comprehensive evaluation and treatment plan to restore function to the underlying causes allowing you to get back to a pain free life.

Posted in Seattle Back Pain, Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy, Seattle Visceral Manipulation, Seattle Whiplash Treatment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The growth of our Brain

Posted on December 27, 2011 by admin

Information about the evolution of our brain…

The hemispheres of what was to evolve into the human brain began to develop 250 million years ago.(1)   100 million years ago they developed lateral specialization, and very slowly began to grow in size.  65 million years ago protohominid brain volume had reached 30 cubic centimeters, 20 million years ago, 200 cubic centimeters.  Between 18 and 7 million years ago, the brain did not grow at all, and by 4 million years ago it had grown to 350 cubic centimeters.  Then, after millions of years of no growth, or exceedingly slow growth, the human brain has quadrupled in size in the past 4 million years, to its present average of 1,360 cubic centimeters. (2)


In the big picture, that amount of growth in such a short period of time is phenomenal.  There is much debate as to why.  We are conscious beings with amazing abilities to create and manifest.  I believe our brain is the receiver, translator and generator behind much of this ability.


All that said, here is what I have been up to in regards to fine tuning the structures of the brain.  Below I have listed some of the layers from outside to inside starting from the top of the head:

  1. Skin and subcutaneous fat
  2. Muscles and their wrappings
  3. Bone
  4. Dura (the wrapping of the brain and spinal cord, includes the falx and tentorium which are deep support membranes)

From here we get into the many layers of the brain…

Due to impact and injury our 14 – 16 pound head can end up with deep strains and restrictions which diminish the flow of blood and lymph in and out of the cranium.  Also, the bones can loose their flexibility, the joints between bones can become restricted, nerves, arteries and deep enfolded membranes can become tight. This can cause low energy, headaches and discomfort throughout the entire body. The brain has a large role in managing the health of our 70-100 trillion cells that make up the human body.

I have been having great success restoring proper function to the structures that make up our head.  There are many areas and handles that allow for access to the nerves, arteries, bones, joints and membranes.  My experience is showing that when the cranium functions as the designer intended, people feel better, become more aligned in gravity and have deeper access to their bodies inherent ability to heal and thrive.

1. Robert Ornstein and Richard F. Thompson, The Amazing Brain, p. 9, Houghton Mifflin, 1984
2. Roger Lewin, In the Age of Mankind, p. 179, Smithsonian Books, 1988


Posted in Rolfing, Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy, Seattle Headache Treatment, Seattle Hellerwork, Seattle TMJ treatment, Seattle Visceral Manipulation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Healing headaches – Seattle therapist Michael Hahn

Posted on October 31, 2011 by admin

There are many types of headaches and the causes can vary dramatically. One of the underlying components with headaches is often swelling, pressure and restrictions in a variety of tissues. The osteopathic style work I offer allows for quick assessment of the body to determine the most potent places to work.

The treatments usually include working directly with tissues such as; nerves, arteries, cranial bones and membranes which are often overlooked in the treatment of headaches. The good news is that people respond very well to this gentle, hands-on therapy and usually experience significant improvements in a short period of time.

Case history:

A client in their mid thirties came to me for chronic headaches they have been experiencing daily for the last ten years.  They are very active and have experienced a few major accidents along the way.  The initial assessment showed many deep restrictions in their body that included:

  • Frozen sacroiliac joints
  • Liver restrictions
  • Stomach ligament restrictions
  • Restrictions in the pleura of their lungs
  • Spinal cord restrictions to many of the spinal vertebrae
  • Deep membrane restrictions within the cranium
  • Severe limiting tension at the upper first two vertebrae

During the first treatment I addressed the upper neck tension, spinal cord restrictions at the level of the upper mid-back and the membrane restrictions within the head.  The client reported back after their first sessions that the headaches have stopped two days after our session, their neck functions 60% better and their lower back feels the best it has in years.

This is an example of how restrictions spread throughout the body can manifest as symptoms at a very local area, such as headaches.  When you comprehensively treat the entire person the body has a greater chance of healing itself.

A few resources for headaches:

http://www.headaches.org/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/headaches/HE00001

Posted in Case Histories, Seattle Headache Treatment, Seattle Visceral Manipulation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

About Rolfing. Seattle therapist Michael Hahn.

Posted on October 8, 2011 by admin

Rolfing® was developed by Dr. Ida P. Rolf over the course of her lifetime.  Dr. Rolf studied yoga early on in her life and this helped inform how she developed the hands-on work known as Rolfing.  She was greatly influenced by the work of Osteopathy and realized that the body’s relationship to gravity was a missing piece in how many practitioners thought about, and worked with the body.

The body of knowledge called Rolfing is also known as Structural Integration.  Structural Integration is an umbrella term used to describe Rolfing, Hellerwork, Soma and many other forms of bodywork that developed directly out of Ida Rolf’s work.

A few main goals of Structural Integration are as follows:

  • Restore proper function to all the tissues of the body.
  • Bones, ligaments, joints, membranes, dural and cranial structures, arteries, nerves, brain tissue, organs and their supporting membranes.
  • Align the body in the field of gravity.
  • Help people feel a deeper sense of connection between soul, mind and body.

Ida Rolf was once asked, “If a practitioner could say a few sentences to someone and achieve the goals of the work would this be considered Structural Integration?” She answered “Yes”.

So for me Structural Integration is a works in progress that allows practitioners  to evolve their work always striving to achieve these goals.  I use many cutting edge advanced therapies such as, Visceral Manipulation, Cranial Sacral Therapy and Hellerwork Structural Integration to help people heal their bodies and thrive in the world.

 

Posted in Rolfing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

History of Cranial Sacral Therapy

Posted on September 24, 2011 by admin

Cranial Sacral Therapy sprouted out of the work of Osteopathy. Cranial Osteopathy was originated by physician William Sutherland, DO (1873-1954) in 1898-1900. While looking at a disarticulated skull, Sutherland was struck by the idea that the cranial sutures of the temporal bones where they meet the parietal bones were “beveled, like the gills of a fish, indicating articular mobility for a respiratory mechanism.”[1]

Sutherland stated the dural membranes act as ‘guy-wires’ for the movement of the cranial bones, holding tension for the opposite motion. He used the term reciprocal tension membrane system (RTM) to describe the three Cartesian axes held in reciprocal tension, or tensegrity, creating the cyclic movement of inhalation and exhalation of the cranium. The RTM as described by Sutherland includes the spinal dura, with an attachment to the sacrum. After his observation of the cranial mechanism, Sutherland stated that the sacrum moves synchronously with the cranial bones. Sutherland began to teach this work to other osteopaths from about the 1930s, and continued to do so until his death. His work was at first largely rejected by the mainstream osteopathic profession as it challenged some of the closely held beliefs among practitioners of the time.

In the 1940s the American School of Osteopathy started a post-graduate course called ‘Osteopathy in the Cranial Field’ directed by Sutherland, and was followed by other schools. This new branch of practice became known as “cranial osteopathy”. As knowledge of this form of treatment began to spread, Sutherland trained more teachers to meet the demand, notably Drs Viola Frymann, Edna Lay, Howard Lippincott, Anne Wales, Chester Handy and Rollin Becker.

Now this work is widely sought out to help people heal their body’s from past injuries and chronic pain.

1. Sutherland A (1962). With Thinking Fingers.Indianapolis, IN: Cranial Academy, 13.

 

Posted in Seattle Cranial Sacral Therapy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Visceral Manipulation treatments help you heal from surgery

Posted on September 16, 2011 by admin

There are many layers with in our body.  These layers are all designed to move, glide and stretch a certain way.  When we have a surgery to our body these layers are cut through and during the healing process loose a considerable amount of the original designed movement.

Receiving Visceral Manipulation prior to surgeries helps loosen the tissues and make sure proper motion is available before cutting into the body.  This reduces the potential trauma and creates the potential for easier healing.  Treatment after surgery, usually 4 – 6 weeks to allow for the tissue to heal helps the body function as it was originally intended.

Seattle Visceral Manipulation

 

Regardless whether a surgery happened recently or years ago, the work of Visceral Manipulation can get the mody functioning the way it was intended and help people reduce pain and stiffness.

For more information about Visceral Manipulation you can visit my website.  I practice this work, Cranial Sacral Therapy and Hellerwork in the Fremont area of Seattle.

Posted in Seattle Visceral Manipulation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On-line scheduling now available!

Posted on September 5, 2011 by admin

I recently added on-line scheduling to my website to make booking an appointment that much simpler. Basically, go to my website, click on the “Schedule Appointment” button and follow the few simple steps.

I am using a local company named Fullslate and they are a wonderful company with a great eye for detail and simplicity.

So if you are feeling that it is time for a tune-up, it just became that much easier to take your body and being to the next level of comfort and ease.

Posted in Information about scheduling appointments | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Case history with lower back and arm pain.

Posted on August 27, 2011 by admin

A client in her mid twenties came in for visceral manipulation one year after being hit by a car as a pedestrian. She had broken the head of her right radial bone at the elbow and was now plateaued with her healing.  She presented chronic pain in her right arm, elbow and hand along with a tingling sensation.  Her lower back had been painful for close to fifteen years after an earlier accident.

Over the course of four sessions the following restrictions were found and returned to proper functioning.

  1. Proper span restored to ligaments connecting the front of her upper cervical vertebrae
  2. Spinal cord glide restored in lower back
  3. Rotation of upper vertebrae restored
  4. Restored glide to major arteries in right arm
  5. Mobilized right elbow joint, humerus bone to ulnar bone
  6. Restored proper span to arteries supplying the stomach
  7. Spinal cord glide restored in mid-back
  8. Restore proper motion to the left kidney

These were some of the areas that were causing the chronic pain and numbness. After the second session the arm was completely healed and by the fourth session the back pain of fifteen years was completely better.  The work of Visceral Manipulation and Cranial Sacral Therapy offers a complete approach to dealing with chronic pain by addressing the often overlooked systems of the body.

 

Posted in Case Histories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment