Dr. Kate’s Blog

Hi New Yorkers and New Englanders, I wanted to alert you that I will be assisting  Franklyn Sills this month from November 18th- November 23rd.  Franklyn is one of the leading authors and teachers in the field of biodynamic craniosacral therapy.  This is an opportunity  to deepen my practice as a healer. I understand that not being available is an inconvenience; however the final outcome is is positive for you.  When I return from assisting a training I have heightened awareness, and sharpened skills.  This is an great time to see new patients.  I appreciate your patience and understanding of my time away.  It makes my practice more alive, and current, and ultimately you benefit from that.

Best,  Dr. Kate

Tinnitus has many causes . Traditional EENT allopathic doctors are looking for pathology. When they don’t find anything and your ears are still ringing there are other options. The good news is that you do not have a pathology and it is treatable. In most cases non- disease related tinnitus is caused by a somatic dysfunction. They call this somaosensory tinnitus.  Your body is a continuous kinetic chain. Places as far away as the sacroiliac joint can affect the ears. These complex relationships in the body are considered when patients come in to see me. Areas of the body that are pertinent  include the cranium, temporo-mandibular joint, spine, pelvis, and the bite. Issues in all of these areas can cause tinnitus; some more directly then others. Oftentimes these relationships of structure are coupled with a stress response that manifests as a involuntary tension in the nervous system. By working with the body through chiropractic, cranial work, and body-mind awareness; one can diminish if not eliminate tinnitus. Here are some of the causes related to tinnitus that can be addressed with conservative care:

1) History of orthodontics/ braces

2) Grinding and/or clenching the teeth

3) Poor bite alignment

4) Poor posture; particularly forward head bending

5) Multiple sites of muscle tension in the head and neck

6) Stress, anxiety, depression, and anger….grrrrrr

7) Whiplash; recently or a long time ago that did not recover well

Large chronic doses of antibiotics and some other medications

9) Joint dysfunction of the jaw, spine, and sacroiliac joints

10) Cranial bone imbalances; particularly relating to the temporal bone which contains the inner ear.

How does I treat this?

Sometimes having a dentist check the teeth for wear and tear, and grinding at night and treating with a mouth guard really helps. In most cases this is only one piece of the puzzle. Another thing to check is the bite. Now this can actually change with cranial  work , and adjustments.  The bite is off for many  different reasons; and by all means do not have your teeth ground down as the first option of treatment! This should be the last resort if done at all.  Patients often have more than one issue that brought the tinnitus on.  By approaching the body holistically I can help bring the system back into balance.  Holistically  means looking at structure, stress awareness, nutrition, and energetics of the body. Treatments may include muscle work, gentle manipulation, and cranial work. It may take some time for the symptoms to subside because usually people have had tinnitus for months even years  before getting help, because they do not know their treatment options.  Their first stop is with medical doctors who did not find pathology,  and did not know other treatment options to recommend.

When stress, and trauma occur we have a choice about  how to work with it. Not many people know this, and feel victimized by stress. Learning to resource oneself through cranial work can help bring us  to understanding these options. Focusing on health instead of always focusing on the problem is the path to take. When we learn to listen to our body, it responds in amazing ways; ways we could not imagine. The body has a wisdom deeper than any doctor you will know.

Craniosacral teaches the body to relax from the inside out. One gets a sense of calm and centeredness with craniosacral therapy. This work can be taken into your daily life, noticing your body, and acknowledging its signals of stress. When someone comes to see me for treatment I do not “fix” them. We work as a team, both treating the condition. The patient with body and stress awareness, and me with imbalances that present themselves.

Adjustments and muscle work help lessen the “noise” in the central nervous system. they also help restore mobility and lessen muscle tension.

Oddly enough in applied kinesiology and Chinese medicine the hearing is related to the kidneys. These are organs that are taxed when we get stressed. Supporting these organs by referring to an acupuncturist,  making dietary changes, and taking supplements is very important sometimes. The body will show where it needs support, and there is nothing wrong with getting support through health  issues. It is most important to be patient with tinnitus. It can take some time, and getting stressed about how long it is taking only feeds the stress. Feed the health not the stress.

Have you noticed people have started drinking their water on the go out of glass and stainless steel containers. Well I thought I would get us all up to date on what these folks are up to.

Actually it was discovered accidentally in 1998 when scientists were conducting a study on mice for aneuploidy; a cell division problem in which chromosomes do not split as a cell divides, leaving two resulting cells with more or fewer chromosomes than normal. One of the lab workers washed the mouse water dish with a harsh detergent, the mice drank water out of this dish. Afterwards scientists noticed an 8 fold increase in this aneuploidy/chromosome defect. The scientists eventually found that BPA (also known as Biphenol-A ) was leaching from the plastic water dish into their water. They began studying BPA and its affects on the mice.

Various more recent studies proved that BPA is leached from new, and old plastic bottles at room temperature; with no detergent usage beforehand. The take home is: it doesn’t seem to matter; just don’t ingest things from plastic…

BPA has been found to be an estrogen mimicking toxin. It has been linked to reproductive health issues such as: breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer; uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, prostate cancer, lowered sperm counts, and possible increased fat production. Studies have not been done on humans as of yet. However 95% of the people tested have levels of BPA that scientists think could be harmful.

People with the highest risk are women of childbearing age, pregnant women, infants, and small children. It would be wise to assume that BPA has similar affects on humans as it does to mice. Why take the risk?

Here are some tips on how to avoid further exposure:

1) Cook food from scratch using fresh foods.

2) Cook in large quantities and freeze the food in glass Pyrex containers.

3) Avoid microwaving, cooking, and storing foods in in plastic containers. Use glass, stainless steel, and pyrex.

4) Purchase water in glass containers. If you want clean water for your home install a filter for your tap water and store it in glass. Do not drink from plastic water bottle dispensers.

5) Use KleenKanteen stainless steel water bottles (www.kleenkanteen.com), or glass jars to bring water with you.

6) Avoid using plastic wrap, and do not cook with it.

7) Avoid food and drink #7 containers; these are known to have BPA.
If you have no other choice other than plastic use #1,#2, and #4 plastics. ( they do not contain BPA)

all plastics should be in question for toxicity; the verdict is not out yet on other possible toxins.

9) Stop using plastic dishes, utensils, and cups.

10) Ask your dentist if there is BPA in their sealer before they apply it.

There is no reason to wait for plastic that contains BPA to be banned to avoid it. It is in our best interest to make better choices for ourselves and our children now. It seems as time passes, it is best to go back to the basics before the 1900’s; before we began living in these industrial chemical times. Good old glass, ceramic, and steel is what is best. Cooking food that is fresh and alive, and non-toxic. It seems that the conveniences of these modern times, and their full ill health affects on future generations to come has not been thought through by our scientists, corporations, and inventors. We are beginning to see the negative health affects of convenience in hind sight. Hopefully we can all start now in the present to make large and small changes for our future. Now is the time in each and every moment to make the choice towards health.

I am happy to be assisting  Franklyn Sills in NYC this November of 2008. He will  teach a 10 module, 2 year foundation training in biodynamic craniosacral therapy. I highly recommend anyone who is serious about cranial work and self growth take this training. He is one of the most well known, respected, pioneers, and authors in this field of work. he has not taught a foundation training here in the United States for quite some time. You will be learning straight from the horses mouth so to speak. There is  a really great group of T.A.’s that will be assisting the training. It will also be in a beautiful space in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC. Go to the website for the training for more info: www.stillpointcst.com

I hope to see you there!

Dr.Kate

Hi I will be assisting Cherionna for this 5 day introductory course in biodynamic craniosacral therapy.

The dates are: June 25-29, 2008.

Location: Granby Massachusetts

For more info/ or to register go to : www.Cherionna.com

This is an intense topic, because we all have experienced some sort of trauma in our lives. Craniosacral therapy delivers the gift of working with trauma held in the body in very safe, non-overwhelming way. It does take some trust, and a willingness to work on the patients side, as well as the practitioner.

I often treat people who have been in car accidents, fallen down the stairs, or those who have had overwhelming life experiences. The work I do with trauma in the craniosacral paradigm takes root from Peter Levine’s work. He wrote Healing The Tiger Within. This is a good introduction about how our nervous system physiologically along with psychologically deals with trauma. Trauma can be one main event, or many chronic small events of low grade stress. By chronic low grade an example would be living with a person who is unhappy most of the time, you are affected by this. It builds up, and affects the way you hold yourself when you are around them. This way “holding” yourself gets translated into your neurophysiology, and you have to do a lot of work to not let it get affect your neurophysiology. I am not a Psychologist; however the body tells a story, and oftentimes the story is about how one has gotten through life. This story is powerfully imprinted into one’s neurophysiology from in-utero to birth to teenage years. the good news is that the core of all of us is the innate wisdom to heal. All of our systems are organized around health. Not illness, or disease. Biodynamic Craniosacral therapy premise is the core of health that runs through us all.

When a large overwhelming event occurs we go into a state of shock. Trauma occurs when a person is faced with an event or exposure to multiple events that overwhelm their capacity to cope. When a person becomes overwhelmed they begin to “check out” and lose their connection to their body and other people. Shock occurs in the mind-body system. Current research in neurophysiology is finding that treatment approaches that only deal with the mind and not the body do not allow the trauma to resolve. Trauma needs to be resolved on a physiological level as well as psychological. Peter Levine discovered that just re-hashing the trauma over again by talking about it actually caused client’s to feel overwhelmed and re-traumatized again. He found that working with the body sensations that were comforting to a person while they were talking about a trauma helped them to resolve the trauma.

Biodynamic craniosacral therapy assists a person in feeling positive transformational affects, which ultimately over time change a persons relationship to a traumatic event. When our physical symptoms of trauma are lessened our emotional parts can heal and vice verse. The physical and emotional parts are a couple that cannot be separated.

When an animal is chased by a predator and escapes death, the animal shivers uncontrollably for about 20 minutes. After this happens they no longer show signs of residual trauma. Humans are different, we have a neocortex. Our neocortex suppresses the body’s natural inclination to shiver and tremble. This shivering actually is a brilliant mechanism because it discharges the body’s natural response to trauma. When the energy around the trauma is discharged from our nervous system it helps us move on and live in the present. Over time undischarged trauma can become locked in our bodies when not allowed to go through a normal cycle of completion; this will cause many physical and emotional symptoms, and potentially cause disease. Symptoms of unresolved trauma are anxiety attacks, anger outbursts, flashbacks, numbness, disconnection, dissociation, and immobility. Candice Pert,PhD. who wrote: Molecules of Emotion; explains the connection between neurophysiology and our individual cells. The messages of neurotransmitters are created by thoughts and emotions, which in turn influence our cells strongly, and can change cellular health and function. Much of the neurotransmitter output is influenced from our subconscious mind. Our subconscious brain is about 80% of the brain’s function. Our subconscious is strongly imprinted from conception to the first 5 years of life. (this is a whole other topic, read Bruce Lipton’s book about this; it is called Biology of Belief)

So what is the take home? If you are on this planet, you have experienced various gradations of trauma; if it is keeping you from living in the present, it would be wise to discharge it. I suggest this be done with a therapist trained in somatic experiencing, EMDR, or EFT. While you are working with one of these types of therapists it would be wise to get some biodynamic craniosacral therapy to support your body’s neurophysiology in discharging the trauma safely and slowly. For now here is a list of first aid things to do when you have just experienced trauma…

1) Keep still, quiet, and warm.

2) Encourage safety and rest. What makes you feel safe at this moment?

3) Place a hand on your chest and tummy to calm yourself. (these are polarity points that help you feel grounded)

4) Notice sensations in your body…

a) where you feel OK.

b) where you feel uncomfortable.

c) notice both, notice the whole of you, not just the painful parts, or upset parts.

5 ) Avoid going over the accident and discussing it while you are noticing your body’s sensations.

6) Allow your body to release by crying or trembling as you come out of shock. If it starts to happen fast try to slow it down, stay with your body sensations, while noticing your emotions. People who cry and tremble after an accident have fewer problems recovering from it. Crying and trembling are normal, healthy, reactions. Its OK. Just let the scary stuff shake right out of you.

7) Later on when things are settled and the initial shock is done, set aside some time to talk to someone about the story of what happened. Whatever you are feeling while telling the story (anger, fear, sadness, embarrassment, or guilt) is normal. These feelings are normal, and OK, and important to notice.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR SYSTEM IS ORGANIZED BY HEALTH, IT DOES WHAT IT DOES FOR VERY GOOD REASONS.

Anything that causes constriction of the blood vessels of the head can result in a migraine headache. In general craniosacral therapy supports balance of the nervous system. The nervous system controls the nerves which in turn control blood vessel constriction in the brain. Migraines are often triggered by stress, diet, hormones, allergies, loss of joint motion, and craniosacral system restrictions. In my experience in 6- 12 sessions your migraines will either be lessened or be totally gone. Sometimes people do not respond well to treatment because the actual cause is hormonal, or diet. All of the causes are taken into consideration. Often the cause is multifaceted.

Case stories:

Patient #1

Patient came in with headaches. I checked their cranial nerves. All of the cranial nerve tests were normal. The patient insisted that I adjust their upper neck, when I tested their system to see if this would help the answer was “no”. So I did not do any adjustments.

I treated the person with craniosacral therapy 1-2 times a week. Their headaches did not improve. After about 4 or 5 treatments I re-checked their cranial nerves, inquired about their diet, and lifestyle habits. Nothing pointed to a specific cause. The patient was getting frustrated with me, and begged me to just ” crack” their upper neck. I checked, and still got the same answer; which was no. I was puzzled at this point, and sent them to a neurologist. A few weeks later I spoke with the neurologist, who said that there were no positive findings upon examination, but sent the patient out for a CT scan to be careful. The results came back and showed that the patient had a small tumor in their brain-stem.

The patient had it removed and is doing well! It is important to stick to my diagnosis and treatment plan when it comes to doing chiropractic adjustments. Had I done what the patient wanted I suspect the outcome would not have been good because of the brainstem tumor.

Patient 2

This patient had headaches every day for years. They were tested and everything was normal with standard medical testing. The patient was taking ibuprophen every day. This was helping alleviate the symptoms but the headaches continued to return. After examining the patient thoroughly, we tried a series of Craniosacral therapy treatments. After about 12 visits the patients headaches went away permanently! The quality of life was greatly improved in the patient.

Sometimes getting the right treatment makes all of the difference. In my opinion it is best to use conservative treatments first. Sometimes acupuncture combined with craniosacral therapy can really help. Medications should be the last resort, especially if the headaches are weekly. Medications are important to take when one is in pain.  Medications are hard on the liver, kidney, and digestive tract when used often. Treating the cause needs to be considered first before covering up the body’s symptomatic cry for help. Medications should be the last resort for chronic headaches. Getting treated with craniosacral therapy, adjustments, muscle work, and acupuncture can at least lessen the need for medications, and at best get rid of the headaches and their recurrence.

Treating sooner rather than later is the rule with recurring headaches. That way you will feel better, and the need for treatments will be less.

Recent studies show that vitamin D supplementation not only supports healthy bones, it also maximizes healthy muscles, gums, and circulation; it is a cancer preventative for the colon and breasts; and helps improve health in those with multiple sclerosis. The big deal is that the tolerable upper limit should be raised 5 fold! Twenty -one clinical trials were done that used doses above the current upper limit of 2000 IU. For us folks up here in the Northeast evidence is showing that the seasonal immune challenges of winter coincide with the months that we get the least exposure to the sun. New research is showing that vitamin D plays a profound role in regulating the immune system. Studies have concluded that 1000-2000 IU’s of vitamin D could maintain a healthy colon, breasts, and reduces the incidence of fractures by up to 60% in senior citizens.

Vitamin D3 is a hormone like substance that is crucial for the absorption of calcium. The skin makes vitamin D after exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet radiation. In the summer when you get at least 15 minutes of sun exposure to your skin per day it is best to take 1000 IU’s of vitamin D3.  In the winter those with dark skin or those with little sun exposure up here in the northeast should take up to 4000IU’s of vitamin D3 each day. High doses of vitamin D are remarkably safe; no deaths have been caused by vitamin D. The RDA recommendations of vitamin D are too low. This should be raised due to the latest research, and have not been raised as of yet.

The sun has been vilified  because of skin cancer. Sun exposure is good in small doses that do not burn the skin. Sun exposure is made  safer when you eat lots of fruits and vegetables. These foods provide skin protection by way of the the antioxidants they give us. Sun exposure also raises the level of serotonin in our brains which helps combat depression that is related to  lack of sunlight; especially in the winter months.  Dark skinned people need more than 15 minutes a day of sunlight to get the  maximum benefit of serotonin and vitamin D production.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis can be prevented with weight beariing exercises; sunlight exposure;vitamins D, E, C, B12, K,    folic acid; and minerals including boron, calcium, magnesium, copper , and zinc.

Substances that deplete bone building calcium and magnesium  are soft drinks and sugar. High fructose corn syrup which is the predominate sugar in soda inhibits copper metabolism.

Vitamin D3, cholcalciferol is the best form of vitamin D to take. If you do not want  sun on your face which can accelerate skin aging , you can expose your arms and legs to the sun. Starting with a good diet,  sunlight, and then adding in supplements based on your skin color, and region that you live in are the best way to assure a strong immune system, healthy bones, gums, and colon.

I am back from Nelson! We had a class of 20 students, who were all quite sweet in their own way. I am looking forward to getting to know them. The new way of teaching biodynamic craniosacral therapy is less bumpy than the way that I was taught 7 years ago. The first module was about developing skills to hold the bigger picture.  Students were creating a ground of stability for the depth that happens with this type of body work. I was impressed by the class, the questions they asked, and the way they settled. I got to meet and assist with  Myrna and Ken Martin, and the lovely Shoshana.

Nelson was a beautiful place, in a hammock between the mountains, on a lake. The main street reminded me of Northampton. It seemed to be filled with healers and teachers. It was cold, I wore lots of layers, and when I was out and about I had on all the warm things that I brought. This is a gorgeous area of the planet, and the people were friendly and kind.

It amazed me that there are two full trainings in such a small population. It made me realize the concentration of inner growth that most people are doing there.

Two trainings are beginning to come into fruition in the Northeast. Cherionna is hoping to start one in Northampton, and Franklyn is hoping to start one in New York City.  This will not be until 2009. Contact me if you are interested in either one and I can point you in the right direction.

I will probably be assisting at-least one of them…

Wow what a fall ! In September I had the lovely opportunity to take a 5 day craniosacral advanced training with Franklyn Sills in New York City. It was at the Meta center which was a great place for the class; lots of light, and very little sound up on the 16th floor of a beautiful old building in Chelsea. We studied the five stages of shamanism and how they relate to cranial work. My understanding of the work has deepened since the class. Holding the mid-tide and the  long-tide all at once, while sitting in my fulcrums was what I got to experience. There was a piece about the heart that was also very profound.  We skimmed over some research on the scientific measurements of the hearts’ energy field and its energetic axis. Speaking of the heart, one of my favorite T.A.’s who assisted my initial training was there. We picked up like I had seen her the day before, even though I last saw her in 2001. Being with her in the group, in the stillness, was quite nourishing.

After that adventure in learning  I had the pleasure of assisting Cherionna Menzam in a 5 day introductory biodynamic craniosacral class in Vermont. I also enjoyed hearing her perspective on the work. Each teacher seems to bring their own experience to the teachings.

Cherionna brought in some of Emily Conrad’s continuum work. This helped the students experience the expansive parts of biodynamic craniosacral work more easily. Cherionna has quite an extensive educational and life experience background that she brings to her teaching. Her website is www.Cherionna.com . I look forward to having the pleasure of assisting her in a full 2 year training in Nelson, British Columbia. The first module starts over thanksgiving. I will be up in the mountains. I am looking forward to being in the northwest again. I have not been in the northwest since Chiropractic school in 1989. I have heard that Nelson is quite something. On a lake in the mountains, far away from most everything. It is 3 hours north of Spokane Washington. Maybe there will be some snow!

It is quite possible that Cherionna and I will be starting a full training in the Northampton Massachusetts area in the next few years. We are in the process of setting up an intro  class for the spring of 2008.

Lots has happened in the classes; and as you know this work can be difficult to find words for. I do feel that the work is constantly changing. I did learn about myself, and how I work. I noticed that I like to stay grounded in anatomy during sessions. It always helps me stay present.  Being with what is happening anatomically during treatments can be very healing.

I keep reminding myself that I am doing the type of work that Dr. Sutherland did after 40 years of study. I feel so grateful for that. One of my favorite parts of Franklyn’s class was watching him jump up and down saying “this work is not strange, it is real, science has proven it!”  He then spoke of quantum physics, and Newtonian physics; that both exist, both are real, and both make up who we are, and our world.  Right now; in this moment both of these types of physics  exist; and the scientific laws that they operate from are very different. There are bones and then there is the energy that breathes them. As a chiropractor, anatomy and structure make me very happy; especially when coupled with holding the existence of the underlying forces.  I move the bones (Newtonian physics) , and then I track the tides (quantum physics) And then there is the long tide, too big to describe.

Sooooo…. Be patient, get distracted in the moment, don’t look too hard, don’t stare down your life; it will come when you are not looking. Get on the table, breathe, and relax. Your system is connected to all of the intelligence of the great beyond.

P.S. Franklyn did say one thing I found interesting… He said that treatments do not really start doing the deeper work until a person has begun to settle, which is usually after the 6th visit.