Jamie Gates Wellness

05/15/2026

“A better understanding of the hydraulic element of hypertension and the role of lymphatics in maintaining fluid balance can open new approaches to prevent and treat hypertension and its consequences, such as heart failure.”

Blood pressure is regulated by vascular resistance and intravascular volume. However, exchanges of electrolytes and water between intra and extracellular spaces and filtration of fluid and solutes in the capillary beds blur the separation between intravascular, interstitial and intracellular compart...

05/12/2026

🌿🌿 May Momentum for Manual Therapists 🌿🌿

May is a time of growth, renewal, and forward movement. As manual therapists, it’s an opportunity to build on our foundation and continue evolving in our practice.

Presence and refined palpation are essential—but as Jean-Pierre Barral emphasized, they are only the beginning. Meaningful, lasting outcomes come from continually deepening our anatomical knowledge and clinical understanding.

Often called “the missing link,” the modalities developed and taught through the Barral Institute can help unlock new possibilities for effective, lasting treatment results.

Whether you’re just beginning your journey or have years of experience, this season invites you to keep growing, learning, and refining your skills.

🧠✋ Explore our virtual and in-person courses:
https://www.barralinstitute.com/courses

05/12/2026

🧠 Our internal organs constantly adapt and change volume throughout the day. This research explores how specialized neurons detect organ stretch and communicate with the nervous system to regulate breathing, digestion, bladder function, and autonomic balance.

Understanding these mechanosensory pathways may open new possibilities for treating autonomic dysfunction and improving whole-body regulation.

📖 Read the full article:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30143276/

🔎 Explore more research resources at barralinstitute.com

05/04/2026

💀🍃 This weekend I completed Neural Manipulation 1 training, which focuses on how the nervous system moves and interacts with the rest of the body.

✨ What does that mean for you? ✨

Your nerves aren’t fixed in place. They’re designed to glide and adapt as you move. When that motion becomes restricted (from injury, stress, or repetitive patterns), it can contribute to discomfort, tension, or limited mobility.

This work uses gentle, precise techniques to support better movement and communication within the nervous system.

It’s another layer I’m excited to bring into sessions to help support more ease, resilience, and overall function in the body. 💀🍃

What can Neural Manipulation help with?

• Neck and back pain
• Headaches and migraines 🧠
• Sciatic-type symptoms
• Nerve-related sensations (tingling, pulling, sensitivity)
• Whiplash or past injury patterns
• Jaw/TMJ discomfort 😬
• Shoulder and arm tension (including brachial plexus involvement) 💪
• Pelvic or hip-related nerve irritation

The goal isn’t to “fix” or force change, but to support better movement and communication within the nervous system—so the body can adapt more efficiently.

04/29/2026

04/26/2026

Spent the weekend immersed in Chikly’s Lymph Drainage Therapy 2 and left with my mind full and hands humbled.

24 hours of studying pathological pathways, lymphatic watersheds, manual mapping, and the incredible subtlety of fluid movement in the body.

One of the things I love most about this work is how much there is still to discover. The deeper I go into lymphatics, the more elegant and intelligent the system reveals itself to be.

Honored to keep learning and growing in this work.

03/31/2026

Barral Neural Manipulation Prep – Post 3

Continuing through the required reading Trauma: An Osteopathic Approach, this section introduces a tissular approach to trauma.

Trauma doesn’t just affect structures, it affects the quality of the tissues themselves.

Fascia, muscles, nerves, and organs can all change in how they feel, move, and respond after an injury or strain.

Tissues may become more dense, restricted, or less able to glide.

Over time, these changes can influence circulation, mobility, and how the nervous system perceives tension or discomfort.

An example:

After surgery, the incision may heal but the surrounding tissues can remain restricted, affecting movement and sensation in the area (and sometimes far beyond it).

Looking at trauma through a tissular lens helps practitioners ask:

How have the tissues changed, and how is that affecting the body as a whole?

More reflections as I continue the reading. ….yes this is still very dry material!

03/08/2026

Barral Neural Manipulation Prep – Post #2 - I haven’t read material this dry in a very long time 😆

Continuing through the required reading Trauma: An Osteopathic Approach, the next concept explores a functional–anatomical approach to trauma.

Structure and function are inseparable in the body.

When trauma occurs, whether from an injury, surgery, or repetitive strain it doesn’t just affect a single structure. It can influence how surrounding tissues move, adapt, and communicate.

Nerves, muscles, fascia, organs, and joints all work together as part of an interconnected system.

An example:

A sprained ankle may heal structurally, but the body may adapt by changing how weight is distributed through the leg, pelvis, and spine.

Over time, that single injury can influence movement patterns far away from the original site.

Looking at trauma through a functional–anatomical lens helps practitioners ask:

Which structures were involved, and how has their function changed over time?

More reflections as I continue the reading…. (dry like the desert 🐪)

03/06/2026

Post #1 – Barral Neural Manipulation Prep 🤓

As I prepare for additional training in Neural Manipulation, I’m working through the required reading: Trauma: An Osteopathic Approach.

One concept that stands out early in the book is the mechanical nature of trauma.

When we hear the word trauma, we often think of emotional or psychological events. But in this context, trauma refers to physical forces placed on the body—falls, accidents, repetitive strain, surgery, or even sudden movements.

These forces can create restrictions in tissues that affect how structures glide, move, and communicate with the nervous system.

Over time, the body adapts. Sometimes those adaptations become the very patterns that keep pain or dysfunction going.

Understanding trauma from a mechanical perspective helps me look beyond the site of pain and ask:

What force happened here, and how did the body adapt to it?

More insights to come as I continue working through this material.