WHAT IS IT AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
I’ve just returned from an amazing second CranioSacral week in Brighton (It’s October 2021 and it was originally scheduled for March 2020 !!!). I’ve been including these techniques in treatments for over 2 year now to some amazing results. So it seems like a good time to give a brief outline of what CranioSacral work is and what you might expect from a treatment.
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle hands-on technique that uses a very light touch to examine membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the central nervous system. Relieving tension in the central nervous system promotes a feeling of well-being by eliminating pain and boosting health and immunity.
CST can provide relief from a variety of symptoms. The gentle placement of hands assists the release of the body’s connective tissue, or “fascia.” Fascia (Latin word for “band”) is connective tissue found throughout the body including organs, glands, nerves, muscles, blood vessels, brain and spinal cord. This tissue forms a body-wide connective network that contains and supports us in our movement and processes. It is ubiquitous and tensions running through the fascia not only distort the body but also compromise the function of nerves and all the bodies systems. CST treats the body at an integrated level encouraging your own bodies healing systems to function efficiently and do what is needed to bring the body back into balance.
CST is thought to improve efficiency of biological processes through boosting inherent self-regulation, self-correction and self-healing.
What conditions might CST help? Thats a tricky one to answer because results have been wide ranging but some of the conditions it has been known to help are …
Chronic pain.
Fibromyalgia.
Migraine headache.
Complex regional pain syndrome.
Fascial adhesions.
Multiple sclerosis.
Neuralgia.
Neurodegenerative diseases.
Temporo-mandibular joint syndrome.
Stroke.
Post-concussion syndrome.
Speech impairment.
Epilepsy.
What can I expect from a craniosacral therapy (CST) session?
The treatment session, like any soft tissue treatment, begins with a consultation to understand your injury/health/lifestyle history to date. There is no need to undress for a CST session, you stay fully clothed and normally remain supine (lying on your back) throughout.
Gentle pressure techniques, predominantly on the bones of the skull and spine but also peripherally, are used to assess the existence of possible disruptions and/or restrictions in your fascial system. Clients often report feeling a sense of deep relaxation and it has been known for clients to fall asleep during the treatment (it’s those give away snoring sounds :D)
It’s often the case that we have to get our head round the lighter touch, sometimes it feels like very little is being done but don’t be fooled, some very profound changes are happening at a deep level.
Is craniosacral therapy right for everyone?
CST can benefit almost everyone. However if you have experienced any of the following and have not been released for treatment by your doctor, you may need to wait before having a CST session.
Recent concussion.
Cerebral swelling.
Structural defects in the cerebellum such as Arnold-Chiari malformation.
Brain aneurysm.
Traumatic brain injury.
Blood clots.
Any disorder that causes instability of cerebral fluid pressure, flow or build-up.
As with any treatment modality, if in doubt, get your Doctors release for treatment.