The brain cycle measurement can be the best evaluation tool.
The brain cycle is the number of seconds for the brain to normally expand and contract. The brain cycle is the first thing that I check on a new patient visit because it tells me how well the craniosacral fascial system is functioning.
A good brain cycle is around the 200-second range, where the brain is expanding 100 seconds and contracting 100 seconds. But most new patients in my practice present with a zero-second (or close to it) brain cycle. I either feel little or no motion.
That reading tells me the full-body fascial web is tight and restricting the craniosacral system enmeshed within it. Craniosacral work alone will open the system minimally, but the patient’s outcome can be limited because of the tight encasing fascial web.
The Gillespie Approach helps the body free up the web and allows the brain to open substantially. During the first few visits, I like to check the lengthening brain cycle to make sure the system continues to open.
I usually start therapy with the pelvic area. Once the sacrum starts to free up, the brain usually responds with an initial brain cycle. The goal in therapy is to help the fascial web become as loose as possible so the whole craniosacral fascial system can function optimally.
Measuring the brain cycle is unique to this bodywork modality. It tells me where I am in therapy. It can also be used as a baseline for future visits if the patient has an accident. This valuable measurement can be an important tool for treating patients effectively.
The Gillespie Approach is a massage modality that helps the body release its tight connective or fascial tissue from its physical and emotional traumas. We have a special interest working with newborns, whose untreated fascial strains from birth trauma can result in a lifetime of suffering.
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