Reasons people sought Craniosacral Biodynamics, Summer 2023

I compile a seasonal summary of the types of issues that my Craniosacral Biodynamics clients have sought my therapeutic help with. Creating these lists reminds me of the wide range of issues that respond to Biodynamics.

Craniosacral Biodynamics works with the body-mind-energy system’s rhythms, patterns, and physiology from the inside out in these ways:

  • deepening the parasympathetic relaxed state in which healing occurs
  • strengthening the coherence of the internal systems (nervous, digestive, etc.), improving regulation
  • facilitating the system’s ability to heal, thus increasing overall health

The list below is for sessions given between early July and September 15. Some clients had multiple issues, and in some cases, multiple clients experienced the same issue.

Maintaining wellness.

Curious about experiencing Craniosacral Biodynamics
Deepen coherence and relaxation
Deepen meditative connection
Increase sense of well-being
Prevent migraines

Recovery.

Recover from 10-year-old head injury
Recover from a fall
Recover from bump on head

Relief for specific areas of the body.

After-effects of Bell’s palsy
Back pain
Bruxism (teeth clenching/grinding)
Constipation
Pain from degenerated disc
Diarrhea
Discomfort in chest
Ear issues
Eye issues
Feeling of fullness in one ear
Headaches
Hearing loss
Hip pain
Intestinal parasites
Intracranial pressure
Jaw issues
Mast cell activation syndrome
Menstrual discomfort
Neck pain
Pain pattern on right side of body
Plantar fasciitis
Severe neck and jaw pain
Sinus congestion

Whole body issues.

Anxiety
Brain fog
Brain-based pain
Depletion
Dysregulation
Fatigue
Fibromyalgia/central sensitization
High blood pressure
High emotions
Inflammation
Insomnia
Menopause
Overwhelm
Relationship breakup

Click here to read my previous seasonal summary, for spring 2023.


Reasons people got Craniosacral Biodynamics (summer 2022)

What is Craniosacral Biodynamics? The name may not mean much if you are unfamiliar with this type of hands-on therapy.

It helps to share why people seek it, so I write these seasonal summaries of what my clients are seeking.

Craniosacral Biodynamics is different from most types of bodywork in that it works from the inside out, with internal rhythms and patterns, rather than working from the outside in, like massage therapy.

It can help with a wide variety of issues.

In every session, receivers shift into a deeply relaxed state in which the innate intelligence in their system can pause, reflect, and reorganize their tissues, fluids, and energies toward greater health.

One of the benefits of this modality is that it affects specific physical issues as well as whole body issues. The deep relaxation that clients experience empowers the body’s innate healing abilities for all kinds of issues.

Some clients come in with one issue, others with three or four. Often there’s a mix of specific physical issues and whole body issues.

Changes occur during sessions and continue afterwards. Sometimes clients notice a week or so later that an issue has disappeared.

The work is also cumulative. Often issues do not reoccur, and in subsequent sessions the work addresses deeper strain patterns and imprints of overwhelm, releasing these bound energies to return you to greater wholeness and vitality.

Specific physical issues

tension in thoracic inlet
atlanto-occipital joint tension
pain around C1 transverse process
frontal headache
tight cranial bones
mid-back strain
chest and upper back tension
neck, shoulder/s pain or tension
jaw tension or pain
sacrum unbalanced
dysfunction from old knee injury
structural asymmetry from playing a musical instrument
energy block at back of heart
vestibular cranial nerve and brain stem issues
foot pain
hip joint popping

Whole body issues

healer burnout
work-related stress
long-term stress
dysfunction from trauma
deep attachment trauma
reorganizing after releasing deep attachment trauma
fixations from Enneagram type
post-partum recovery
overwhelm from mothering young children
insomnia
anxiety
depression
PMS
overwhelm from excessive heat

Here’s the list for spring 2022.

Reasons people sought craniosacral biodynamics (spring 2022)

Here are some reasons people have come to me for Craniosacral Biodynamics sessions in the past few months. Most of the time, people had multiple issues going on. I’ve consolidated them into general categories.

You can see that the range is wide.

  • breathing issues
  • muscle tension and/or pain (neck, throat, shoulders, upper back, lower back, chest, jaw, face, hip, glute, calf)
  • muscle twitching
  • migraine, chronic headaches, chronic migraines
  • fatigue, chronic fatigue
  • restlessness
  • nerve energy, nerve damage
  • integration after trauma, recovery from multiple traumas, physical and emotional childhood trauma
  • re-regulation after long COVID, reset after multiple challenges during pandemic
  • sadness, grief
  • emotional upheaval, severe emotional shock after break-up, feeling unsettled from work
  • managing bipolar condition
  • empty feeling at solar plexus, chaotic feeling at solar plexus, engaging personal power instead of hiding
  • insomnia
  • better heart rate variability
  • stress, anxiety, wanting to feel secure and relaxed, anxiety about upcoming presentation
  • auto-immune issues
  • holding heaviness in part of body
  • adjusting to new nightguard
  • wonky atlas, cranium feels unbalanced
  • withdrawal from psychiatric drug while waiting for new one to kick in
  • reset after various health issues
  • addressing a layer of inertia
  • three past untreated concussions

You may be curious how one bodywork modality can work with so many different issues.

The simple reason is that Craniosacral Biodynamics augments your own system’s ability to heal, no matter the cause of dysfunction. Everything in your system has a pattern, and sometimes patterns become unbalanced or strained.

Practitioners trained in Craniosacral Biodynamics can help your system move these patterns toward resolution — if they are ready to change.

We all have multiple strain patterns, and there is always something ready to transform.

How does it work? During a session we both get very quiet and still. You sink into a state of deep relaxation. Some people fall asleep. Others stay awake enough to feel shifts occurring within.

I tune into your system, and with attention and support, it pauses, gathers potency (intelligent energy), and starts reorganizing the patterns that are ready to optimize.

This work continues after you leave my office.

Here’s my list for the winter of 2021-22.

Policies

Welcome.

I’m here to do my best for you. In this line of work, we are always seeking more health. You are too, or you wouldn’t be here. I look forward to working together.

Please read through my policies. I’m happy to answer any questions you have.

Appointments

Bodywork sessions are by appointment only. You may schedule your own appointment online. You may also contact me first (preferably scheduling a free phone consultation) if you have any questions.

Please try to arrive 5 minutes early to decompress before your session. If possible, allow yourself some down-time after your session to integrate.

Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you. I send a reminder email and text 48 hours in advance of your start time.

If you need to reschedule, please be kind and do so as soon as possible. You may reschedule online or by emailing, texting, or leaving a voicemail for me.

If you miss an appointment with less than 24 hours of notice, you will be responsible for full payment for the session.

Rates

Initial appointments and 90 minute sessions: $165.

Follow-up appointments/60 minute sessions: $135.

Multi-session packages and subscriptions are discounted by 10 percent.

Payment

When you schedule yourself online, you prepay with a credit card.

If you prefer to pay with cash, check made out to MaryAnn Reynolds, or a cash app, I will need to schedule your session for you.

Special instructions for American Express cards: enter the card number minus the last digit. Then enter the four-digit CVV code. Then enter the last digit of the credit card number. If this doesn’t work, try another type of card or ask me to send you a payment request in PayPal or Venmo.

I accept Health Care Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account cards.

Tips are not accepted. I do appreciate feedback (both positive and about how I can improve), and spreading the word to others in person or in writing about a good experience is deeply appreciated.

I do not work with insurance companies, but if you request a receipt, I can provide one after your session(s) that you can submit to your insurance company or HCSA/FSA plan for reimbursement.

Packages

Multi-session packages are discounted by 10 to 20 percent.

Packages never expire, and they are non-refundable. If you buy a package and cannot use all the sessions, you may request a gift certificate for the balance. 

If you would like to request a package or gift certificate not listed on my Scheduling link, please contact MaryAnn at 512-507-4184.

Mask policy

When Austin/Travis County is in Stage 4 or 5, masks are required at all times throughout the office suite and in my private office, regardless of vaccination status.

The only exception is during the intraoral portion of TMJ Relief sessions, when you will need to unmask. I will give you some antiseptic solution (Listerine or a 1% peroxide solution or salt water) to rinse your mouth with before proceeding.

In Stage 3 or below, you may be unmasked if you feel safe doing so, and I will ask you if you are comfortable with me unmasking. (I’m vaxxed and boosted.)

I run a Winix air filter at all times when I am working. It more than meets the highest CDC and WHO recommendations.

If you have a sore throat, fever, or other symptoms of illness, please reschedule your session.

Treating TMJ issues: foods and nutrients that can make a difference

There are so many things you can do to relieve the stress that usually accompanies TMJ pain and dysfunction. Today I want to write about nutrients that can make a difference.

You can get these nutrients in the form of supplements, and sometimes that’s easiest, but studies are finding that our bodies are not absorbing some of the expensive supplements we take to improve our health.

Fresh and organic foods grown in good soil make it more likely that your body will absorb and integrate these nutrients for your benefit.

You’ll want to first get your digestive system in good shape if it’s not, especially healing any leaky gut issues by consuming prebiotic and probiotic foods daily to build a healthy gut microbiome. (You may be surprised at the health benefits — it’s now proven that regular consumption of fermented foods reduces inflammation anywhere in the body.)

There’s a lot of information available online, and you can also work with a nutritionist.

On to the nutritional foods! The B-complex vitamins are 8 vitamins that often occur together in food sources. They give us energy, and stress depletes them, so when you’re stressed, you need even more B vitamins to avoid fatigue.

Clenching and grinding your teeth are signs of stress, and these habits also stress the muscles involved, creating tension and pain and other jaw issues.

Reducing stress is a key to changing the patterns that result in TMJ issues.

Note that 30-60% of people do not absorb folic acid (B9) and B12 unless they are in the methylated form, so if you’re buying a B vitamin supplement, read the labels. 

Best food sources: meat (especially liver), salmon, dairy, eggs, legumes, brewer’s yeast, spinach, and mushrooms.

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Vitamin C produces collagen (see below), which is present in the cartilage in your joints. The articular disk in your TMJ is made of cartilage, and you want to keep it healthy and undamaged. If your TMJs click or pop or crunch or otherwise make noise, this disk is at risk.

Vitamin C is also easily depleted by stress.

Best food sources: fruits like guava, oranges, kiwi, grapefruit, and strawberries, and veggies like bell peppers, kale, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.

Vitamin D3 helps with bone health and muscle function, decreases pain, and improves feelings of well-being. It’s an antidote to stress.

Most people (except those working outdoors with the sun shining directly on their skin without sunscreen) need to supplement to get enough, although you can get at least some of the D3 you need from sunshine. Outside peak UV hours is best, of course.

Cod liver oil is the highest food source. You can also place store-bought fresh or dried mushrooms in sunshine to absorb Vitamin D from the sun. 

Glucosamine helps preserve joint health, rebuilding cartilage (the disc between your upper and lower jaw bones is made of cartilage), lubricating joints, reducing pain, and improving range of motion. More effective than ibuprofen at reducing pain, it can also help with jaw clicking. It can take 4-8 weeks of supplementation to ease pain. 

This is a nutrient that isn’t easily found in food, except for bone broth made with chicken feet, ox tails, marrow, tendons, knuckle or cartilaginous joints, or shrimp shells. If you decide to supplement, plan on taking 1500 mg daily.

Type II collagen can also help preserve cartilage. Some collagen products also contain glucosamine, so read the label if you take collagen. 

Vitamin K2 helps with calcium absorption, which strengthens bones and nerve function.

Food sources: the Japanese fermented soybean dish natto, grass-fed butter, Gouda, Edam, and Brie cheeses, grass-fed meat, pasture-raised eggs, sauerkraut, and yogurt/kefir.

Magnesium and calcium are essential minerals that many of us are deficient in. Magnesium helps with muscle function (muscle tension causes jaw pain). Calcium helps with bones and nerve signaling.

Food sources for magnesium include leafy greens, dark chocolate, avocados, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and figs. If you supplement, try magnesium threonate or glycinate to bypass bowel distress. 

Food sources for calcium: sardines (with bones), yogurt or dairy kefir, raw milk, and cheese.

Omega 3s have been shown to ease pain and inflammation as effectively as ibuprofen.

Food sources: wild salmon and other fish/seafood like mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, and oysters, seaweed, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.

New research indicates that grinding during sleep and restless leg syndrome may be related and that both are signs of a dopamine deficiency. Tyrosine is an amino acid that helps your body produce more dopamine.

Good sources are beef (specifically skirt steak, so bring on the fajitas if you eat meat), lean pork chops, salmon, lean chicken breast, and firm tofu.

Do you notice some foods appearing over and over? Wild salmon, pasture-raised eggs, yogurt/kefir, sardines with bones, leafy greens, and cruciferous veggies are particularly nutrient-dense foods that you can incorporate one or more of at every meal.

As always, get the best quality food you can find and afford: grass-fed/grass-finished meat, pasture-raised organic eggs, wild-caught low-mercury fish like salmon and sardines, organic fruits and vegetables, hormone-free organic dairy.

Why? Because the cells in your body are constantly turning over! They die and new ones are born.

What do you think the new cells are made of? The foods and fluids you consume! The better quality of food and drink that you consume, the healthier you become.


What to do if you have jaw issues? I offer a 30-minute in-person TMJ consultation to gather information and evaluate your issues. I teach clenchers an alternative to clenching as well as the above information to stop grinding.

These habits are major contributors to TMJ issues, and you can change them.

If you’re not in Austin, I can do the above as well as help you learn what to ask about when seeking TMJ relief near you. Just let me know if you need a phone or Zoom consultation.

I offer a combination TMJ Consultation plus TMJ Relief session in person in Austin, Texas. The consultation serves as an intake, so I have a better idea of what your issues are and how we’ll measure progress. Your consultation is free when combined with your first TMJ Relief session. This is a two-hour session.

To be fair, when you’ve had TMJ issues for a long time, or they are acute, you may need multiple sessions to retrain your system to retain the ease and alignment, along with doing your homework to stop clenching or grinding your teeth.

I offer a package of four TMJ Relief sessions for 10 percent off single sessions, best done a week or two apart. These sessions are 90 minutes and integrate various bodywork modalities — including work in your mouth — so that you feel great when you get off the table. They are best done over 4 to 6 weeks.

If you’re really adventurous, you can schedule a 75-minute Self-Treatment for TMJ Issues session on Zoom where we’ll do an intake and I will teach you how to work on releasing the tension patterns that cause problems, including working in your own mouth. You’ll need clean hands and short nails. It’s really not that hard! Learn more about it here.