A concussion is a result of a rapid movement of your head. A concussion can result from many activities such as collision, falling, tripping or even shaking your head up and down or side to side as in a rock concert.   Car accidents, sports injuries, slips and falls can all cause a concussion. Depending on the amount and direction of the force, vasculature in the brain can strain and internal bleeding may occur. Also damage is possible in the neurons, neuronal centers and glial brain tissue which support the various brain functions and actions.  The symptoms can be mild to very severe and can include dizziness, vertigo, fogginess, headache, head pain, forgetfulness, ringing in the ears, a feeling of tightness in and around the head and many other signs and symptoms associated with concussions. In fact symptoms may not show up until later, sometimes a year or more after the original incident. This is referred to as post concussion syndrome and can include emotional and behavioral symptoms and pain, a person may become more irritable and aggressive.  Anxiety, depression, apathy and other changes in personality may also occur in severe concussion.

Simply put, a concussion causes a disruption of the craniosacral mechanism. A person experiencing feelings of “foggy” headedness or difficulty remembering recent events may be expressing thinking / remembering signs of concussion. Headaches or sensitivity to light and noise is a physical indication of concussion. Onset of irritability, sadness, or anxiety without obvious cause can point to emotional / mood related concussion symptoms. And any change in the sleep pattern, whether more or less, may indicate a concussion has occurred as well. All of these symptoms may not occur at the same time or may be very mild, therefore, at the indication of any of them it is important to be evaluated.

Children are often unable to communicate physical signs of concussion. Other signs to look for in children include dazed appearance, excessive crying, change in eating patterns, lack of interest, lack of sleep and tiring easily. On rare occasions blood clots may form as a result of a concussion and danger signs should be taken very seriously. In children these signs include headache that does not go away and gets worse, weakness and loss of coordination, chronic vomiting and nausea, and slurred speech. In which case a visit to the emergency room, immediately is necessary to be cleared for any further intervention.

Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle hands on treatment that accesses the nervous system via the cranium (skull), sacrum (tailbone), dural tube (surrounding the spinal cord),  This system helps to enhance the production and distribution of cerebrospinal fluid throughout the body. Cerebrospinal fluid is an essential element that feeds brain cells and buffers a head impact.  This fluid is produced in the brain, and through the movement of the cranial bones, is circulated down the spinal column. The effects of providing this hands on attention to the craniosacral system for those suffering from post concussion syndrome can be profound at relieving symptoms offering an avenue that encourages the person’s own natural healing mechanism.  Craniosacral therapy is fundamentally an approach that encourages the body to self regulate and heal.

Elizabeth Sandel, M.D. a nationally recognized brain injury specialist, has stated craniosacral therapy can be effective at treating headaches, as well as neck and back pain that are common with post-concussion syndrome.

Chiropractic care combined with craniosacral therapy can help make corrections that can reverse a concussion. Chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine can relieve pain of the head and neck associated with concussions, and craniosacral therapy can greatly improve function.  Concussion is being talked about more openly lately and it affects not only athletes but the many who have had head injury from seemingly simple “bumps” on the head.  A concussion can happen to anyone and we strongly encourage anyone who has had a concussion to consider making an introductory appointment, Dr. Kaminsky can help you with your concussion symptoms.  

Concussion in football is commonplace and one healed advocate of Craniosacral Therapy is an NFL player by the name of Ricky Williams who has benefited greatly from CST. And to learn more about craniosacral Therapy and the treatment of Concussion you can visit the Upledger Institute website.

Alex was born in March 1972. At the age of 7 he started to experience frequent headaches with all the conventional symptoms of a Migraine headache. His particular headache resulted in him experiencing auras, nausea and sensitivity to light with no particular trigger to the onset of the migraine.

After years of treatments, therapies and medications, his headaches were no better and Alex continued to experience them all throughout childhood and into young adulthood. Some years the headaches would come monthly, some years every two to three months and some years weekly. His headaches were incurable, there was nothing that could alleviate the symptoms and head pain. Until he experienced cranial manual therapy, which resulted in the complete eradication of his life-long Migraine Headaches.

At the age of 16 Alex noticed a mild deformity in the right side of his ribs, a slightly lower right shoulder and the experience of constant lower back pain. Although mild, a diagnosis of Idiopathic Adolescent Scoliosis had been labeled.

At the age of 18 he was involved in a serious car accident that exacerbated his lower back pain. Throughout the years Alex had tried a multitude of conventional treatments but continued to suffer on and off with lower back pain, even throughout Chiropractic school and beyond.

In 2015 and fifteen+ years out of Chiropractic school, Dr. Kaminsky participated in his first and life changing Craniosacral Therapy seminar and he was fascinated, intrigued and hooked. It all made sense, he was immediately astute to its methods and since that first seminar, and as a result of trading sessions of Craniosacral Therapy with his colleagues, his back pain subsided and till this day has never returned.

Dr. Kaminsky decided to enhance his skill-set to better serve his patients. He began reaching out to other craniosacral therapists, cranial osteopaths, and many types of leading practitioners from various fields for advise and consultations He also enrolled in Upledger continuing education seminars with a focus on mostly hands-on manual and alternative therapies.

And, as he gained knowledge with his own health issues, he has learned to help more and more patients achieve great health results.

Dr. Alex Kaminsky is headache free and low back pain free, and has committed himself to a life of learning, teaching and treating patients. His emphasis is on the patient’s stored patterns of the body and each individual healthcare needs.