
CST & The Breath of Life
Cerebrospinal Fluid and the Craniosacral Rhythm Perhaps the most basic principle of Osteopathy is that the body should freely move in response to the Craniosacral Rhythm. This rhythm is produced by the production and reabsorption of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), which is found circulating the brain and spinal cord. It can be found in the ventricles of the brain, the central canal of the Spinal cord, and the Subarachnoid space. The production and reabsorption of CSF is what we


"50 Year" Shoulder: From Frozen to Fluid
Why the nickname 50-Year shoulder? Well, because it's a condition that often appears in middle aged women, between 50-70, and less so in middle aged men. It is a multifaceted issue that combines previous history of falls (even "minor" ones) or injury to the neck, elbows, shoulders, as well as other areas of the body, hormone deficiency (as is common in menopause and andropause), as well as lifestyle, and to some degree dietary inflammation. Diabetes mellitus is also an ass


The Left Hip's Connected to the Right Shoulder
The Osteopathic approach is to assess the pattern and function of various body tissues and structures involved in supporting and initiating movement. Then, we treat what we find. A frequent pattern that I see is a Cross pattern - where the lower part of the body has pain on one side and the upper side of the body has pain on the opposite side. This frequently happens in the hips and shoulders. It's what we can see as an Ascending Chain of Dysfunction. This pattern can st


Piriformis Syndrome: A Real Pain in the Butt
First off...anytime something is called a "Syndrome", it is typically a red flag for me. It's generally a synonym for "we don't have a clue" and is bandied about when the cause of an illness or cluster of symptoms is a mystery. In the case of Piriformis Syndrome, it is more because it is a controversial diagnosis, and at times, a difficult to diagnose condition since Piriformis Syndrome can masquerade as other common dysfunctions in the lumbo-sacral region. Since more tha