Relief from Tension Headaches - The most common form of headache.

[Grimm]

Get headaches? It's probably a tension headache.. the most common kind.
Want to get rid of it? Try a "still point inducer".

How to make one:


1Place two tennis balls next to each other so that they are touching one another.
2 Put the two balls in the toe of a tube sock, which is then knotted tightly.
3In order to assure that the balls stay in contact with each other, place the sock inside another tube sock and tie tightly.
4Lay on your back, on the floor or upon a sofa or bed.
5 Place the device under your head so that the entire weight of your head rests on the two tennis balls


How does it work?


Recent Research at Stanford University ...

... implies that regular use of a stillpoint inducer (SPI) may help to reverse memory loss AND reverse the ageing process!

The so-far unpublished research has found that when fluids and tissues are mobile in the brain, this assists the central nervous system - and the whole body - to remain healthy.

Not only does the SPI encourage fluid motion, but it also encourages the production of Melatonin. Research has shown that Melatonin protects the brain from degeneration, and may be a key factor in conditions such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Additionally, assists the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to return to a balanced state. Research has shown that the health of the heart and circulation are strongly affected by this ANS balance.

Comments from "Smile Inducer" users

"I have arthitis in my neck and I used to have severe attacks of chronic pain in my back. Now I no longer have pain because of the stillness inducer. It's has been a miracle to me. Thank you" MJS (used the SPI for one year)

"My mother is usually really stressed, but when I got her to lie on the Smile Inducer, she immediately became relaxed. You know how the whole room can go still sometimes when people are in a stillpoint? - well it did. Even my father could feel it when he came in, and he took one look at my mother and said 'She's not going to get at me is she?' ... I also take the Smile Inducer when I travel, and it helps me to wind down, and recover from jetlag" JHB


Background information

The craniosacral system is found in all animals (including humans!). Its name comes from the medical terms for skull ("cranium") and the base of the spine ("sacrum"). Fluid produced rhythmically by your body within the brain and spinal chord causes a wave-like force to pass through this system, usually between 5 and 12 times every minute. This craniosacral rhythm is a real physiological fluid movement, which can be detected anywhere on the body by trained hands or by using sensitive laboratory instruments.

The "Still Point" is a moment in time when the craniosacral rhythm comes to a halt - it may last a second, or many minutes. A "Still Point" is an indication that the body is making therapeutic changes, and is characterised by a reduction in bio-electrical activity. Many beneficial effects may occur during this point of stillness.

Symptomatic changes which have been noticed by people who allow their body to go into stillpoint for 15 to 60 minutes every day include :

Reduction of brain and pulmonary congestion
Reduction of headaches
Decrease in Tension, increase in Relaxation
Balancing the craniosacral rhythm
Increase in adaptability of the autonomic nervous system (i.e. improved ability to switch easily Between active and relaxed states)
Reduction of chronic muscular and skeletal pain
Non-specific fevers reduced by up to 4 degrees Fahrenheit
Acute pains reduced (e.g. labour pains)
Mitigates rheumatoid arthritis
Blood pressure becomes more normalised, oedema reduced (i.e. fluids more evenly distributed in the body)
Reduction of morning sickness and post-natal depression
Increase in vitality
Improvement of immune function

While the Smile Inducer is not a complete substitute for a trained pair of hands, it does at least partially serve a similar purpose.

This wide range of effects from a device which poorly approximates just one CST technique gives another indication of the potential benefits from craniosacral treatment

You will benefit most from your Smile Inducer if you are ALSO receiving occasional craniosacral treatments.

How to use the Smile Inducer (A)

THIS METHOD RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT HAD THEIR HEAD ON A SMILE INDUCER BEFORE
Just choose a comfortable, fairly hard surface, and lie on your back. Preferably, support your knees with a cushion. The Smile Inducer should be placed about 3 or 4 centimetres above the junction between your head and the top of your neck. To locate the Smile Inducer accurately, draw an imaginary line exactly where spectacle frames would lie (see picture) and project those lines to the back of your head. If you place the Smile Inducer here, you will find two small indentations in which the Smile Inducer feels particularly comfortable. Allow the weight of your head to rest fully on the Smile Inducer, and then just relax! and let the Smile Inducer do its job.
The balls should be side-by-side, and not at an angle. This is also a good opportunity to become more aware of the angle at which your head and body lie relative to each other.



How to use the Smile Inducer (B)

THIS METHOD IS QUICK AND USUALLY MUCH EASIER, BUT ABOUT 1 IN 5 PEOPLE HAVE A HEAD SHAPE WHICH DOES NOT SUIT IT - IF IN DOUBT, GET A FRIEND TO HELP YOU APPLY METHOD "A"
Make yourself comfortable as above, and now place the Smile Inducer at the nape of your neck. Slide it up the back of your scalp (towards the top of your head) with the weight of your head resting on it. You will notice that there is a point at which your head is held furthest from the floor by the Smile Inducer - i.e. the Smile Inducer is roughly on the bony part of the back of your scalp which naturally rests on the floor if you are lying without a cushion. Find this point exactly, and then move the Smile Inducer back towards your neck by no more than 1 cm (1/4 inch). Somewhere in that area you will find two small indentations which the SPI feels very comfortable in.
VERY IMPORTANT - make sure that the Smile Inducer is still on your skull, and NOT on your neck!

How long should I use the Smile Inducer?

Depending on what feels best for you, use the Smile Inducer for about 15 or 20 minutes at least once, and up to (i.e. no more than) four times every day. Using the Smile Inducer for more than 1 hour every day does NOT increase its effectiveness, and is not recommended. The Smile Inducer can provide some relief from chronic pain, dysfunction or disability, and may provide some assistance in cases of acute and/or chronic infection.
During this time the Smile Inducer offers you a perfect opportunity for total relaxation

Contraindications and other notes

Do NOT use a Smile Inducer if you :

are less than 14 years old - the cranial bones are still very soft, and do not respond well to prolonged pressure (incidentally, this is another reason why babies really like to be face down most of the time - apart from them being more able to develop back and neck muscles and pre-crawling movements)
have osteoporosis, Down's syndrome, or any other condition which predisposes severe weakness in the upper cervical (neck) vertebrae
have ever had a stroke, cerebral aneurysm or cerebral haemorrhage
have fractured your skull or been hospitalised for a rupture of the Dura in the past 12 months
have had an epidural in the past 6 months
have any serious diagnosed medical condition in which pressure changes in the skull could be detrimental (such as a brain tumour, or hydrocephalus)
have any unusual recent or recurring undiagnosed dizziness, headaches or visual disturbances

The above comments are particularly important if you are not receiving professional craniosacral treatment.
One purpose of the Smile Inducer is to help you relax, and so if it increases pain or causes a headache, then stop using it and ask for advice at your next treatment session.
Minor twinges and pains from injuries and illnesses many years ago may briefly return whilst using the Smile Inducer, and this is generally a good sign.
A common response to the Smile Inducer is twitching or even small movements of the limbs. Any twitching, pulsing, throbbing, temperature changes, or minor sensations which move around are signs that the Smile Inducer is being particularly effective. If you feel exhausted afterwards, this is probably because your body is now working with less adrenaline (stress), and it will take a day or two for it to feel comfortable in its new (less stressed) equilibrium.

As a general rule, I recommend you drink about 1 litre of pure water per day when using the Smile Inducer. If you have ANY symptoms of tiredness, exhaustion, stress or kidney dysfunction, this water should ideally be warm (tepid), and you should consider reducing caffeine drinks (tea, coffee, coke, etc). The easiest way to increase your water intake is to drink a bit with every "normal" drink you have.

Disclaimer

IMPORTANT - This device (and any other form of complementary therapy or self-help) should NOT be used to replace the services of a qualified medical practitioner. i.e. if you suspect you have a medical condition, get it checked out by your GP!
Many people are turning to complementary therapies because they want to reduce their medication. This should ALWAYS (if at all) be done with the full knowledge and approval of your doctor.

[Rev.Cambeul]

I permanently live with migraines, tension headaches and high blood pressure. If you're like me, you can try eating right - I was once Salubrious for three years - you can try medication, meditation, ice packs and other crap, and the only thing I can recommend is to harden up and learn to live with it. Once you make the decision to throw all the bullshit remedies out the window and stop listening to every damned fool that is a self proclaimed expert, you'll live a better and more fruitful life. And when you're suddenly hit by a succession of massive migraines ... hey, that's life. You should be used to it by now.

@Cailen.