09/10/2026
CLINICAL RELEVANCE:
Have TBI, Concussion, Stroke or a head MRI report popped on the MT table?
DISCLAIMER: No photo, video, or endless description provide sufficient guidance.
Use this as a Teaser that may invite your curiosity for learning experiences.
From techniques to precision:
Sustained -Gentle but Firm - pressure at the base of the skull synchronized with guided slow breathing in a quiet, dimly lit room, facilitated by heavy blanket. This helps nervous system regulation and reduces sensory overload.
CLINICAL DETAILS:
The therapist applies sustained, gentle traction at A-O joint or may add a PIR( Post-isometric Relaxation/Muscle E technique) to the suboccipital musculature, at the base of the skull ( liberation of the Myo-Dural bridge) combined with guided, synchronized diaphragmatic breathing.
Keep calm environment -dimly lit and silent - to minimize external sensory demands. Anatomically precise, intentional contact is maintained to avoid sudden sympathetic triggering.
(Notice the difference between this technique and CV-4 hold of CST).
Functional MRI-INFORMED RATIONALE:
Findings of hyperactive Right Insula and the hypoactive Right Thalamus.
DISCUSSION:
This “technique” aims to facilitate highly predictable, slow-adapting afferent input to gently engage the low-responsive sensory gates of the Thalamus.
Simultaneously, the guided slow breathing engages parasympathetic response to down-regulate the hyperactive insula, which may be exhausted (metabolically) from compensating for undetected sensory signals.
