Stress is a normal and useful response that helps us to respond appropriately to situations that require action.
At the extreme end it is part of the mechanism that is designed to ensure we fight or flee from imminent danger and is thus key to survival. Problems arise when an extreme event or on-going daily stresses overwhelm the body’s ability to return to normal functioning after the stress has passed.
Indications that a stress related problem exists can come from a diverse range of symptoms usually related to breathing, headaches, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and sleep. These problems can be relatively minor or progressively debilitating as in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Craniosacral therapy is an extremely gentle therapy and can be very effective at helping the body’s stress response to reset back to normal functioning. During a session, patterns of tension and abnormal responses begin to dissipate and normal patterns re-establish. A deep sense of relaxation is often evident from the first session as the body’s nervous system begins to normalise. CST is unique in its ability to treat the source of symptoms on every level, whether mental, physical or emotional.
The following are typical symptoms:
- A sense of anxiety and unease during routine or daily situations
- Insomnia leading to irritability and problems concentrating
- Headaches
- Hyperventilation (abnormally fast or deep breathing which results in the loss of carbon dioxide in the blood which lowers blood pressure, causes tingling in the extremities and sometimes fainting)
- Sweating / hot flushes
- Feeling edgy, concerned or full of tension
- Having a sense of impending doom or disaster
- Palpitations – sudden and unexplained racing or irregular heart beat
- High blood pressure
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Choking feeling
- Inability to concentrate because your mind is worrying about relatively trivial matters
- Sense of loss of control and detachment from surroundings
- Numbness or loss of sensation
Managing Headaches
Headaches are one of the most common health complaints in the UK with over 10 million people experiencing them regularly.
They fall into various categories including migranes, tension headaches, hormonal headaches and cluster headaches. Avoiding triggers, good diet, hydration and exercise can all play an important part in preventing or managing headaches. Some people find they need to resort to over the counter medication or in severe cases stronger medication from their GP.
For individuals looking for holistic ways of supporting their body to manage or reduce headaches, Craniosacral therapy can prove helpful. As CST helps to kick start the body’s own recovery mechanisms, for many people it helps to balance hormones, release tension and down regulate the central nervous system – all of which can play a part in headache management.
Headaches can also remain after serious illnesses like viral meningitis. Currently the Meningitis Now is working with the craniosacral profession to further substantiate benefits experienced by individuals who have found relief from using CST to alleviate headaches and other symptoms like exhaustion, memory loss, dizziness and anxiety following meningitis.
Managing Sleep Problems
Insomnia or difficulty getting to or staying asleep affects about a third of people in the UK.
There can be many contributory factors but if you suspect stress or long term pain to be playing a significant role in your sleep problems, CST could help to re-establish good sleep patterns as it can help to rebalance and regulate your nervous system facilitating healthy sleep patterns to resume.