Joanna Wildy’s new book – Mind and Membrain

It will come as no surprise to many osteopaths out there that there might be a link between head trauma, even in the distant past, and a patient’s current psychological state.

It seems self-evident to those of us who have palpated many heads in our lives and heard the many histories that accompany them. However there is not a great deal of research or literature to this effect, as far as I can see. Clinician Joanna Wildy is attempting to fill this gap with her new(ish) book, Mind and Membrain. I have had my hands on this book for a little while, but was hanging onto it so that I could get my YouTube channel up and running and post an actual interview with the author herself. However, general busy-ness combined with technophobia has made this a goal which seems to be ever-receding into the far more distant future. So whilst the book is still fairly fresh on the shelves, I thought I’d give you a brief peek inside.

First things first, it is beautifully produced. It feels good, it looks good, it has wonderful drawings and diagrams. I even love the font. The blurb on the back explains that the book looks at two areas: 1) mental health problems, and 2) the link between head trauma, mood disorders and early onset brain disease. With the use of case histories, great illustrations and even a handy appendix to guide practitioners through the process of diagnosis and treatment, it is a very nice and robust package.

The term membrain is used to describe the close relationship between the brain and the dural membrane. The phrase “Membrain disorder” means a physical condition which can allow for a therapeutic approach to mental health problems arising from physical head trauma.

What’s in the book?

The first half of the book explains the how and why of head trauma – birth, teeth, accidents and so on. A fairly classical exposition of the osteopathic approach to the cranium and brain is set out. This will be fairly familiar to the osteopath but might be new to other readers.

The second half discusses an approach to diagnosis and treatment which acknowledges complexity and which might interest followers of the biopsychosocial model. There is a wealth of interesting information in these chapters. Joanna describes in detail 6 biological dimensions which one can imagine from the inside out like a Russian doll: biomolecular, cellular, multicellular, the brain, the whole person and their environment. The origin of the patient’s problem might be in one or more of these, and the identification of the correct dimension(s) is essential for directing towards the appropriate treatment.

For diagnosis of the presenting problem I especially like her use of the 8 primary spectrums of psychiatry as outlined by Steven Buser (author of DSM-5 Insanely Simplified).. We are all probably familiar with the “autistic spectrum” – defined here as how CONNECTED are you to others?, but I had not thought of the “mania spectrum” – how much CREATIVITY you have, nor the “anxiety spectrum” – how much VIGILANCE you have or even the “depression spectrum” – how much SORROW you hold. It has given me a whole new way to look at mental health and I am considering sticking a version of it on my fridge, or showing it to patients to get a rough gauge of their mental health.

How to diagnose and treat

The whole second half of the book is really useful for the practitioner and warrants careful reading and rereading. At its essence, Wildy believes that we must focus on identifying the causative factor(s) and biological dimension(s) or origin(s) of the mood disorder or mental health issue in order to allow a road map of treatment to emerge. There is nothing new about considering that the aetiology is what guides the treatment, but the absolute key to Wildy’s approach is this importance of identifying the biological level at which the patient might be suffering. As she puts it, “The big problem is how to direct each patient towards a therapeutic approach which is appropriate for that individual; one which will help the patient to get well“. One of those approaches would be manual therapy by a practitioner trained in the use of cranial techniques. However she acknowledges that there are a multitude of approaches, not all of which can be provided by an osteopath. Her chapter on the biomolecular dimension sets out a case study of a woman struggling with hormone-related depression and anxiety. Wildy considers possible genetic influences affecting biochemistry, and shows that this provides the rationale for the treatment – which is referral to a doctor for psychotropic drugs.

Finally there is a glossary and nearly a hundred endnotes, packed with interesting references.

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BUY THE BOOK direct from Troubadour HERE or at Amazon HERE!

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