Modalities ~

•Visceral Manipulation (Organ-Specific Fascial Mobilization)

•Craniosacral Therapy

•SomatoEmotional Release

•Neural Reset Therapy

•Myofascial Release (Connective Tissue Therapy)

•Kinesthetic Awareness Mobilization (movement-based Trager techniques & stretching)

•Pranayama (Breathwork, Vagal Toning, & Spiritual Alchemy)

•Shiatsu (TCM & working with the body's energy meridians)

•Reiki / Chackra Balancing / Polarity Therapy / Energy Palpation

•Neuromuscular Therapy

•Therapeutic, Orthopedic, & Medical Massage

Each session is customized to meet your bodywork goals, using a variety of modalities.

Visceral Manipulation (Organ-Specific Fascial Mobilization)

Visceral Manipulation was developed by French Osteopath, Jean-Pierre Barral. This delicate manual therapy is often cited as a missing link in the treatment of recurring musculoskeletal pain, postural distortions and biomechanical dysfunction.

This is a fully-clothed modality.

How Can Organs Cause Pain and Dysfunction?

Your body is made up of many interrelated components such as bones, muscles, nerves, a thin connective tissue called fascia, as well as the internal organs (viscera). Your organs are in perpetual motion. When you breathe, walk and stretch, your organs move in your chest and abdomen. For example, when you take a breath, your kidneys move one inch; and with deep inhalation, they move 4 inches. In a day, they move a little over ½ mile. That's around 19,000 miles in an average lifetime!

This movement of organs is transmitted through fascia to other structures of the body. When you are healthy, all the structures move with an interconnected fluidity. All of this movement is important as it influences activities throughout the body from the tiniest cellular pulsations to rhythmic contractions of the heart and blood flow. Optimum health relies on a harmonious relationship between the motions of the organs and other structures of the body.

There are many reasons for an organ to lose its mobility: physical traumas, surgeries, sedentary lifestyle, infections, pollution, bad diet, poor posture and pregnancy/delivery. When an organ is no longer freely mobile but is fixed to another structure, the body is forced to compensate. This disharmony creates fixed, abnormal points of tension and the chronic irritation gives way to functional and structural problems throughout the body – musculoskeletal, vascular, nervous, urinary, respiratory and digestive, to name a few.

Imagine scar tissue around the lungs. Because of the pull of the adhesion, with every breath, the movement patterns of the nearby structures would be altered. This could shift rib motion creating pulls on the spine. These restrictions might then show up as mid-back and neck pain, as well as limited motion in the shoulder. This scenario highlights just one of hundreds of possible ramifications of a small dysfunction - magnified by thousands of repetitions each day. This also explains how pain can often be far removed from the actual cause.

Visceral Manipulation can benefit:

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Chronic musculoskeletal pain
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Headaches and Migraines
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Sciatica
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Back, hip and knee pain
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Repetitive strain injuries, e.g. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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Whiplash and other physical trauma
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Shoulder periarthritis and capsulitis
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Restricted range of motion
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Vertigo
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Post-surgical pain and Scar tissue
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Post-cardiac surgery
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Swallowing difficulties
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Acid Reflux and Heartburn
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Endometriosis
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Fibroids and Cysts
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Bladder incontinence
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Crohn's Disease
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Liver disorders
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Digestive disorders
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Neuromotor problems
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Ward off infection
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Emotional disorders
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Anxiety and Depression
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
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and much more
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CranioSacral Therapy (CST) & SomatoEmotional Release (SER)

Pioneered and developed by John E. Upledger (after extensive scientific studies from 1975 to 1983 at Michigan State University), CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on approach to evaluating and enhancing the craniosacral system, which is comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

CST is a complementary treatment that releases tensions deep in the body to help reduce pain, relieve dysfunction, and improve whole-body health and performance. By facilitating the body's natural and innate healing processes, CST is increasingly used as a preventive healthcare measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease.

This is a fully-clothed modality.

How Does CranioSacral Therapy Work?

Few structures have as much influence over the body’s ability to function properly as the brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system. And few systems have as much impact on the central nervous system as the craniosacral system — the membranes and fluid that surround, protect and nourish the brain and spinal cord. Every day your body endures stresses and strains, and your body’s fascial structures work to compensate for them. Unfortunately, these changes often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system, which can then cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord.

The result is a barrier to the healthy performance of the central nervous system, and potentially every other system it interacts with. Fortunately, such restrictions can be detected and corrected using simple methods of touch. Hard touch often triggers the body’s tissues to tighten protectively from the impact, restricting motion and inhibiting physiological processes. Thus, it is through using about 5 grams of pressure (about the weight of a nickel) that the CST practitioner can evaluate and treat the craniosacral system, gently feeling various locations of the body to test for the ease of motion and rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid pulsing around the brain and spinal cord.

Soft touch techniques are then used to release restrictions in any tissues influencing the craniosacral system. By normalizing the environment around the brain and spinal cord and enhancing the body’s ability to self-correct, CranioSacral Therapy is able to alleviate a wide variety of dysfunctions.

CranioSacral Therapy can benefit:

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Chronic musculoskeletal pain
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Headaches and Migraines
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Central Nervous System Disorders
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Chronic Fatigue
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Concussion
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Fibromyalgia
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Neck and Back Pain
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Orthopedic Problems
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Post-Traumatic Stress 
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Scoliosis
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Spinal Cord Injuries
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Stress and Tension Related Disorders
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TMJ Syndrome
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Traumatic Brain Injury
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Anxiety, Depression, & Mood disorders
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SomatoEmotional Release is an advanced modality within CranioSacral Therapy that expands on the core principles to help rid the body of the residual effects of past trauma and negative emotional experiences that may be trapped in the body’s fascia.

Recognizing that negative emotions like anger, fear, and guilt, especially those associated with past trauma or injuries, can become lodged in the body's tissues, organs, and even cells, the process is a facilitation of a naturally occurring phenomenon, where the body, when ready, can release the stored energy and emotions. As the emotional energy is released, the body can begin to reorganize itself, often leading to a sense of relief from physical and emotional tension. During the release process, individuals may experience various physical sensations, such as tingling, warmth, muscle twitching, or shaking, as the body releases tension.

Neural Reset Therapy (NRT)

NRT is derived from the work of neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington and physiologist Eduard Friedrich Wilhelm Pflüger, who investigated the nervous system over a century ago to uncover its basic operating laws, such as The Law of Reciprocal Inhibition and the Law of Symmetry which are utilized in this modality. NRT is a practical, rapid and reliable way to apply these laws of physiology with this advanced form of manual therapy.

Muscles are controlled by the nervous system. Proper application of NRT resets the nervous system to release a muscle from excessive tension. With the reset, the knots, pain, and tightness are gone. Joint mobility and posture are improved.

This is a fully-clothed modality.

How Does Neural Reset Therapy Work?

In your body, there are specialized nerve bundles called mechanoreceptors. The receptors respond to pressure, velocity, vibration, stretch, and other forces. When receptors detect a change, a signal is sent to the spinal cord and then relayed to the brain.

With NRT, the therapist briefly stimulates the receptors embedded in the selected muscle by asking for a position to be held in gentle resistance or for a movement in a particular direction. The therapist adds a tapping, vibratory, or kinesthetic stimulus upon the muscle in such a way as to cause receptors to send a special message to the spinal cord.

That new message goes through the spinal integrating center which will reset the nervous system so the muscle is optimized neurologically. With the reset, the muscular pain and tightness can disappear within seconds.

Neural Reset Therapy can benefit:

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Neck and Back Pain
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Muscle Spasms
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Hip Pain
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Tension Headaches
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Tennis and golf elbow
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Carpal tunnel syndrome
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Rotator cuff pain
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Chronic Fatigue
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Concussion
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Pain from unknown causes
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Persistent pain after trauma
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Contact me

Interested in working together? I work out of several locations in Whitefish, MT. Send me a message and we can set up an appointment at the location that best fits your needs.