One of Madison's endearing traditions is vintage clothing. There are a lot of great old items of clothing in the many local shops. You might have noticed, however, that some of these items have lost their softness and suppleness.

      Our bodies and brains are often Re these oldies in the closet or vintage shop as we age or experience stress or illness. We can feel stiff, brittle and more vulnerable.

      Exercise, avoiding stress and staying active can minimize these unfortunate side effects. But did you know that bodywork, massage and manual therapy can help you grow old in a lithe, limber and adaptable way? CranioSacreal Therapy, lymph drainage and visceral manipulation are all manual therapy techniques that find, focus and follow what your body wants to allow healthy change. You can give your body assistance to find its way back to increased tissue hydration and flexibility and decreased holding of stress.

      A new, even more powerfully focused therapy works with the brain. For many reasons, this brain work is a very important development. Old stress patterns, lack of hydration and mobility and increased tissue brittleness can have devastating effects on the brain. Research has shown that stress actually has the effect of killing off brain cells. In the process, you experience fatigue, emotional difficulties, pain and decreased physical and mental function. Finding a way to reverse these problems can be key to improved quality of life.

      These new manual neurodynamic techniques have been developed and are being taught to advanced therapists by Bruno Chikly M.D., D.O. (hon.). A few therapists in the Madison area have studied this brain work under him. Other manual therapists have said that they are becoming aware of the importance of focusing directly on brain tissue. You can go to the www.upledger.com under "Find a Practitioner" to find who in this area has received the new Brain Curriculum training.

      Bruno Chikly already has a full text and curriculum teaching and certifying lymph drainage therapy and management of lymphodema. He now is devoting his efforts to providing techniques that calm, soften, improve fluid flow and increase flexibility for the brain. The end result is better brain health and better general health. Whether you are vintage or are prematurely vintaged by illness, trauma or stress, you can rejuvenate.

      Those of us doing this work at an advanced level are looking for ways that we can collaborate with hospitals, universities and research facilities to make this work evidence- based and trusted in the mainstream.

      This work isn't just about aging gracefully. Dr. Chikly is seeking out research opportunities with individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injury. After providing, five sessions of brain manual therapy, he has found before- and-after magnetic resonance images of the brain show big changes. The changes he has seen are significantly improved symmetry and alignment of the brain and decreased compression of specific brain parts. Manual therapists need the medical community to take notice and help us with this kind of study so that we can get this, care to those who desperately need it.

Reprinted from the Capital Times Healing Arts Directory 2007-2008