South West Mind + Body

In chronic pain, pain stops being something you have and starts being something you are. Neurologically, it becomes part of your identity.

Skilled treatment in this area of the skull (cranial therapy) can influence deeper neurological networks.

When we treat chronic pain as the whole person's experience, we see our patients create a sense of separation from the pain that they have not felt in years.

Had a ball to the face? A car accident? A fall? An old hit you barely remember?

Old trauma to the head or face can leave restrictions in the skull that cause headaches for years afterward. These restrictions can be missed if your practitioner isn’t looking and feeling for them.

If you have head or face trauma in your history, let your practitioner know!

Did you know that your neck can cause pain in your forehead, behind your eye, and at the top of your head.

The top of the neck shares nerve pathways with the trigeminal nerve, which is the main pain nerve of the head and face. When those upper neck joints are restricted, pain refers upward into the skull.

If your headaches start at the base of the skull, get worse with screen time, or respond to pressing on the back of your neck, your cervical spine is part of the problem.

As chiropractors, we know how to assess and treat it.

Blocked nose? Sinus pressure? It might be connected to your headaches more than you think.

The bones around your nose and cheeks are designed to move slightly throughout life. When they get restricted, sinus drainage suffers and head pain may follow. These winter months? It can be constant.

There is also a nerve cluster deep behind the nose called the sphenopalatine ganglion. Research suggests that affecting this structure may assist with fibromyalgia pain, sleep, and mood.

This is a structure worth knowing about. It’s in the skull and we access it through the mouth. How cool is that?

Headaches?

A thorough headache assessment should include your jaw, your upper neck, the nerves around your skull, and how you breathe.

Have these things been checked for you?

If your scans are normal but the pain is not going away, we need to assess these structures.

Reintroducing our online psychotherapist Georgia!

Georgia currently has availability to see new clients via Telehealth on Tuesday's and Wednesday's.

Georgia is a psychotherapist who works with individuals, providing a collaborative approach to support clients. She aims to provide safe, supportive conditions for her clients, regarding each individual experience with respect and curiosity.

She believes that therapy can support meaningful, long lasting change through fostering self understanding, trust and compassion for one's whole experience. She helps clients navigating anxiety, stress, depression, grief/loss, life transitions and relationship issues.

Your jaw might be causing your headaches.

The muscles of the jaw, including the big one at your temple, are all connected to the same nerve that drives migraines. When your jaw is tense, that nerve gets irritated. When that nerve is irritated, headaches follow.

Check this right now: are your teeth touching? They should not be at rest. Upper and lower teeth should be slightly apart. If they are pressed together, your jaw is under constant load, constant muscle tension..

This is a fixable problem. Next time you’re in, ask Bridget about a comprehensive jaw assessment as part of your headache care.

Meet Jane, our newest member to the team!

Jane is a psychotherapist offering a safe, supportive space for individuals seeking
understanding, healing and meaningful change.

Her work is primarily with clients experiencing difficulties related to trauma, grief,
depression, anxiety, interpersonal relationships and significant life changes. She has worked with clients of all ages and has experience working with women impacted by family violence.

Jane’s approach is compassionate, collaborative, and grounded in the belief that healing happens within a trusting therapeutic relationship. Her work is integrative and trauma-
informed, drawing upon approaches such as experiential psychotherapy and integrative attachment theory.

During her years as a registered nurse, she worked extensively with children, young people and adults in both the hospital and community settings - an experience which deepens her current practice.

Outside of work Jane has a passion for music, theatre, travel, dance, and literature.

Jane's appointments are online only.