Reflex integration is a powerful tool for healing from trauma, PTSD, and chronic stress by addressing deep-seated nervous system patterns that keep the body in a state of stress and hypervigilance. Traumatic events can reactivate primitive reflexes and keep them in an ongoing, hyperactive state which contributes to anxiety, emotional instability, physical tension, and overall dysregulation.

Using gentle bodywork techniques and specific exercises, we can re-integrate these reflexes in order to reduce hypervigilance, ease somatic symptoms, and promote a more relaxed and regulated emotional state.

Combining reflex integration and craniosacral therapy addresses both the structural and functional disruptions that can occur in a concussion or other traumatic brain injury. CST works to release soft tissue restrictions and restore cranial alignment while reflex integration rehabilitates the neural pathways associated with movement, coordination, and sensory processing.

After a brain injury, primitive reflexes that should have been integrated in childhood may resurface leading to issues such as poor balance, hypersensitivity to light and sound, and difficulty with focus or motor control. By using specific techniques to re-integrate these reflexes, the nervous system can regain stability, reducing symptoms like brain fog, headaches, dizziness, and postural instability.

Reflex integration helps with ADHD and hyperactivity by improving neurological connections that support focus and self-regulation. Many adults with ADHD have active primitive reflexes that can contribute to impulsivity, hyperactivity, and poor attention span. Integrating these reflexes through bodywork and specific exercises allows the brain to develop better control over movement and behavior.

Reflex integration enhances body awareness, regulates energy levels, improves sensory processing functions, and reduces involuntary reflexive movements allowing people to engage more easily in tasks that require focus and sustained attention.

Reflex integration can improve emotional regulation by down-regulating the reflexes associated with fight-or-flight responses, improving the individual’s stress threshold, and increasing their stress resilience. Dysfunctional and retained reflexes can keep the nervous system in a state of stress and dysregulation, leading to frequent emotional outbursts and difficulty managing frustrating and overwhelming circumstances.

Integrating these reflexes improves self-regulation, impulse control, and sensory processing helping people feel more grounded and less overwhelmed by their environment.

Combining craniosacral therapy and reflex integration addresses both structural and functional imbalances in the breathing system.

Craniosacral therapy gently releases restrictions in the cranial bones, spine, and fascia which enhances the function of the respiratory system by improving the alignment and mobility of the airway structures. Oral facial reflex integration focuses on activating and balancing the reflexes related to the mouth, jaw, and tongue which play a critical role in proper breathing, swallowing, and oral posture. When these reflexes are unintegrated or dysfunctional, they can contribute to airway restrictions and disordered breathing patterns.

Addressing these underlying issues promotes optimal airway development, supports nasal breathing, and improves overall respiratory health.

Movement disorders are not restricted to childhood. Reflex integration and developmental movement therapies can help to improve motor disorders like cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, Parkinson's disease, hyper- and hypotonia, and dyspraxia in adults as well. Sensory-motor pathways are used to rehabilitate impaired, underdeveloped, or overactive reflexes and restore natural movement patterns that have been repressed due to injury, trauma, or impaired development.

Working with these developmental patterns helps to regulate muscle tone, improve coordination and motor skills, and reduce involuntary movements and spasticity. It works by eliciting appropriate neuromuscular responses, correct movement sequencing, and proper muscle activation around the joints.

Reflex integration therapy can support healthy aging and slow cognitive decline by enhancing neural connectivity, improving motor coordination, and reducing stress on the nervous system. As people age, reflexes may be retained or re-emerge due to stress or injuries and can contribute to balance issues, joint stiffness, poor posture, and decreased cognitive function.

Reflex integration exercises help to stimulate the brain and promote neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to form new connections - which is essential for maintaining cognitive function and preventing decline.

By improving postural stability, coordination, and sensory processing, reflex integration therapy can also reduce the risk of falls, enhance mobility, and support overall physical wellbeing, ultimately fostering greater independence and quality of life in older adults.

Reflex integration can play a pivotal role in stroke rehabilitation by helping the brain reestablish lost neural connections and restore functional movement patterns. After a stroke, individuals often experience motor impairments, muscle spasticity, and a loss of coordination due to disrupted communication between the brain and the body.

Reflex integration therapy works on the principles of neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to form new pathways - and helps retrain the nervous system to reduce involuntary movements and rebuild controlled motor skills.