Often, patients ask me “why would you move to Canada when you could have stayed in France?” Well, let me tell you: it wasn’t for the cold, snowy, never-ending winters! It was quite shocking at first to truly experience a cold and very long Calgary winter. While it was gloomy and more humid at home in France, winter certainly did not last until April. This is likely why it appears as though more patients are affected by the weather here, in Canada.
The other practitioners have well described what Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is and how you can help yourself (read: SAD – a Naturopath’s perspective, the Psychological perspective on SAD, how SAD affects children, and Acupuncture for SAD/depression). This leaves me with the task of explaining to you how an Osteopathic treatment can help with SAD (or depression).
Osteopathic Principles
One of the Osteopathic principles explains that the structure and function of the body are always influencing each other. In other words, each element of your anatomy (bones, organs, tissue, nerves…) has a specific job to do and if one is deficient, the others will also be affected. This is what we refer to as physiology, how each body part contributes to the normal functioning of a living organism. Let’s use this analogy: If the structure is a tire with its rim, and this tire becomes flat, its function – to rotate and to hold the car will be impossible to accomplish. The opposite is also true. By treating your body, and releasing tension and dysfunctions, we can help the body work more efficiently from the inside out, and gain some energy in the process.
Another osteopathic principle describes that the role of the artery is absolute. In other words, all fluid within the body (blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid…) provides necessary nutrients, creates connections around the whole body, removes unwanted waste and fights infection. When everything within the body moves with greater ease, the blood can transmit your hormones more effortlessly through the body (one of the causes of SAD is linked to hormonal changes), and your brain will also receive the nutrition it requires to function appropriately.
Lastly, Cranial Osteopathy helps in rebalancing your nervous system, and improves the skull and its contents. This, in turn, improves sleep and harmonizes your hormones. By achieving these effects, we can positively influence the mind/body connection.
When we are down, or tired, some of our old injuries can manifest themselves again. Don’t panic; just take it as a reminder to take care of yourself. Centuries ago, the winter was the resting season for most people, the time to regenerate in order to be ready for the harvest. Maybe we should take something from this and find a way to recharge our batteries that works the best for us as individuals. Yes, some animals do hibernate and get very chubby, but this might not be my first pick for you!
If you think you might be struggling with SAD and you would like to book an Osteopathic manual therapy treatment with me, you can do so here or you can call the clinic at 403-910-1133 during business hours and we will be happy to assist you.