What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy (CST, also called cranial osteopathy) is a gentle form of touch therapy that prioritizes supporting and enhancing resources in the body, at the body’s own pace.
CST works with the rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the resulting subtle motions of the cranial bones, fascia, soft tissues in the body. The central nervous system (that the CSF flows through) endures all of the body stresses. When this system is stressed, tensions build and create restrictions that affect every part of the body. Releasing those tensions enables all the body’s systems to work more fluidly and effectively, including the immune response, vagal tone, and the body’s structural alignment. Through increased sensitivity in the hands, the practitioner locates restriction, tension, and stillness in the rhythm, and then provides light pressure or movement – only as much as the body invites, without resistance – to restore the full range and ease of motion to the restricted areas.
CST is also a helpful practice for reconnecting mind and body, bringing relaxation, awareness, and a sense of wholeness to the client. It is not uncommon for clients of CST to feel more calm and aware of themselves overall, and to discover and release areas of the body that may be holding on to built up emotional tensions, in addition to physical injuries and traumas.
What is a session like?
Your practitioner will take a written case history, listening with care to the reasons for your visit. This part of the session is important, both for gathering information and to establish a good connection and understanding with your practitioner. The session typically lasts an hour.
You remain clothed and will usually lie face up or on your side, or you may be seated. With your permission, the practitioner makes light contact with your head, the base of your spine, and other areas, encouraging your body to relax and begin to make the changes it needs.
The practitioner first senses the body’s rhythms, specifically the rhythm of craniosacral fluid increasing and decreasing in the area between the brain and skull and all the way down the spine. Through increased sensitivity in the hands, the practitioner locates areas of restriction, tension, and stillness in the rhythm, and then provides light pressure or movement – only as much as the body invites without resistance – to restore the full range of motion to the restricted area.
In Craniosacral Therapy, the body directs the practitioner, not the other way around.
Who is it for?
People may come for Craniosacral Therapy because they have acute physical problems like headaches or bad backs, or long-standing problems both physical and emotional. Others come for ongoing support in their busy lives and for help to meet life’s challenges.
In our busy, stimulating, screen-filled lives, we rarely find the time to truly listen to our own bodies, to ask what they need on an intuitive level. Often, we find it difficult or impossible to relax, or wake up each morning feeling that despite 8 hours of sleep, we haven’t truly rested. The first effects of CST in most clients is a profound sense of relaxation and restfulness. Once this restful state has been achieved, the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” function) is in control, and the practitioner uses their hands to encourage release while in this calm state.
CST is So gentle that it has a wide range of applications, and supports the healing process in many conditions. CST is beneficial for conditions such as:
- birth traumas and other perinatal challenges
- infant latching and feeding difficulties
- recurrent ear infections
- facial asymmetries and eye motor problems
- learning disabilities, A.D.D., A.D.H.D
- gross and fine motor problems
- developmental delays, autism
- headaches
- tinnitus, hearing loss and vertigo
- TMJ syndrome
- stress disorders and insomnia
- muscle and joint pain or injury
- many neurological conditions and pain syndromes
Because it is so gentle and non-invasive, Craniosacral Therapy is suitable for everyone from newborns to the elderly. Mothers and babies often come for problems associated with difficult or traumatic births. Letting go of tension and fear held in the body enables both to settle into calmness.
Long term
After a session there is occasionally a short period of adjustment as part of the healing process, where you may become more aware of symptoms. Sometimes people report relief after only one or two sessions. For long-standing problems further sessions may be needed. Some people find they benefit from regular treatment over an extended period of time and say that, as well as noticing improvement in their physical or emotional symptoms, they feel that they have more awareness of their own needs and strengths, and their quality of life has improved.
Craniosacral Therapy is not intended as primary healthcare but to work alongside the relationship you have with your doctor. For advice about whether Craniosacral Therapy is right for you, please speak to your practitioner.