Manual therapy: help for self-help

Craniosacral therapy

The method: Craniosacral therapy is now recognized as a holistic healing method for a variety of ailments such as back and headaches, migraines, fatigue, hormonal imbalances and respiratory ailments. Specially trained therapists specifically influence the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid circulates in the interior of the skull and in the spine, between the three layers of the dural membrane, which envelops the brain and spinal cord. The CSF protects them, provides them with nutrients and detoxifies. Six to twelve times per minute it pulsates through the central nervous system, every five to seven hours, he has completely renewed. If the cerebrospinal fluid can flow undisturbed, it supports all body systems via the CNS and thus harmonizes the entire organism. The movements of the cerebrospinal fluid (cranium) and sacrum (hence the name craniosacral system) is felt as a very fine, light pulse. It spreads in gentle wave movements, slower than heart and breathing rhythm and is different in each person - depending on the instantaneous vitality of the organism. Skilled therapists can palpate this craniosacral rhythm on the skull, spine, sacrum and bones, muscles and connective tissue all over the body. Irregularities indicate disorders and blockages in the body. Craniosacral therapists discover tension, blocked joints and inflammation. By gently touching and "walking" in the craniosacral rhythm, they try to release tensions and blockages so that the cerebrospinal fluid can circulate unhindered again. And that often has not only physical but also mental effects.

Self-help: In addition to professional therapy, there are now self-care exercises that you can learn after written instructions (see below). Although they can not eliminate flow blockages, they certainly have a favorable influence on the craniosacral rhythm. These exercises relax, relieve stress, improve body awareness, breathing, posture and immune defense. The important thing is to take time and rest for the exercises. Do not put yourself under pressure to perform. If you can not feel your own craniosacral rhythm right from the beginning, that's no problem. Not the technique counts but the mindfulness for your own body. The more you can relax and let go, the more you harmonize your craniosacral system.

Exercise 1: Feel your own craniosacral rhythm Sit upright in a chair without armrests, feet well connected to the ground. Close your eyes and relax. Now gently lay your relaxed hands on your thighs with loose fingers and no pressure on your thighs. Your thumb and forefinger should be as far apart as possible. Now draw your attention to your thighs, to very slow movements in their tissues. They are like a very fine to-and-fro. Listen with your hands, very relaxed. If you can actually track your own craniosacral rhythm, just watch it in a relaxed mood. Release the posture carefully, if you feel like it. Effect: reduces stress, harmonizes, relaxes, soothes during or after excitement, gives new energy

Exercise 2: Pulling on the ears Grasp one of your ears with one index finger each. Now open your mouth slightly to relax the jaw and then gently apply to both ears. Feel this train continue in your head and try to release tension. Release the posture by slowly lowering the pull. Effect: promotes blood circulation in the brain, eliminates pressure in the head

Exercise 3: Relax rib cage Sit upright and take a few deep breaths in and out. Now palpate with the fingertips of both hands your lower ribs from the center to the outside. Then bring your fingers together in the middle on the ribs and feel how your breath flows in and out. With an exhale, use both hands to simultaneously stroke the tissue along the costal arch from the center to the left and right. Feel a few breaths. Then you cut again? as often as you like. Effect: relaxes the diaphragm, improves breathing, digestion and mobility of the organs.

These exercises are from:

Irena M. Schikora-Kiefer, "The Miracle of Gentle Touch, Self-Help with Craniosacral Therapy", Knaur Taschenbuch 2005, 8.90?.

Daniel Agustoni, "Craniosacral self-treatment. Well-being and relaxation through gentle touch ?, Kösel Verlag 2004, 19.95? There you will find further instructions for self-treatment.

Danger: In acute illnesses and severe and prolonged symptoms you should definitely be a trained Craniosacral therapist. This also applies if self-treatment causes a feeling of discomfort or strong feelings that overwhelm you.

therapists: Many physiotherapists, masseurs and non-medical practitioners have training as craniosacral therapists. Look in the yellow pages of your phone book.

Addresses also convey:

German Association of Craniosacral Therapists e.V., Bahnhofplatz 6, 85540 Haar, Tel. 089/46149175, www.cranioverband.org

German Craniosacral Association e.V., Am Mühlenbach 5, 34508 Willingen, Tel. 05632/9220166, www.cranioverband.de

Upledger Institute Germany, Schwartauer Landstr. 114-118, 23554 Lübeck, Tel. 0451/479950, www.upledger.de

Costs: A treatment takes about an hour and costs about 60 to 80?. Depending on the symptoms you have to expect between 3 and 10 sessions. Clarify beforehand whether your health insurance fund is at least partially involved in the costs and how a prescription from your GP should look like.

Ortho-Bionomy

The method: "Following the rules of life" is the guiding principle of Ortho-Bionomy, a relatively new development of osteopathy. It combines different techniques and procedures. For example, craniosacral techniques are also used, as well as dynamic methods, reflex zone therapy and energy work. The goal is always to support and strengthen the natural self-regulation of the body. In this way, the resources and abilities created in each person for coping with physical and emotional problems should be developed. Each symptom is then an expression of the overload of these self-correction mechanisms. The body is thereby "confused" and can not find an adequate solution to the acute problem. By following and even amplifying the "diseased" patterns of body and movement, Ortho-Bionomy helps the body find its own solutions to its difficulties. Ortho-Bionomy mainly helps with all disorders of the musculoskeletal system, all discomforts of muscles, tendons and ligaments as well as functional disorders of internal organs (for example indigestion, fertility disorders). In addition, the therapy supports the body's autonomic, hormonal and immunological control systems, reduces tension in the muscles and improves the perception of one's own body.

Self-help: The Ortho-Bionomy knows a variety of self-help techniques, which are specifically targeted to the respective complaints. The therapist usually gives "homework" as a useful supplement to his treatment. For mild discomfort or for prevention, you can also try these exercises yourself and activate your self-healing powers and increase your well-being. Important: Take your time practicing and feel every movement. Watch closely how they affect your body and posture. Over the exercises, overstate your usual postures and exercise habits. This is exaggerated to the body, and it automatically controls it. But do not do anything that causes you discomfort. Accept this limit.

Exercise 1: Balancing the ridge Stand upright and let your arms hang. Now pull the shoulders forward so that the arms turn inwards and the backs of the hands are together. Let your head drop easily forward. The next time you exhale, bend your head even further so that you get a cat hump. Firmly pull your shoulders together at the front and press your backs firmly against each other. This will help you stay breathing without having to breathe again. Then pick up your arms, straighten up, tilt your head back and spread your arms out to the top. The narrowness becomes opening. Stand upright while breathing out and drop your shoulders. Repeat three times, two to three times a day. Effect: relieves tension in the shoulders and neck, prevents back pain

Exercise 2: Feel the breath Lie down comfortably on the back. One hand reaches the chest, where your breathing starts, the other on the stomach, where you last feel your breath. Now you consciously breathe against the first and in the same breath against the second hand. Repeat this several times. Then place both hands at the level of the navel on your stomach. Now inhale deeply into the abdomen and then push the air up into the chest. Then dine. Repeat this several times as well. If you like, sit up and place your hands behind your back at the level of the kidneys. Inhale quite deliberately against your hands. Effect: deepens breathing, relaxes, promotes awareness of one's own breathing and posture

Exercise 3: Moving the rib cage Sit upright and place your hands crosswise on your shoulders. Let your elbows hang. Now gently spring forwards and backwards. Repeat several times.Effect: makes the thoracic spine more mobile, reduces tension, improves posture

instructions: These exercises are from the 40-page self-help brochure of the German Institute for Ortho-Bionomy. They get you for 5? + Postage (with invoice) at: A + B Acupuncture and Book, Bahnhofstr. 45, 72108 Rottenburg, Tel. And Fax 07472/1021. Further instructions for self-help are in preparation.

Danger: If you have severe discomfort or if you have difficulty completing the self-help exercises, you should definitely visit an experienced therapist.

therapists: A trained therapist in your area will teach you the German Institute for Ortho-Bionomy, Buttenwegle 10, 72108 Rottenburg, Tel 07472/24796. You can also find a practitioner list at www.ortho-bionomy.de.

Costs: An ortho-bionomy treatment can be billed by physiotherapists through the statutory health insurance, if you bring a prescription from your doctor about physiotherapy and extramuscular massage. In the medical field, the cost of a treatment of about 45 minutes at about 70?. How many sessions are needed depends very much on the individual case. There are certainly patients who are already symptom free after one or two treatments, others may need up to 10 sessions. In any case, from the second treatment already a clear improvement should be noticeable.

Emotional Freedom Techniques EFT

The method: EFT belongs to the broad field of energy therapies or meridian therapy. Asian knowledge about the life energy "Chi" and the meridian system in the body is combined with methods such as kinesiology, muscle tests and neurolinguistic programming (NLP) as well as psychotherapeutic findings. The American engineer and psychologist Gary Craig decisively simplified earlier procedures and developed Emotional Freedom Techniques. EFT assumes that any experience perceived as stressful creates a disruption in the body's energy system. This disorder in turn causes mental and / or physical symptoms. By tapping certain points on the main meridians in combination with specific affirmation sentences, the disturbance in the energy system is to be remedied. So the complaints disappear. Using this same technique, EFT therapists treat a wide variety of ailments (such as pain of all kinds, allergies, tension, degenerative diseases, asthma, anxiety and phobias, stress, aggression, learning and concentration disorders). Gary Craig's motto is "just try it on everything" - but that does not mean that EFT always works. However, it is always worth trying before other therapies are used.

Self-help: EFT is a method that you can use alone as well as with therapeutic support. They proceed as follows:

Define your problem and rate your malaise on a scale of one to ten (for example, "I have a headache, grade 7 acute").

Find an affirmation that describes your problem as accurately as possible, and thus form the sentence: "Even though I have this headache with pressure in my forehead, I accept myself fully."

Now rub the "sore spot" (= point in the upper chest about 8 cm left / right of the sternum between the 2nd and 3rd ribs) in a circular clockwise direction and speak three times according to your affirmation sentence.

Now follows the knock sequence. Each of the 13 points is knocked 7 times in two to three seconds with your index and middle finger. For this, you speak a reminder sentence (= a shortened version of your affirmation sentence), e.g. "this headache". The 13 points are:

• Point on the inner edge of the eyebrow next to the nose root
• Point on the outside of the eye just next to the outer corner of the eye
• Point on the cheekbone, centrally under the eye
• Point under the nose between the nose and upper lip
• Point on the chin between lower lip and chin point
• Point on the inside of the clavicle, where the sternum, clavicle and 1st rib meet
• Point under the arm on the side of the chest halfway between your armpit and the crook of your arm
• Point in the breast fold below the nipple
• Point on the thumb at the bottom of the nail on the bend facing away from the hand
• Point on the index finger at the lower edge of the nail on the side facing the thumb
• Point on the middle finger on the lower nail edge on the side that points to the thumb
• Point on the little finger on the lower edge of the nail on the side pointing to the thumb
• Point on the edge of the hand at the level of the crease between the wrist bone and the base joint of the little finger

Now tap the "gamut point". He lies on the back of his hand between the base joints of the ring and little finger. When knocking do the following:

Close your eyes, open your eyes, look down to the right, look down to the left, turn your eyes once in a clockwise direction, turn your eyes counterclockwise once, humming a song loudly for 2 to 3 seconds, counting from 1 to 5, and then again Song hum. All this serves for networking in the brain and the connection of left and right brain. Finally, repeat the knocking sequence again, speaking your reminder phrase again.Evaluate how you are feeling your problem right now (for example headache strength 3). If you have not reached zero, you can repeat all the steps. In doing so, you change your affirmation phrase to "Even if I still have this residual headache ..." and your reminder phrase in "This residual headache".

instructions: This manual comes from the book "Knock you healthy, solve blockages, be pain free by EFT-Klopfakupressur" by Horst Benesch, Kösel Verlag 2005, 14.95?.

More information and material can be found on the Internet at: www.emofree.com (English original page by Gary Craig) and www.eft-info.com (German)

Danger: You can try EFT on every problem. For larger complaints, however, should be a diagnosis by a doctor, psychotherapist or alternative practitioner. Important: Do not stop medication without consulting your doctor! Otherwise, you can not go wrong with EFT. Even if you forget something, that's not so bad. But it can happen that you have "knocked" a problem off and come up with something else behind this first problem. EFT should go light and gentle, the problem should peel off slowly and easily. Do not do too much for yourself. If you can not get ahead on your own, if your symptoms get worse, or if you have issues that you can not handle on your own, be sure to seek help from an EFT professional. The special feature: An EFT consultation is also possible by phone if you can not find a therapist in your area.

therapists: Links to EFT Practioner lists can be found on the website of Horst Benesch at www.translab.info. Information also under practice Horst Benesch, Tel. 089/37488928.

Costs: You must pay for the EFT treatment yourself. A session of 45 minutes costs about 50? (also on the phone). Some EFT practitioners offer courses to learn the method, workshops and therapy groups to share experiences. Ask therapists in your area about it.

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