Infographic: The Co-Occurring Symptoms of PTSD & TBI

I know there are those who would say that it's snake medicine, but I have been a massage therapist for over 16 years and have worked on hundreds of people with hands on contact for thousands of hours and I believe that cranio-sacral therapy is EXTREMELY beneficial for anyone who's suffered any kind of blow to the head.  The bodywork system Touching for Health shows neurovascular holding points on the skull that cause certain muscles to automatically relax and those of us with a really sensitive touch can feel amazing things just simply holding the skull with a slight pressure and feeling the sutures shift.  The ears, too.  I have had a person's head start vibrating while I've been working on them and then an unwinding occur from a fall they had.  My son has had some major blows to the head and he has PTSD from a fight he got into and I've worked on his head in an effort to get him rebalanced.  There is one particular guy who claims to be a doctor on the internet who attempts to put down every form of massage and bodywork as being snake medicine, and while there may not be scientific proof for some forms of bodywork, I will take what I experience with my hands or with someone eles's hands working on me over any scientific proof.  It's hard to put this kind of therapy into a study format just because just like one study on a herniated disc performed by Stanford and John Hopkins medical centers indicates that a person's "perception" can be quite different in that two individuals can have the exact same diagnosis yet one can barely get out of bed while the other can go out dancing all night.  I do hope to see more and more of massage and bodywork being utilized in persons diagnosed with PTSD and TBI because I believe wholeheartedly that it will help immensely.  

I'm not military, but I am recovering from a TBI from fracturing my temporal bone, a cerebral contusion and concussion.  I had headaches, nausea, bad dizziness and loss of hearing in my left ear. This was from an ice skating accident.  I had PTSD before the accident.  I found that the dizziness is the worst, and a plugged up feeling in my left ear from a leaking of cerebral spinal fluid. Also, just trying to read a book is more of an effort in focus.  Short term memory has really taken a hit.  Can't find the right words to express or I can start a sentence and forget what I'm saying.  Also, if someone is visiting with me for over 1 or 2 hours, I space out and can't remember what they said.   I was terrified I wouldn't get better, but I am.  It is a super slow process and anyone who has this really needs people around them to be very positive, patient and caring.  Support is key.  It also can change the way you look at things.  I found that most people were very kind.  If family gave me a hard time, I just limited my time communicating with them.  Friends have been great and my husband is my champion.  I am constantly told that I will make a recovery even if it takes a year.  This is so important to focus on.  It's a huge lesson in gratitude to others and their caring and giving of time.  So, for those of you who have this, please have faith and try to have patience with yourself.  Keep up your hope.