Desert Health News - January-February 2025

www.DesertHealthNews.com January/February 2025 Natural Options The Valley ' s Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 11 www.hfhcv.org MYOFASCIAL RELEASE The Missing Link To Authentic Healing For the Treatment of: • Headaches/Migraines • TMJ • Neck andBack Pain • Fibromyalgia • Carpal Tunnel • Plantar Fasciitis • Neurological Conditions Benefits Include: • Decreased Pain • Decreased Inflammation • IncreasedRange ofMotion • IncreasedMobility • IncreasedCirculation • Improved Posture • ImprovedMood&Cognition 760.895.5145 online scheduling at: https://gina-malloy.clientsecure.me Gina M. Malloy, PT, MS Licensed Physical Therapist OfferingSpecializedTreatment for Women’sHealth Issues Including, but not limited to: Endometriosis • Bladder Incontinence Mastectomy Pain andScars www.onelifenaturopathic.org Craniosacral therapy is a gentle treatment that balances the nervous system to treat and prevent many health conditions. It is a great addition to any wellness program. Visit onelifenaturopathic.org for more information. Dr. Shari Jainuddin, NMD, BCB Licensed Naturopathic Doctor | Board Certified in Biofeedback 442.256.596 3 • onelifen athic.or g *While availability lasts. Valid for new and existing patients through 2/28/25. Scan me! Craniosacral Therapy 2025 Specials Executive Package 6–11 Sessions One Life Package 12+ Sessions 15% OFF 20% OFF How do dreams, snakes and medicine relate to the new year? Let’s take a look back as we move forward into 2025. On Jan. 29, we close the door to the Chinese Year of the Dragon and open the door to the Year of the Wood Snake, representing introspection, intuition and adaptability. The snake is also a universal, timeless symbol that shows up in our dreams and dreams of snakes have been documented for centuries. Often, snakes have symbolized healing because they shed and regenerate skin, a type of deathless rebirth. They are among the top three to five animals that appear in dreams, representing different meanings to cultures around the world. For example, in India, a kundalini snake dream may be considered a mysticaldoorwaytoanawakeningenergy shift. The kundalini theory, an Eastern spiritual concept of enlightenment, is that kundalini is a serpent-like energy coiled up at the base of the spine and is believed to assist in human evolution. If you have this dream with one snakehead or many, it is said that you may raise your level of wisdom. In ancient times, to dream of a snake was to be healed by the dream. Because of this, there are two different snake symbols used in the field of medicine. The ancient Aesculapius staff has one snake while the modern caduceus staff has two. The image of a single snake around a staff is tied to Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, who presided over the Asclepieion dream and healing temple in Greece. Hippocrates, father of Western Medicine, claimed to be a direct descendant of Aesculapius and today, the Hippocratic Oath begins, "I swear by Apollo, the physician, and by Aesculapius…" The ancient staff of Aesculapius is the current American Medical Association logo. The U.S. Army Medical Corps also adopted the two- snake caduceus staff as its insignia in 1902. Although the symbols have shifted, the message remains the same: snakes have a connection to health. Snake dreams may also mean financial health. A client shared her dream which took place around a boardroom table. Coiled in the center was a large brown, two-headed rattlesnake. One face was always on her while the other face scanned the partners. Each time someone spoke, the snake would rattle its tail and drown out the speaker. Upon awakening, the client decided not to invest in a business she was considering — a good decision as that venture ended up failing. The intuitive precognitive dream may have been a warning that helped save her finances. As we enter a new year, it may be wise to embrace all dreams, even deadly two- headed rattlesnake nightmares. Who knows what we may learn when we turn inward and reflect on the symbols that show up in our dreams. In 2025, may the ancient force of the snake be with you. Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos of Rancho Mirage is a survivor, author, dream expert, speaker, TV/radio host/producer and has been featured on Dr. Oz and The Doctors. Her new book, “Dreams That Can Save Your Life,” is available now. For more information, visit www.kathleenokeefekanavos.com . Sources: 1) https://www.verywellmind.com/what-does-it-mean- when-you-dream-about-snakes-7550333; 2) https://en.wikipedia . org/wiki/Janus; 3) https://myartofwellness.com/chinese-new- year-2025-year-of-the-snake/; 4) https://deserthealthnews.com/ story/dragon-dreams-and-chinese-new-year/; 5) https://pmc.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6913859/; 5) https://iv.iiarjournals.org/ content/23/4/507 Craniosacral therapy uses a gentle, non-invasive technique for a multitude of conditions, including the prevention and treatment of dementia. This treatment focuses on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) and permeating the fascia. On its own, CSF is tightly regulated, released in a pulsing rhythm from ventricles in the brain and drained through the venous and lymphatic system, completely renewing itself 4 to 5 times each day. This action is strongest during sleep, when the brain “bathes” itself. CSF is critical for protection (shock absorption), delivery of nutrients and waste removal. 1-3 A craniosacral practitioner uses light touch to feel (described as “listening to”) the craniosacral rhythm, assessing for restrictions of flow and movement. Various light touch techniques are then implemented to gently restore CSF flow and rebalance movement. This therapy is very calming to the nervous system and used to treat many conditions including chronic pain, migraines, traumatic brain injuries and concussions, anxiety and depression, digestive issues, TMJ and more. Research has shown that CST also has positive outcomes for patients with post-concussion syndrome (including improved memory) and dementia (reduced agitation and aggression). 4,5 While a complete understanding of dementia processes is still being debated and researched, one common variable is chronic inflammation in the body that eventually leads to inflammation in the brain. 6,7 This source of inflammation is commonly associated with diabetes, referred to as “type 3 diabetes,” or other preexisting inflammatory diseases. In terms of epigenetics, chronic inflammation is a trigger for disease onset. Hence, reducing chronic inflammation has gained traction in the prevention and treatment of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) — and this is where craniosacral therapy holds much promise. Inflammation in the brain restricts the flow of CSF to certain areas, blocking the delivery of nutrients and removal of waste and thus allowing more damage to occur. Research shows a significant impairment in CSF flow in persons with dementia and AD. 8-10 Craniosacral therapy works to reduce inflammation by facilitating the flow, and subsequent renewal, of CSF; thus, enhancing delivery of nutrients and removal of waste. Because of this, it has become a therapy worthy of our attention for the prevention and treatment of dementia and AD. Please note that craniosacral therapy should not be considered as a singular approach but should be included as part of a holistic health plan, one that also includes optimizing health and reducing chronic inflammation. (See “Anti-Inflammation: The Greatest Health Influencer,” Desert Health , July/Aug 2024). Dr. Shari Jainuddin is a naturopathic primary care doctor at One Life Naturopathic. She has conducted research on Alzheimer’s disease at the Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College and offers biofeedback training and craniosacral therapy. For more information, call (442) 256.5963 or visit www.onelifenaturopathic.org . References available upon request. Craniosacral Therapy for Dementia Promising results for prevention and treatment By Shari Jainuddin, NMD, BCB Healthy Dreams of Snakes By Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos