Stress…Strauma…Trauma

Lately I have discovered a gap in the English language. My family, friends and colleagues usually laugh at my created terms, but often end up using them because there are no viable alternatives. In this case, English is missing a word to describe the state of almost continuous, high level stress. Trauma is the closest word but is usually reserved for near death experiences, not the damage inflicted by significant, ongoing stress. I have come to use the word, strauma, which is a hybrid of stress and trauma.
Stress is an interesting word that invokes varying responses. It is a word with a great deal of gradation. The grading runs from being dead (no stress) to system shutdown (very high stress). At the one end, low to moderate stress can actually be helpful. Without some stress, our motivation often collapses. At the high end there are two different issues: sudden, intense stress and the soul and body eating, persistent high stress.
A typical human neuro-system is resilient to most stress that is short term. We are built to respond to sudden attack or deprivation. It is the long term stress that many people endure either by choice or necessity that corrodes our body and brain system over time. In modern life, our short term fight or flight responses are not as common as our often self imposed strauma.
To help clients of all ages to become aware of their internal stress to strauma levels, I often suggest a color chart. Depending on the age and ability of the client it can be a 3 or 5 point scale.
Five Point Stress to Strauma Scale:

Blue: Sluggish, low energy, sleepy

Green: Relaxed, non-stressful time and feeling, recreation

Yellow: Attentive, usual school and work rhythm

Orange: Building Strauma alert, too highly stressed for too long (different for everyone), autonomic nervous system signaling impending overwhelm

Red: Fight, flight or freeze activated, lower brain reacts for safety

The three point scale is as above without the blue or red levels. Many people attempt to stay in the orange area too long, thinking this is most productive. However, many studies show that it is a penny wise, pound foolish investment. As with a marathon runner, establishing a pace that can be sustained is most efficient and saves health and wellness.

Tuning In and Out

Isn’t it interesting that tuning out can mean tuning in? If we tune out of
life’s environmental distractions to take stock of the internal environment
and our neurodevelopmental resources, we find gifts of health and awareness.
However, if we tune out our inner messengers and focus only on the outer world,
we can miss important messages. When we miss these messages, our interior
and neurodevelopmental resources must get our attention through physical,
mental and emotional means that are not always pleasant.





















The rhythm of life requires inbreathing and outbreathing. There needs
to be a balance of tuning in and reaching out in our lives. Take time to
tune in during physical exercise, prayer, eating and other sensory experiences.
Examine how reaching out into the exterior environment affects the other spheres.
The essence of our being is life fully experienced in the inner and outer world
through each step of our human development.

Autism Awareness Month Part 2

Autism is a spectrum disorder where different developmental milestones vary widely. One area that is consistent in all folks with autism is weakness in the gravity sense. All people with autism have issues with any or all of the following:

The gravity sense organ, the semi-circular canal and its ability to read and react to gravity

The cranial nerve and tracts that connects the gravity sense information and intake of sound into the brain stem

The cerebellum with the brainstem that modulates muscle tone and presorts sensory input

Why is this important? One of the most important reasons is that weakness with the gravity sense and other body senses can cause the Lower Brain to send alarm signals to the Upper Brain often resulting in anxiety.

Addressing the issues of the body senses can make this functioning better and lessen anxiety.

April is Autism Awareness Month Part 1

Mind sharing develops in a sequence and in relationship to verbal and nonverbal language. Most people on the autism spectrum have delay in these areas. Both developments depend on a well functioning sensory-motor-reflex system.

Mind sharing for a newborn is undifferentiated. All is one mind and being: the baby, the parents, the environment.

As a baby develops into toddlerhood, the self-mind develops. The toddler learns to understand her own mind and responses with "Me!" and "Mine!" All others are considered part of the toddler mind and therefore should always know its needs and wants.

As time goes on the young preschooler now knows that you have a different mind and that she must ask endless questions to find out what is in your seemingly Olympian mind. The preschooler doesn't know your mind, but still believes that you know hers. She believes that mother knows what she did even if she wasn't there.

Then one big day, the child realizes that minds are separate and that others can't see into her mind. Now she realizes that she can tell an untruth and others will not know. As she grows older, she realizes that when she plays and share minds with others, she sees all new visas, making social interactions irresistable. She finds that each person is a surprise treasure box ready to be opened.

Tune Into Tone

We are so busy! However, more and more people are trying techiniques, such as yoga and meditation to relieve stress.These are excellent practices and tuning in can improve yoga and mediation or be used on its own.

In the study of sensory-motor-reflex, we consider the tone of our body’s tissues, muscles, liquids and organs.Tone is the ability of living systems to push out in tension and release to relaxation. It is tone that we use to feel and give us a brain map of the inside and outside of our bodies. The words “tone” and “tune” come from the root word. So when we tune in, we are noting our tone.

Try this: Sit in at a table and put your elbows on the the table. Relax. Cup your hands and gently place them over your ears. Close your eyes. Now tune into what you feel inside your head in the inner ear. Don’t try to make something happen, just notice. Take a minute or two and relax, just feeling the inner ear.

How did it feel? Warm and pulsing? Cold and contracted? Something else? The inner ear is the housing of our Gravity Sense organ: the semi-circular canals and of our sound wave translator: the cochlea. Tuning into this area may make you more aware of your sense of gravity and hearing. It may improve the tone of the inner ear and help a tune reach your brain more easily. Over time while practicing this activity, you may feel changes in the tone and sensations in the inner ear. Try it daily for a few weeks and see.

As the months roll on, I am hoping to bring you more tips about tuning in and toning. Tuning in gives the Lower Brain that oversees survival time to communicate with the busy, distracted Upper Brain. This physical inner exploration can be not only fun and relaxing, but the start of a more conscious way to help your body-brain system work more efficiently and to help sustain attention longer in only a minute or two a day!

The Tortoise:Sustainable Attention, Abilities & Powers

I once heard that the difference between a genuis and everyone else is that a genius can sustain his or her attention for a much longer time on one area of thought. Sustaining our energy is the key to many issues in people's lives:learning, attention, completion of tasks, and self mastery. As a younger person, I would hurl myself into every task, because unconsciously I thought I needed a "running start" to be able to finish it. I got through even simple tasks by brute force and speed. Partly this was my unregulated neurodevelopment and partly this was the message of my society that I must try very hard. However, through development, I have learned the truth of the tortoise and hare story for myself. Instead of "slow and steady wins the race", I think I would rephrase it: "as fast as sustainable, wins the race."

Some might argue, "Isn't the pace that is sustainable always slow? And will this turn us all into lazy louts?" I think not. Like the long distance runner, without knowing the sustainable pace, the complete race cannot be run. The conscious thinking Upper Brain (the cortex) often thinks that by not listening to the messenger in the Lower Brain, it can push through the warnings of coming overstress. And the Upper Brain can, but at a price. Using this ability to push through against all stress warnings can give us great ability to survive in times of need. The occasional use of this blocking can take a toll, but is usually survivable. It is OK to ask if it is worth the price, before a full out, unbridled plowing through life.

When we use this override functioning, day-to-day, through our life, the price is one of exhaustion and illness. This is not efficient.Using the knowledge of a sustainable energy level, more gets done in the long run. So how does one know about how to keep a sustainable pace through the activities of life? I believe that this can be best done by checking in and looking for the stress signals from your autonomic nervious system. The next blog entry will examine checking in and knowing your stress signs.

Conscious Living vs. Blocking Stressors

People sometimes fear that if they start listening to the developmental messengers of their body systems, they might become hypochondriacs. They fear that they will be compelled to listen to their body’s every complaint. Just blocking the message seems to be the most efficient day-to-day default setting. It is a surprise and a relief to find that the opposite is true. By consciously knowing and adjusting where our neural energy is being used or wasted, we become more masterful over our world.

The amount of energy that we use blocking the environmental stressors markedly increases unconscious stress. Blocking an such stressors take a lot of neural energy and the stress itself takes even more. Almost always suppressing these stresses cannot be sustained long without an emotional reaction. For example, your collar is chaffing, you block this sensory message, then the temperature rises and you block that message. Then your child asks for help and you snap. The energy needed to use your prefrontal cortex has been undermined by all the sensory blocking. If you had consciously adjusted your collar and had cracked the car window, you may have been kinder to your child.

We often block environmental stressors without consciously considering how we could easily accommodate our body systems' needs. I once sat at a meeting for 3 ½ hours facing dark window blinds cracked so that bright light shown into my eyes. I blocked the visual stress and, by the end, had a severe headache that made the meeting information unmemorable. If I had consciously realized the issue, I could have moved my seat or adjusted the blinds. Then the whole point of the meeting would have had my attention.

Many people carry labels, such as, ADHD & autism, and are being overwhelmed by environmental stresses. Attention and development take flight when there are high levels of stress.

Mercury, above, was the messenger of the gods. He carries the caduceus, a rod wrapped seven times by a serpent. This is an ancient symbol of healing. The caduceus could represent the lower "reptile" or survival brain bringing its developmental gifts to the upper brain for enlightenment, health and power. Heed the developmental messenger for health and well-being.

Developmental Resources: Dorothy's Slippers

Inner developmental resources are like Dorothy’s Slippers: you had them all along; you just didn’t know how to use them. Nature has provided us with some magnificant tools for healing and self growth. These tools are very real and physical, yet most people aren't consciously aware of them. We live in a cortex driven (upper brain) era. Many of us have lost awareness and trust in our deeper resources, such as our body senses and reflexes. We feel cut off, fragmented and somehow missing something. Our upper brain or cortex hunts for the reasons for these phantom feelings, usually in outer, complex, and unproductive ways.

Think of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She wanted to get home. She went to the upper brain (the Wizard) and he sent her out into the world to seek her way home, only to end up back where she started with no satifaction. It was only when she listened to her inner resources, Glinda, that she found that she had always had what she needed, both in Oz and at home. Her slippers of gems (ruby in the movie and diamond in the book) where literally at her feet.

The developmental gifts in our lower brain, including our body senses and reflexes, are there waiting to be called upon to balance and sustain us through our life. Let's start using them now. So all together: click your heels together three times....

Access Our Blog from Fusion Training Website!

We're kicking off our new blog here on the website! The good news is that we have a great plan to bring you interesting, useful news and tips about development and the sensory-motor-reflex approach every week. We will also be connecting this blog to Facebook and Twitter so you will be able to follow us and not miss a thing. We are slowly connecting all the parts, so bear with us for the next month or so.

Stroke Damage Halted by a Tickle

This is some of the most exciting info. I have found in some time. In Dec. 4, 2010 of Science News on page14, a smallish article describes an experiment with a bunch of rats that had been given strokes. The neuroscientist at University of Arizonia in Tucson stimulated a single whisker of half the rats. The whisker stimulation rerouted blood flow in the brain and got it to the stroke damaged area. The end result from 5 minutes of whisker stimulation was that there was no noticeable stroke damage in the rats whose whisker was tickled. The brain imaging show no difference between these rats and an unaffected rat brain. The only caveat is that the stimulation must be done within two hours of the stroke.



Picture from www.handle.org

Although not proven, the scientist see no reason why this might not work for humans. The whiskers relate to the mouth and hands in humans. So Face Tapping, lip and mouth buzzing, Buzz Snap and facial and hand reflex integration could make a huge difference in human recovery from stroke! Hurray for our developmental resources and neuro-plasticity! I hypothesize that this may not be the only neuro-motor trigger for help in trauma.

Viruses and the Brainstem

My daughter sent this article to me with the note: "Proving you right, one study at a time." The article is about chronic fatigue and its link to the murine leukemia virus.



http://http//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/23/AR2010082304486.html



This is a retro virus that the study found in 86.5% of those with chronic fatigue. Truthfully, this study has not been replicated at this time. However, I think one of the barriers to the analysis is that this virus is not the ONLY virus that can become retro and subtly or overtly attack the brainstem affecting the sensory-motor-reflex systems and therefore the physical and mental health of others.



Last year I met Dr. John Martin, who has worked as a pathologist at U of California on what he called "stealth viruses". He was at the time considered a fear monger and was put on leave at the University for challenging the existing blood reserves.



It has been my opinion for some time that retro or "stealth" viruses could be contributing to the waves of odd, vitality sapping syndromes we see, including, ME, CFS, EBS, and others. They may also, as Dr. Martin suggested play a role in other neurodevelopmental issues including PANDAS, autism and even schizophrenia. Until we find out, keeping our brainstem in the best of health is imperative.

Fear-Paralysis Factors

Many people have asked me to give a course on Fear-Paralysis Response. I have not done this yet, because I have so many questions to be answered that I worry about giving wrong or unhelpful information. The Fear-Paralysis is a response rather than a true reflex because its genesis is in the first 3 months before the motor system is truly online. It appears to be a cellular-tissue response.

For years, we have seen this response in clients who had fetal alcohol (or embryo alcohol) effect or even when other toxicity is present. However, there are always times when it appeared when no toxicity was present. I usually have attributed this to extreme stress in the first three months of pregnancy. Now we have found another contributing factor.

It now appears that issues around the attachment of the placenta can be one such factor. From our case load, it appears that these placenta attachment issues for a time affect the embryo's ability to take in oxygen and nutritients. There are many points around this that I will not go into in this blog, but we will be on the lookout for more case examples.

One of the things that appears common is that these issues can right themselves during the pregnancy and therefore, never lead to outer awareness of the issue in the first place. This makes study difficult and we can only go by meager evidence to be found in other ways such as birth history and that of siblings.

We are hoping that others in the field are working on Fear-Paralysis Response and may be of help to our endeavor.

Off to Seattle to give Big 8: Primary Reflexes and Development on May 21, 22, 23. There's a free 2 hour introductory lecture on Friday evening, 6:30 to 8:30. It is at Lake Forest Park Montessori, 19935 19th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA. Tell you friends and relatives about it!

Gravity, Our First Relationship

First there is Gravity, pushing down upon us to the center of the Earth. We are designed to push back in the tone of our cells, tissues and muscles. Gravity and Tone push and yield in the rhythms of our bodies: breath, heart beat, lymph flow, cerebral spinal fuild, and brain waves. And our reflexes with flexion and extention and contraction and expansion reflect the push and pull of the consistent interaction of tone and gravity. After birth, we have been squeezed and pressed and transformed, ending in the press of gravity, hitherto unknown to us. It is somewhat like coming out of water after a long swim. The gravity feels heavy and cloying, but as newborns we have never felt full gravity. We must work hard to push against it or we sleep and allow gravity let us "fall" asleep.

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex- STNR

Not too long ago I posted a very short clip of one position of STNR on YouTube. Someone commented that it was "wrong". It shows the "Child's Pose" position of STNR. It is true that this pose is not the first pose in the development of STNR, but it is one stage along the way. Some experts don't even acknowledge STNR and instead consider all the phases to be parts of Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) or may even call it Tonic Neck Reflex (TNR). This arguement shows how sticky it can be to divide a holistic, developmental movement into parts to begin with. (Applause is heard from Judith Bluestone watching from above and Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen in the East.) However, there can be really good reasons to looks at the developmental pieces of STNR if you remember in the end that it is a developmental sequence.


I divide STNR in my own way. (Those of you who know me are not surprised, I am sure.) Catherine Burns has helped me, as have many others. I label Low STNR when the baby is no longer in flexion when lying on the stomach and therefore can straighten the legs and bend the arms as the head is lifted. So much is accomplished in the position! Yeah for tummy time! The vestibular and visual systems are developed together and the colliculi of the midbrain are activated.

As the baby strengthens and the arms are straightened, the legs bend and the head flexes. This is in the form of "Child's Pose" of Yoga fame. This is a relaxation to the vestibular and organ systems. Many children sleep in this position. As the baby draws the straightened arms toward the core, the baby is pushed onto the haunches in the "Sitting Cat" position. Walking the hands forward, the baby is in the "Table" position or on hands and knees. Next comes the rhythmic rocking on hands and knees, in preparation for crawling.

Throughout as these positions of STNR continue to develop, the cortex is taking control through the motor cortex. As this is mastered, the pattern is purposely broken in the "Cobra" and "Teeter Totter" position, among others.

It's a Hand to Mouth Existence

The relationship in the brain between movement of the hand and movement of the mouth is well documented. Just think of places in the world where people can't speak without moving their hands. The sensory motor cortices (or cortex for the grammatically simple) have large and closely related areas dealing with the sensory intake and motor output of the hand and mouth. At the base of the left motor cortex is the Broca area in the frontal lobe for moving the mouth for speech, right next door is the hand to mouth coordination.

The Grasp Reflex and Babkin Palmomental Reflex are primary reflexes stored in the brain stem. Babkin activates by touch and stretch in the palm and the mouth opens and the mouth moves toward the hand. When I see children with writing issues I usually see a combination of these two reflexes. However handwriting includes more than just hand reflexes and can include differentiation of wrist, elbow and shoulders.

In talks with others in the field, some people combine Babkin and Hand to Mouth Reflexes. Some people combine all types of grasps into the Grasp Reflex. I didn't have much to say except all the relationships of the hand and mouth are complex. But then I had a new experience.

I rarely work with adults in reflex integration for many reasons; the main one being they are harder to deal with. However, a young adult came in to see me with the main issue being compulsive nail biting. I checked Babkin; I checked Grasp. They seemed OK. I was confused. I try a new tact. Maybe elbow bending is the issue with Hands Pulling. A bit retained, but not enough to answer the question. I decide to check Parachute Reflex. Oh my! The client fell toward the wall and caught himself with his hands in the Hanging Grasp. Then it hit me! Nail biting and Hanging Grasp are related if you add the Hand to Mouth Reflex. So Hanging Grasp is not Grasp and Babkin is not Hand to Mouth.

I came up with a handy isometric for both of these reflex and we'll see how these work for nail biters and kids who still put stuff in the mouth.

Triclosan: Our Germ-proof Bubble Breaks

Triclosan is a pesticide that was introduced in 1969. Fast forward to 2010 and it is a nearly ubiquitous antibiotic additive in liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, toothpaste, make-up and even clothes and toys. It has been suspected of disrupting the endocrine system, especially in development for at least five years. And to make matters worse, Triclosan is not removed or filtered out of our water sources and accumulates there, making our water toxic as well. 75% of the population have Triclosan in their urine. Because of the connection to hormone and neurochemical regulation, it is being looked at as one of the environmental assaults that may increase autism. Thyroid issues have also been linked. There are researchers (from the Soap and Detergent Association) who pooh-pooh all concerns. The EPA has stated that recent research raises "valid concern" about the chemical.

One last note: just use liquid Castille Soap for hands, faces, hair, pets, floors, counters, etc. The research states that regular hand washing with soap and water is as effective as our chemical bombardments.

TLR and Vestibular Functioning

I have found that checking the TLR (Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex) is often a way to measure vestibular functioning (gravity sense). However, vestibular functioning can be affected by other movements that do not have to do with the tilting of the head. Sucking on a crazy straw and blowing a faceted bead can activate the inner ear and the vestibular system. Jaw clenching can also stress the vestibular system. Today a client used a crazy straw and did 8 consecutive suck/swallows. A few seconds later, ears began to blaze, which is a state change sign, and he got rather disregulated. It took 20 minutes for him to re-regulate. This client had a strong head movement vestibular measure. Obviously ocular-vestibular activities alone are not the entire story.

Trunk Extension Reflex

As I was doing research into the Trunk Extension Reflex, I came upon this study that links the ability for volitional Trunk Extension and hip stability.

Dynamic iso-resistive trunk extension simulation: Contributions of the intrinsic and reflexive mechanisms to spinal stability
Journal
Technology and Health Care
Publisher IOS Press ISSN 0928-7329 (Print) 1878-7401 (Online) Issue
Volume 15, Number 6 / 2007 Pages 415-431
Subject Group
Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology

As I am always looking for ways to stabilize the hips to improve vestibular functioning and balance, this information intrigued me. Extending the heels and crown and sustaining for a 7 seconds stretch, appears to be one of the most powerful integration tools in postural reflexes, especially for adults. Those with retained ATNR, Moro, Spinal Galant, Perez or a number of other reflexes find that the Trunk Extension stretch is an important addition to their program.

Visit to the Neurobehavioral Dept. of Skokie Hospital

Just back from my quarterly visit to Chicago. Lee Rodin, a HANDLE screener and near-practitioner and I presented at the hospital about the HANDLE Approach. We had 45 minutes to communicate a presentation that usually takes 1 to 2 hours to a very mixed audience. Some of the neurologists were very reserved, but the therapists were much more lively. No one was impolite. Lee presented the vestibular and proprioceptive systems with great wisdom and clarity. The questions at the end were very bread and butter, BUT....we were invited to speak and no one left. To me that signals a breakthrough in the allopathic world.