Constiptation? Why Craniosacral therapy beats meds?

What causes your constipation?

Sometimes , it can be caused by a change in the diet, too little (or even too much) fibre.

​Or eating something that you haven become allergic to e.g. wheat

Chronic constipation, means that you find it impossible or difficult to pass faceces on an ongoing daily bases for weeks, months or years!
Your doctor may also call it a specific type of irritable bowl syndrome (IBS), but actually it is a medical diagnosis given when the cause of the problem is unknown. Sadly, it means you end up on the merry-go-round between irritability, pain and pill popping. In the long term, if left unresolved and the problem persists there is known risks of bowel cancer.

Sometimes constipation is associated with low mood, anxiety; too stressed out and too busy to go and sit down?
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Frequently, not enough drinking water and exercise are heralded as 'contributory factors'.

Why medications are only a short term solution

Laxatives a very useful in an emergency situation - but if you come to depend on drugs them to get relief, then dangerous.
The body is constantly looking maintain balance in the body, and even if you can't "go", the body will find work-around or get you to find the right support.
Some examples include;

• releasing toxins through the skin - noticeable if you are feeling itchy,
• craving a certain food or drink that will kick start "things", e.g. coffee, alcohol etc.,
• doubling over in abdominal pain, acts as a comfort and gentle massage!
• Not being hungry anymore reduces the burden in the system.

Back to medications, there is a famous saying that says, when we are poorly, our bodies go through healing. However, when you have drugs, you need to heal twice, once for the root of original problem and again to recover from the effects of putting medication into your system.

So, what is going on inside digestion?

There is a very large nerve that emerges from your brain and travels to most organs in the body including the bowels. It is called the Vagus nerve, also known as the "wanderer". Stress and unexpressed, squashed down emotions affects it.  Also, unresolved traumatic experiences affect the tone and functioning of this special cranial nerve. Most of the nerve endings of the vagus nerve end in the tummy. When the nerves don't tell the bowels to push things along.....the production line comes to a halt!

The gut is said to have a brain that sends more messages to our "upstairs" brain than the other way round. Stress can also upset the biodiversity in the gut, leaving not enough of the "good" ones to breakdown the food. Toxic load builds up sending subtle alarm signals to the brain. If the brain receives these incoming signals at the same time as other internal and external stressors , the system goes into an overwhelm......a shut down. And that is not just a metaphor, that shut down can include your bowels, too!
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Tensions held in the body from shock and trauma can often interfere with the bloody supply, cell metabolism and presence of the right chemical hormones. Serotonin, a feel good hormone - most if it is produced in the gut!

Our bowels are closely linked to our emotions too. Ever noticed friends and loved ones, holding on to so much, so tight, holding it in, inside.....metaphorically and then... also....quite literally!
They can't go to the toilet (aka "let go")

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Why Craniosacral therapy?

Craniosacral works in harmony with your mind-body. The therapist 'tunes' in, a kind of special listening to you to allow some relaxation and awareness in. The body is very intelligent and like shinning a torch, the body can 'see' what it needs to do to fix itself.
And if you are ready to work stuck emotion, and "let go" of some stickiness, we're here to support you in that too.

The added advantage of craniosacral therapy is that there is no outside intention, toxin or force, that you would otherwise need to heal from (e.g. medications, deep tissue massage, needles etc.)

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Research to support Craniosacral therapy?

12 Year old with chronic constipation - comparing with standard medication was more effective both in speed of relief of symptoms and also long sustained term relief after treatment stopped.
www.iahe.com/docs/articles/Pediatric_Chronic_Constipation_and_CranioSacral_Therapy.pdf
"During the third treatment the girl reported that she slept well and when she went to the bathroom in the morning she had forgotten that she had experienced problems for the last two months"
"The patient was thrilled with CranioSacral therapy, and stated that it was less invasive and more effective than what she had tried (laxatives) before"

Another study, in a case of a 49 year old survivor of trauma
massagetherapyfoundation.org/archives/recipient/use-craniosacral-therapy-treatment-constipation
​"CST facilitated the release of adverse mechanical strain patterns associated with somatic memories"
​{somatic memories = history stored away in the body}

Research limited but anacedotes abundance!

There isn't a huge pot of money to pay for more quality research or prove efficacy . However, there is plenty of experience people have shared all over forums on the web. Here, on the right is one from an anxious mother about their babies constipation. Note "Gooseberrybushes" an mother response to the NHS advice! 

"We tried lot of boring predictable remedies, which made no difference....each [craniosacral session] had a marvelous effect"

Happy relief!

Try a Craniosacral treatment or two for yourself - feel better!