You may have heard of Craniosacral Therapy but have no idea what it is. Most people who ask me for it, usually stumble over the name, saying that cranialsacrum therapy, or craniumspinal massage, to name a few. Part of the reason is, that it’s somewhat of a newer therapy. In the last 50 or so years osteopaths started to investigate the fact that the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid in and around the cranium all the way down your spinal column affects your health and well-being. And due to accidents, injuries, stresses and illnesses that fluid can be disrupted. And when it is, restrictions are created that keep the cerebrospinal fluid from working at it’s optimal. Over the last several decades people like Dr.John Upledger, Franklyn Sills, Hugh Milne, just to name a few, have been teaching, Massage Therapists, Chiropractors, Doctors, Dentists, Physical Therapists, etc… how to tune into the Craniosacral System and help the body self correct.
Craniosacral Therapy is a very light touch treatment, the pressure for the most part is as light as a nickel, unless the body pulls you in to go deeper. The therapist learns the protocol of where the major areas in the body are most likely to have these restrictions occur. It centers around the spinal column and the cranium, even though the rhythm can me palpated from anywhere on the body. The craniosacral system is a closed hydraulic system, with the cerebral spinal fluid pulsating at a beat of 6-12 beats per minute going in and out in an expansion and contraction movement.
My training was with the Upledger Institute. Which gave me a wonderful foundation of the physiology and how to bring the body into stillpoint so that the body can release restrictions that it may have held for years. I have had clients with sinus problems, migraine headaches, TMJ, low back pain, depression….to name a few….get tremendous relief through receiving Craniosacral Therapy. It is the best therapy I know of to help the Central Nervous System come back into homeostasis. Everyone is different, and the results vary from client to client. It is an extremely effective treatment when it resonates with the client. If you have been through any major impact, such as a car accident or a bad fall, and felt like something has just been off since the incident but you can’t quite put you finger on what, Craniosacral Therapy may hold some answers.
