https://www.integrativebodyworkeducation.com/

Nerve & Soma, Seattle, WA (2026)

09/11/2026

Diagram-in-progress for tomorrow's class.

The good news is that acute headaches can often be improved by *many* different tactics... but this can create a frequent, fleeting false confidence about our particular methods.

We can be -- and I think we *need* to be -- a bit more ambitious:

• What's the *most* safe and direct way to reduce an acute Headache?

• What does it take to change a pattern of Headaches over time?

These are the questions we should be orienting to.

That means having a solid map of incoming sensory pathways in the head/upper neck, and then understanding some of the feedback loops that lead to sensory/autonomic/cognitive weirdness.

It may also mean putting our old frameworks aside for a moment (like 'trigger points' or 'muscle tension' or _____) just to see if we still need them!

Hope some of you can join for tomorrow's workshop. Remember you can take the class live or watch it later... just make sure you're on the roster before tomorrow!
--

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $95 USD
For more info & to sign up:
https://bit.ly/4r0AzPU

09/09/2026

Actual picture of me after finishing this diagram of headache sensory pathways. Turns out? Headaches are weird... yet patterns can be deciphered.

We have a great group on Saturday's class on Headache treatment... hope you can join!
Remember, all attendees get a permanent recording and a chance to take a quiz for a 4-CE hr certificate.

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $95 USD

For more info & to sign up:
https://bit.ly/4r0AzPU

08/31/2026

Zoom out from the body itself, and center instead on the interface between a person and their world, and you’ll see the true cost of a migraine.

You’ll see the pattern of anyone in persistent cyclical pain – the experience begins to pattern our story of self, and alters the meaningful relationships in out lives.

A person with chronic migraine is exiled from who they wish to be, and over time, forgets what it was like to be that longed-for self. They navigate:

▪️ Extreme cyclical introversion
▪️ Invisible Pain
▪️ Pain as perceptual foreground / Filter
▪️ Pain as inherited family story
▪️ Hypercompetence, Hypervigilance & Learned Helplessness

(See References below for more background here.

👉 Next Saturday, September 12th we'll work to sift and defuse the drivers of migraine -- and we'll do so with contextual awareness for the altered life of a migraneur.

The course can be taken in-person or watched online. All students will have access to the recorded course in perpetuity!

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $95 USD

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/4h2xn2T

Reference

Buse, D. C., Fanning, K. M., Reed, M. L., Murray, S., Dumas, P. K., Adams, A. M., & Lipton, R. B. (2019). Life With Migraine: Effects on Relationships, Career, and Finances From the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study. Headache, 59(8), 1286–1299. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.13613
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6771487/

Casas-Limón, J., Quintas, S., López-Bravo, A., Alpuente, A., Andrés-López, A., Castro-Sánchez, M. V., Membrilla, J. A., Morales-Hernández, C., González-García, N., & Irimia, P. (2024). Unravelling Migraine Stigma: A Comprehensive Review of Its Impact and Strategies for Change. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(17), 5222. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13175222
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/17/5222

Sturgeon, J. A., Ehde, D. M., Darnall, B. D., Barad, M. J., Clauw, D. J., & Jensen, M. P. (2023). Psychological Approaches for Migraine Management. Anesthesiology clinics, 41(2), 341–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anclin.2023.02.002
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10513739/

Vincent, M., Viktrup, L., Nicholson, R. A., Ossipov, M. H., & Vargas, B. B. (2022). The not so hidden impact of interictal burden in migraine: A narrative review. Frontiers in Neurology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.1032103
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.1032103/full

image modified from: Wikimedia Commons

08/26/2026

FYI, Saturday's the last day to enroll for early bird pricing for Sept 12th's Neurofascial Approach to Headaches!

Save $20 by signing up today.
For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/3UeqzGI.

Remember, all attendees get permanent access to the full record of the course, you can choose to catch it live or watch later.

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $75 USD

🐦 Saturday, August 29th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/3UeqzGI

08/26/2026

In recent posts, I've said we should learn to identify the peripheral drivers of headache pain.

But what if (at least some) headaches are better understood as sensory processing disorders?

What if the main story here -- and the most crucial therapeutic target -- is quirky brain behavior?

This review on Migraine pathophysiology from Goadsby et al (2017) paints a vividly complex picture of migraines, but with some surprising points of consensus. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28179394/

Among them: Many of the things we'd called 'migraine triggers' may just be early manifestations of an episode. For example, we may think that sleep loss or eating junk food causes headaches... when perhaps the early migraine is just disrupting our normal habits for sleep and food.

This is not to say irritating inputs and painful behaviors don't matter -- but we should stay curious as to what's cause and what's effect in a sufferer's condition.

If you're a healthcare provider, I'd love to see you take a deeper dive in our upcoming workshop,

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $75 USD

🐦 Saturday, August 29th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/463LoqM

Reference

Braune 1872

Goadsby, P. J., Holland, P. R., Martins-Oliveira, M., Hoffmann, J., Schankin, C., & Akerman, S. (2017). Pathophysiology of Migraine: A Disorder of Sensory Processing. Physiological reviews, 97(2), 553–622. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00034.2015

08/20/2026

Are headaches in humans actually a byproduct of sensory acuity?

Easing pattern of headaches often works by reducing hypervigilance in the trigeminal system.

Often this involves reducing neurogenic inflammation, as expressed by the cytokine CGRP (calciton-gene related peptide).

But turns out the *same* peptide drives sensory vigilance in the thalamus/brain. (This explains light/sound/smell sensitivity in headache.). So perhaps it has served human communities to have some of us with cranked up sensory systems... even if we suffer more headaches?

More on this on September 12th’s 4-CE hr workshop for manual therapists,

⚡Neurofascial Approach to Headaches⚡
More info here: https://bit.ly/4gJ5TPD
Please share and consider joining!

---
An amazing review by Blumenfeld et al (2021) details the evolutionary drivers of trigeminal vigilance, how that vigilance is modulated by CGRP production in nerves , and how this system might be creating migraine patterns in some individuals.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8571459/

In the linked image, we see how CGRP acts on trigeminal nerves, cranial arteries/arterioles, and brainstem processing of sensory input.

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $75 USD

🐦 Saturday, August 29th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/4gJ5TPD

Reference

Blumenfeld, A., Durham, P. L., Feoktistov, A., Hay, D. L., Russo, A. F., & Turner, I. (2021). Hypervigilance, Allostatic Load, and Migraine Prevention: Antibodies to CGRP or Receptor. Neurology and therapy, 10(2), 469–497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40120-021-00250-7

08/18/2026

Not all approaches to Headache treatment are equal. And not all Headaches are equally treatable.

That's because head pain is uniquely synapsed in the brainstem & thalamus, making it spring from many drivers, both central and peripheral.

However -- just because the brain/spinal cord is sensitized, *doesn't absolve us* from careful attention to peripheral drivers. Calming down the inputs to the CNS remains a crucial step even for 'central' pain.

If we really care about helping the *most* people with headache, we need a flexible approach that orients to the core physiology of headache.

That doesn't mean we can't use techniques called 'trigger point' or '____ mobilization' -- it just means we need to keep our eyes on the prize -- the trigeminal system and its protective behaviors.

If you're a healthcare practitioner committed to improving your headache treatments, you might find September 12th’s in-person and online workshop 'Neurofascial Approach to Headaches' crucially helpful. (https://bit.ly/463LoqM, details below)

And check out this sober and helpful review from Peñas & Courtney, 2014:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4062351/

"Current scientific evidence supports the role of manual therapies in the management of tension type and cervicogenic headache, but the results are still conflicting. These inconsistent results can be related to the fact that maybe not all manual therapies are appropriate for all types of headaches; or maybe not all patients with headache will benefit from manual therapies."

"Clinical management of patients with headache needs to extend beyond local tissue-based pathology, to incorporate strategies directed at normalizing central nervous system sensitivity."

We are excited about this workshop and hope that you can join on Saturday, September 12th:

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $75 USD

🐦 Saturday, August 29th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/463LoqM

08/17/2026

What really drives Headache pain? If we've found a treatment that seems to help, do we know *why*?

These questions have vexed medical providers for centuries. And in the next few paragraphs, we will finally solve the mystery.

Just kidding! Headaches are complex storms that will reliably befuddle us into the future.

But we've also learned some crucial things. Notably, how to be *way more effective* and *way less confused* than the average healthcare professional.

(Next round of 'Neurofascial Approach to Headaches' coming up September 12th, https://bit.ly/4gf43Vl)

A unified approach to headaches begins with understanding them as irritations of the Trigeminal system. We need to understand what parts of this system are dysregulated, and how to communicate with those parts.

See top-left -->. In this model, threat perception is the common mother of muscle tension / posture / dysautonomia / inflammation. These all protective behaviors driven by trigeminal threat, which then can feed back in the form of further dysregulation.

Who's perceiving threat? The trigeminal nucleus and its ANS/immune connections. How do we change that perception and relieve headache pain reliably? That's what you'll see in the coming posts from this page, and what Saturday September 12th class is all about.

Stay tuned and consider joining us on the 12th, live or on your own time!

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $75 USD

🐦 Saturday, August 29th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/4gf43Vl

08/13/2026

Woof, that was a needed Summer break.

For Fall we've got many irons glowing, including these renewed, evidence-based and experientially powerful classes on Headaches (MTs), Unwinding (All somatic/embodiment nerds), and Jaw Pain (MTs).

Each 4-CE hr class can be taken in-person, online, and asynchronously. All students get a permanent recording + supplemental videos. Hope to see you at one of these soon!

More info at http://integrativebodyworkeducation.com/

September 12th - 4-CE hr class , Neurofascial Approach to Headaches:

Headaches are complex behaviors of the trigeminal system that rise into consciousness from many sources. To navigate the head’s nerves with clarity, to calm the acute pain, and to shift the trigeminal system toward healthier patterns: these are the aims of this class.

🐦 Saturday, August 29th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

Online/in-person/on demand

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/4qfHuV1

October 03 - 4-CE hr class, Embodied Anatomy Unwinding & Becoming:

Unwinding is a deep mystery for the embodied practitioner. Why do humans (and other animals) intuitively go into spiral wave-link motion? Why does it sometimes bring relief from pain and static body image? This class is about the neuroscience and therapeutic uses of Unwinding.

🐦 Saturday, September 19th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

Online/in-person/on demand

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/4fTrogm

November 07 - 4-CE hr class, Neurofascial Approach to Jaw Pain:

Think of all the jaw pain that goes untreated or is met with catastrophic theories. This class focuses on treating the mandibular nerve and related tissues — the pterygoids, cranial base, and TMJ capsule. You will gain hands-on skills and a straightforward method of assessment.

🐦 Saturday, October 24th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

Online/in-person/on demand

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/4qa7bpX

08/12/2026

Of the most impactful changes in my clinical approach to headaches came from Bogduk and Govid, 2009* -- the first really clear explanation of neck-driven headache I'd heard.

They do away with the confusing moniker 'Tension-type headache', and lay out a much clearer mechanism --> sensory nerves in the neck *converge* with the trigeminal sensory system, and thus neck irritation (mostly from C1-3) can result in referred head pain.

How then can I tell between "primary" pain in the head, and referred sensation from the neck. Suppose my forehead hurts over my left eyebrow -- is it my neck or my head? Two obvious -- yet often overlooked -- actions can help narrow the cause

• Examine the actual site of headache pain.
• Examine the possible neck segments, especially in the upper neck.

In each place, ask: Is there local inflammation/tenderness? Can you reproduce the familiar pain?

One would think these obvious assessments, but the historical baggage of headache literature often leaves us (me) feeling overwhelmed or endlessly distracted.

This is not to say all headache can be elucidated, but it's a remarkably grounded way to begin the inquiry.

⚡ Neurofascial Approach to Headaches ⚡

Open to all healthcare practitioners licensed in Manual/Massage Therapy, and meets the WA state CE requirements for physical therapy and massage therapy.

Saturday, September 12th from 10a-2p Pacific
4 CE hours • Cost: $75 USD

🐦 Saturday, August 29th is the last day for early bird pricing--$75 USD, and there afterward it goes up to $95 USD 🐦

For more info & to sign up: https://bit.ly/4wWddxf

REFERENCES:

*https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(09)70209-1/abstract

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