2021 ArticlesGillespie Approach–Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Articles
The General Principles of the Gillespie Approach in Outline Form
The Body Knows Best How to Heal Itself
- An osteopathic principle: The body is self-healing, self-regulating, and self-maintaining.
- The body is hard-wired to heal 24/7.
- Your Inner Physician and You by Dr. John Upledger.
Our Specific Healing Role
- An osteopathic principle: Structure and function are the two sides of the same coin.
- We are in the tight-loose profession.
- “Tight” people, who may not be comfortable in their bodies, present to us.
- Physical and emotional trauma can create structural tightness in the fascial web that can adversely affect body function.
- Sometimes the body can heal itself, and other times a truly “stuck” body needs manual help to heal.
- Our specific role is to help the body “loosen” fascial restriction and restore normal function.
- When are we done therapy?
Our Healing Purpose
- Our defined purpose is to find the cause of the structural problem.
- In therapy the restricted fascial web can lead you to the root of its problem, many times originating as birth trauma.
- We are in the disease corrective, not the disease management business.
The Golden Rule of Healing for a Gillespie Approach Provider Is to Listen to the Fascial Web
- Let it talk to you.
- Every body has its own unique story to tell.
- Your job is to just listen, observe, and facilitate the healing.
Our Healing Domain
- Some of our effective structural therapeutic conditions.
- Infant: 17 conditions
- Child: 8–10 conditions
- Adult: pain conditions
- Some of our uncontrollable situations.
- Lifestyle: The addictions of alcohol, smoking, illegal drugs, etc. Possibly helpful, but not fully corrective…example, the pain patient.
- Diet: The addictive SOS diet, The Pleasure Trap by Dr. Alan Goldhamer + my fav book, Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Possibly helpful, but not fully corrective. Example: the pain patient.
- The microbiome: About 40 trillion bugs and their DNA + your 30 trillion cells with their DNA = homeostasis or balance. Possibly helpful, but not fully corrective. Example, the intestinal strain patient.
The Fascial Web Is One Continuous System From Head to Toe and Connects Every Structural Cell in the Body
- All of the body’s structures are intertwined in the fascial web.
- The fascial web is an important conduit for communication.
- All of the body’s systems are interconnected.
- All of the cells in a specific organ are interconnected.
The Embryology of the Fascial Web
- The fascia folds on itself in the gastrulation phase at around fourteen days to create an unstrained web of tissue. [Fasciainfo.wordpress.com].
- All of the body structures develop from the resulting ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal layers in this expanding web.
- Research indicates that each structural cell may have its own fascial cytoplasmic web that communicates within the full-body fascial web.
The Craniosacral System Is a Critical Piece of the Fascial Web
- The basis of the Gillespie Approach is that the craniosacral and fascial aspects are linked as one system by the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid.
- A tight traumatized fascial web can affect the position and control the motion of the craniosacral system.
A Strained Fascial Web Can Subtly Affect the Function of Every Body System, Including the Cells of Every Organ, Nerve, Bone, Muscle, Blood Vessel, and Lymphatic Vessel
- “Disease begins in the fascia.”
—Dr. Andrew Still, the founder of osteopathy, 1910. - Fascia can strain at tensile pressures of 2,000 pounds per square inch. [Katake, K. The strength for tension and bursting of human fascia. Journal of Kyoto Professional Medical University 1961; 69: 484-488.]
- The negative effects of fascial restriction can present over time. There is no medical test for fascial tightness.
The Fascial Web Remembers in the Space–Time Continuum Every Physical and Emotional Trauma Back to Conception
- The Fascia Remembers. Barnes, J. Myofascial Release: The Search for Excellence. Paoli, Pa: Rehabilitation Services T/A Myofascial Release Treatment Centers and MFR Seminars, 1990.
- Every patient has her or his own unique layers forming an onion of trauma.
- What can the therapist do to help patients get to the other side of their birth traumas?
The Causative Fascial Restriction in the Web Can Be Distant in Space and Time From the Patient’s Symptomatic Area
- Fascial strain in the shoulder may be causing neck pain, headache, and eye dysfunction from an earlier trauma.
Most Chronic Head, Neck, and Upper Body Conditions Originate From Fascial Strain in the Pelvic Area Due to Soft Tissue Birth Trauma(s).
- This concept validates the space-time continuum theory of the fascial web.
- These birth traumas need to be revisited and cleared for authentic healing. Discussed in the infant research article.
Conventional Dental Care Can Tighten the Fascial Web
- Orthodontics
- Wisdom teeth extractions
- Adult dental procedures
- The newborn work is the future.
Healing Is a Process, Not an Event
- Barnes, J. Myofascial Release: The Search for Excellence. Paoli, Pa: Rehabilitation Services T/A Myofascial Release Treatment Centers and MFR Seminars, 1990.
- The body needs time over a series of therapeutic visits to process the physiologic changes of healing. My two-year healing journey with my vision.
The Fascial Web Addresses and Authentically Heals Each Layer of Its Traumas in Its Own Space and Time, Not Before.
- You cannot predictably fix, heal, or cure anyone on demand with the Gillespie Approach.
The Fascial Web Does Not Necessarily Heal Its Traumas in Chronologic Order of Occurrence.
- Having a mind of its own, the fascial web heals in its own sequential order.
Over the 40 Weeks of Gestation, Soft Tissue Traumas in the Fascial Web Are Widely Prevalent in the General Population
- 88% of newborns had craniosacral strain due to in-utero, labor, and delivery traumas. [Frymann, V. Relation of disturbances of craniosacral mechanisms to symptomatology of the newborn: Study of 1,250 infants. Journal of American Osteopathic Association 1966; 65: 1059-1075.]
- Newborns can have multiple layers of trauma from unique combinations of fetal, labor, and delivery issues.
- The biggest surprise in the Lancaster infant research was the profound adverse effect of sustained compressive fetal trauma.
The Best Time for the Body to Heal Soft Tissue Birth Strains in the Fascial Web is During the First Day of Life
- The golden hour medical concept.
- The adaptation and compensation from birth trauma need to be mitigated as soon as possible to regain optimal function.
- The work at birth presents a unique anatomical window of opportunity for optimal healing.
- Since the fascial web controls the craniosacral system, craniosacral work is not generally needed at birth.
- The goal is for the family to leave the hospital with a relaxed newborn who can breathe well, nurse well, digest well, poop well, and nap well.
- We do not understand why some babies may need therapy later in infancy to release deeper fascial strain.
Releasing Emotional Birth Traumas in the Fascial Web May Result in Truly Happy Babies
- Infant research discovery
- The Primal Scream by Dr. Arthur Janov.
“Structural Immunity” for Newborns Can Help Keep the Body Systems Functioning Optimally for Toddlers and Small Children After a Severe Trauma to the Fascial Web
- Infant research discovery
- We do not know how far that extends in life.
A 200-Second Brain Cycle in a Free Fascial Web Can Allow Many Newborns to Develop Advanced Cognitive Skills
- Collective clinical observations
Since the Seeds of Many Pediatric Structural Illnesses Appear to Be Sown in the Fascial Web at Birth, Newborns Can Grow Into Healthier Children
- Collective clinical observations
In Time, As the Newborn Therapy Becomes the Global Standard of Care, the Pediatric, Mental Health, and Educational Professions Will Significantly Benefit
- Our ultimate goal is to prevent many structural diseases at birth to create healthier, happier, and smarter children.
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2023 Foundation Trainings
Gillespie Approach Foundation Training is designed for work with children and adults.
- March 9–11 | Greenville, SC
- March 15–17 | Greenville, SC
- April 20–22 | Naples, FL
- May 18–20 | Nashville, TN
- June 22–24 | Gig Harbor, WA
- July 20–22 | Virginia Beach, VA
- October 12–14 | Holland, MI
- December 1–3 | Philadelphia, PA
2023 Infant Trainings
Gillespie Approach Infant Training is designed for work with infants.
- March 12–14 | Greenville, SC
- March 18–20 | Greenville, SC
- April 23–25 | Naples, FL
- May 21–23 | Nashville, TN
- June 25–27 | Gig Harbor, WA
- July 23–25 | Virginia Beach, VA
- October 15–17 | Holland, MI
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