Craniosacral Therapy Benefits Football Players

Attention is finally being given to the issue of concussions in sports -- especially football.
That awareness is being credited with helping to reduce the number of concussions reported last season in the NFL. Still, players struggle with finding ways to recover from concussions and other injuries effectively so they can get back on the field quickly in the competitive business of professional football.
Craniosacral work is a light-touch therapy that helps the body gently heal and unwind trauma from the inside out helping to reduce inflammation and increase tissue mobility. Receiving craniosacral work helps players recover faster and get back in the game sooner.
"What I've found with craniosacral is that it's almost a perfect fit for athletes," said Ricky Williams, an all-pro running back who recently retired from the Baltimore Ravens after playing in the NFL for more than a decade. Since retiring, Williams has created #ProjectLimitless to increase healing and consciousness among athletes and the world.
"When I was playing, I noticed that everything about the game was just easier and when I thought about it, I realized it had something to do with the craniosacral work that I was doing."
Williams discovered craniosacral work after breaking his arm and tearing his Achilles tendon while playing for the Toronto Argonauts in 2006. He was so impressed by how good he felt after receiving craniosacral sessions as part of his recovery that he decided to take classes and became a trained craniosacral therapist studying with the Upledger Institute and at the Milne Institute.
The craniosacral system exists within every human being and animal with a brain and spinal column. According to Dr. John Upledger, the modern day founder of Craniosacral Therapy, the craniosacral system extends from the bones of the skull, face and mouth (the cranium) through a network of fluid hydraulics and membranes to the lower end of the spine (the sacrum). Because the craniosacral system surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord, restrictions in its membranes can directly affect all aspects of central nervous system performance, from motor function to emotions.
Balancing the fluid and releasing restrictions in the tissue is especially important after a concussion and helps improve concentration and balance and relieve headaches, dizziness, depression, confusion, insomnia and mood swings.
The benefit of Craniosacral Therapy is that it works with the whole body, helping all injuries heal faster and easier.
"The nature of football is you train really hard and there are injuries. Because the season is so long there is not much time to rest and you are putting layer upon layer of injuries," Williams said. "So especially a lot of the unwinding work we do in craniosacral literally peeled off years of trauma from my body and gave my body more freedom. Craniosacral work definitely contributed to the longevity of my career."
Still, craniosacral work is not widely known in the sports community.
"My point of view is we spend six months destroying our body very intensely so I took the point of view that I wanted to spend the off season taking care of my body very intensely," Williams explained. "And in doing that I found I don't 'age' in football and my body stays supple and stays fresh."
But Craniosacral Therapy is not just for football players. Anyone can benefit from this gentle work. It's especially helpful for people suffering from headaches, migraines, joint pain, anxiety and sleep problems.
"Once someone experiences a craniosacral session, it's very difficult to not want to go back and receive more of the work," Williams said. "For a lot of people when they receive craniosacral, it's the first time anyone has ever helped them listen to their body - our joints, our organs are screaming out for some attention, for some nurturing and we don't do it for ourselves. So it's nice when you find a very caring therapist - of any modality - that helps you listen to your body and create a communion between you and your body."
It's often difficult for people to describe what a craniosacral session is like, but the results are clear. Ask Ricky Williams. "The benefit of craniosacral work is your body's going to feel better and your mind's going to feel better."

Whiskey and Weightlifting Don't Mix

Whiskey and weightlifting don't mix - and that doesn't just mean don't have a few drinks before hitting the gym for your next workout... It means weightlifters and bodybuilders aiming to live a healthy lifestyle should avoid alcohol as a general rule.
First, let's look at why people lift weights. Weightlifters hit the gym regularly to get stronger, more fit and be healthy. Bodybuilders hit the gym to build muscle, burn off bodyfat and be able to present the best physique their genetics will allow.
Now let's examine just how alcohol impedes both scenarios. First, and most important to both weightlifters and bodybuilders, alcohol suppresses the body's production of testosterone. Testosterone is a vital hormone produced by your body and is probably the biggest natural activator when trying to gain lean mass and build muscle in both men and women. Natural testosterone levels are much higher in men than women, which is one of the reasons men develop much larger muscles than women do. Would you want to effectively turn off the tap on such a strong muscle-building hormone? Of course not - or you wouldn't be lifting heavy in the gym a few times every week.
Secondly, drinking alcohol shuts down the fat-burning mechanisms in your body. The sugars in alcoholic beverages are much more readily available for your body to use for energy, so as long as the alcohol is in your system your body has no need to burn off bodyfat. Getting ripped and shredded is hard enough for most bodybuilders without losing potential fat-burning time for a few hours at a time.
Third, liquors, liqueurs and beer all can contribute significant calories to your daily intake with little or no healthy benefits. Liquors like gin, rum, tequila or vodka contain up to 82 calories PER OUNCE, while a regular 12-punce beer has 146 calories. Mixed drinks have even more calories due to the mixer added - for example, Pina Coladas can contain 450 calories each. When you consider that an hour of steady-state cardio, running on a treadmill for example, burns just 500 calories, having 4 or 5 drinks with friends on Saturday night could easily negate the hours you spent on the treadmill or elliptical for the whole week!
This doesn't mean you can't be out having a great time when friends hit the bars - offer to always be the designated driver and watch how often you get invited along - often at their expense. And keep your drinks healthy - for example, order a soda water & cranberry juice for a good non-alcoholic carbonated drink or opt for a 'virgin screwdriver', also known as a glass of orange juice. Weightlifters and bodybuilders can still party with friends and have a great time, just leave the alcohol out of your personal equation!