Dear Alan,
A little over ten years ago Jean Pierre Dujardin, Ph.D., professor of biology for the school of medicine at The Ohio State University asked my Somatic Studies professor if he knew anyone who knew about the Brain Gym® program. He had read Carla Hannaford’s book “Smart Moves, Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head” and had some questions,. My professor suggested he contact me. Professor Dujardin and I met several times. We discussed Carla’s book and the Brain Gym work. I also taught him some of the basic exercises.
Professor Dujardin’s main concern about Carla’s book was her suggestion that when we rub the Brain Button points we stimulate the baroreceptors to increase the flow of blood to the brain. His concern was that the baroreceptors are not at the points we are rubbing. I discussed with him the physiology and massage research which indicates that the arteries expand to carry more blood when areas of the body near them are massaged, that the area being rubbed is near the junction of the aortas and lower carotid arteries, and that increasing the flow of blood in the lower carotid might stimulate the baroreceptors to increase the flow to the brain. He found this an acceptable explanation. This diversion from your calf pump question is meant to explain that Professor Dujardin had found little else in Carla’s book questionable before I talked with him and found the Brain Gym work and Carla’s book, after my discussions of them with him, intriguing and reasonable, including her explanation of what happens when the Calf Pump is done.
In her book “Smart Moves” Carla Hannaford explains that if a person is in a stressed state that triggers the tendon guard reflex, such as might result from attempting a skill with which that person has had challenges, when the calf pump is done this helps relax the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles which in turn helps relax the tendon guard reflex allowing freer flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system helping communication to become freer. Professor Dujardin was not sure how much language would be gained by doing the calf pump, but found nothing wrong with the premise.
For another reference for the releasing of stress related tensions, especially in the back of the body, to improve cerebrospinal fluid flow and stimulation of the brain you might contact the Upledger Institute whose practitioners include LMTs, OTs, PTs, DCs, DOs, MDs, and others. Some of these practitioners I know have had some Brain Gym instruction from colleagues of mine. I taught the Brain Gym 101 class to one of the Upledger instructors myself. Some of them have patients do Brain Gym exercises like the Calf Pump in between sessions to support the work they are doing.
On another note I have found out something recently from a research librarian involved in the Brain Gym work that I could not by Googling the internet a couple of years ago. The journal that two of G.Khalsa’s and Josie Sifft’s research articles were published in “Perceptual and Motor Skills” is a peer reviewed journal.
Best Wishes,
Dave Saunders
