Like the days are just too blue, even though it is bright and sunny out? Sometimes a person becomes depressed for no apparent reason. This is referred to as idiopathic endogenous depression (IED), depression of unknown internal origin. Depression will sometimes be experienced after an accident, such as after a car accident or whiplash, fall on to their tailbone or other fall. Sometimes when a woman has recently given birth she experiences post-partum depression. These bouts of depression can fit into the classification of IED. Oftentimes the reason for the depression is unclear. There is no outward and obvious injury or cause for depression, CT scans and MRIs are clear, but the person feels that something is still "wrong." They just don't understand what is going on.

In CranioSacral Therapy (CST) there is a phenomenon referred to as the "Triad of Compression/Depression." When one, two or three of the following joints are compressed, idiopathic endogenous depression can occur. Those three areas are the occipital cranial base, the joint between L5 and S1 at the sacrum and the sphenobasilar joint. Compression of these areas also can cause post-partum depression or pituitary/hormonal related depression. Decompression, using CST techniques, of these three areas is key treatment to helping individuals with these situations.

The occipital cranial base is the area between the occiput and the first vertebra. It can become jammed or compressed when someone has experienced whiplash from a car accident, horse back riding accident, falling and hitting their chin, just to name a few.

The sacral compression is when the joint between the last lumbar vertebra, L5 and the top of the sacrum, S1 become compressed. THis can occur after a fall, whiplash accident, "throwing out" one's back, lifting heavy objects, being overweight or as a result of pregnancy. When a pregnant woman carries for nine months weight of the baby, this can cause compression between L5 and S1. Add onto that the pressure that is experienced during labor and delivery. Compression can result from pregnancy and delivery in a number of ways: by just being pregnant, pregnant with more than one baby, being on bed rest and restricted movement, having contractions for an extended period of time, the baby having difficulty moving through the birth canal, delivery of a baby large proportionally to the size of the mother. And this compression can also occur from a rapid birth. It is my professional opinion that post-partum depression could be easily avoided were mothers to receive CST during her pregnancy, just prior to birth and after delivery of the baby.

The sphenobasilar joint is the joint between the occipital bone and sphenoid bone in the head. Similar to the occipital cranial base, it can become jammed from falls and whiplash, along with dental work and sinus surgeries. The sphenoid is considered the "keystone bone", because almost every bone in the head directly connects to it. The pituitary gland, the master gland of the body, sits directly on top of the sphenoid. The sphenoid is supposed to "milk" the pituitary by its minute and gentle motion. If the sphenoid is not able to properly move, then there is a direct or indirect effect on everything else - hormone production and regulation may not optimally occur due to the pituitary not functioning properly; there are vital cranial nerves and blood vessels immediately next to the sphenoid and may not be able to function properly in sending nerve signals or blood flow; and other bones in the head may be slightly jammed due to the sphenoid's inability to properly move.

Candace Pert, PhD, found that there was a direct correlation between those with depression and those whose cerebral spinal fluid did not flow completely to the end of the dural tube. The dural tube is a membraneous sac within the vertebral column of the spine, which contains the nerves of the spinal cord and the cerebral spinal fluid. The dural tube attaches at the top of the spine and connects with the dura membrane surrounding the brain and containing cerebral spinal fluid. Cerebral spinal fluid flows unimpeded through out this membrane. It is responsible for acting as a shock absorber or cushion to the brain and spinal cord, nourish the nerves of the brain and the spinal cord and carry away wastes and toxins. The flow of the cerebral fluid can be limited when there are these compressions described, as well as from surgery or illnesses.

So what to do? Quite simply receiving a series of CST sessions can effectively decompress these joints to allow the body to optimally be able to move again and to allow cerebral spinal fluid to flow to nourish the brain and nerves of the spine.

I recommend that clients receive a minimum of three treatments within a month to determine if CST is beneficial for them. WIth three sessions, the client should be able to recognize a difference in their health and determine if to continue CST. If treatment is not creating the desired results then a referral to an advanced CST practitioner or other type of health care practitioner is recommended.

Below is a story of one of my client's experience with depression and CST. It was published in the book, Working Wonders: Changing LIves with CST.

Should you or anyone you know suffer from depression or any health situation that is unresolved, I highly encourage you to call me and schedule some appointments so you can determine for yourself, before you get to the end of your rope, how CST can make a difference in your life! There is hope!

~ Julie

Anna’s Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow by Julie McKay, CST-D, NCTMB, RBFP

I am a massage therapist and bodyworker for a variety of reasons. One reason is that I enjoy helping others. I love getting paid to do what I love, bodywork. However as I discovered with one client, sometimes the best payment comes in forms other than money.

Meet Anna (not her real name). Anna is 15. She lives with her sister Cherie, because her relationship with her mother is difficult. Anna and Cherie came in to get massages. Anna looked like she had a dark cloud hanging over her head.

My massage therapist husband worked with Cherie and I worked with Anna. We began by discussing her client history forms. Anna had never had a massage before. Her low back had some pain and tension along with constant headaches, migraines, and depression. Anna told me that she has had depression for as long as she can remember. (Any amount of time is too long for a 15 year old to have depression.) She told me that when she was in first and then sixth grades she had fallen and split open her chin both times. She also told me she had injured her tailbone. On top of all of that, she also has a difficult time sleeping.

In listening to her difficulties, I realized that she was one who could benefit from some CranioSacral Therapy (CST). I told Anna this and a bit about CST. I described what a session was like, how her accidents in grade school could have contributed to her problems of headaches, migraines, depression and sleep difficulties, not to mention the low back pain. I told her I understood that she came expecting a “rub my muscles, make me feel good” type of massage and if that was what she wanted, I would give her a massage. But that a CST session would be just as relaxing as well as could be therapeutically very helpful. What would she like to do?

It made a lot of sense to her about how her accidents could have caused these long-term difficulties. She definitely felt that something was “off” or “not right.” She wanted to give it a try! She’d try anything to help her situation. She didn’t like being in pain and depressed.

We did a 10-Step Protocol, starting her off with some time on a Still Point Inducer™. Five minutes later, when I took her off the Still Point Inducer, she was smiling as her headache was gone!

During the session my hands worked with a body that was tight! Her sacrum and sphenoid were both very compressed. I was glad that we were able to offer her body a time and space to start to let go of the trauma it had sustained and had held on to for years.

By the end of her session her cranial rhythm was stronger and fuller. Anna had even fallen into a deep sleep.

When she came out of the treatment room to meet up with her sister she was GLOWING! Not knowing what to call her first experience of CST, she said “That was the best back rub ever! I feel like I’m high – a good high!” The 15 year old who walked into my office that evening under a dark rain cloud walked out with no headache.

Best of all, the sparkle in her eyes and the huge smile on her face made her look as if she had found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!

Seeing Anna like that was the best payment a client has ever given me. It is very rewarding knowing that I helped Anna, and have continued to do so, relieve her headaches and depression to the point that she can spend better time at home with Mom.

Thanks for the wonderful experience Anna!

Julie McKay, CST-D, NCMTB, RBFP