An auto accident in 1989 left me with a traumatic brain injury. As a result, I developed neurological, orthopedic, respiratory, dental and psychiatric symptoms.  The pain that resulted from this accident was undiagnosed and untreated.

After numerous attempts seeking traditional treatments for pain, I spent two weeks at the Upledger Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, FL undergoing cranial sacral therapy. Those sessions saved my life. My pain went from 200% to 50% at Upledger – which made it possible for me to attend to my injuries (broken bones, spinal cord injury, TBI).

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that indicates touch therapy is an effective treatment for traumatic brain injury as well as other physiological and psychiatric conditions. 
[Touch Research Institute]

 With that in mind I invited practitioners from A Touch of Healing Massage Therapy Clinic to present at The Big Bend Brain Injury Support Group. The practitioners provided instruction and techniques for massage, relaxation and stress reduction.  The group received both didactic and “hands on” instruction.  The greatest outcome of this meeting was that we were able to treat one another.

 The presentation began with a discussion on the value and therapeutic effects of touch. Further the massage therapists explained the need for massage therapy in a society filled with people who have become “human doings” rather than human beings. Resultantly, our bodies are rarely at rest. A body at rest can recover from trauma and stress and begin to repair.

 Touch itself is healing. Scripture was quoted you shall lay on hands and be healed. : Christ was able to do most of his healing with physical touch.

 Our group was very receptive to the idea of touching one another. There was no lack of volunteers for a massage from the pros. Most group members have friends and family attend who administered massage.


 In attendance as well was the hospital Vice President and Chief Communications Administrator as well as the Department Head of the TMH Neuroscience Center. It was a show of good faith as there is a paucity of resources for TBI patients in North Florida. Thousands of TBI patients in our region could have benefited from information shared at this meeting. There is much more to be done.

 The next meeting we will get feedback from the group on how massage therapy affected their symptoms.

posted by sossisson 12:04 AM 0 comments