What is Craniosacral Therapy ?
Craniosacral therapy (CST) uses the light touch of the therapist to encourage the body to heal itself, assisting body's natural capacity for self - repair.
Craniosacral therapy is based around the gentle and natural motion of cerebrospinal fluid.
In its most basic sense the craniosacral system functions as a semi-closed hydraulic system that bathes and cushions the brain, also spinal cord and their components cells in cerebrospinal fluid are pumped rhythmically 6 to 12 cycles per minute. Craniosacral therapy is based around the gentle and natural motion of cerebrospinal fluid, this motion influences the whole body on more levels.
It is a non-invasive therapy, there is no manipulation and massage, and only very gentle pressure applied to the body.
A craniosacral therapist will pick up rhythmic movements throughout the body – this motion is so subtle that it is barely measurable, but a trained therapist can use it to facilitate a deep healing process.
Listening is the key component in craniosacral work. Compassionate and sensitive listening allows healing to take place at a deep level.
In response to physical knocks or emotional stress, the body's tissues contract. Sometimes particularly when the shock is severe or accompanied by strong emotions, the tissues stay contracted.
Any trauma , stresses, strains, or tensions which remain in the body restrict the body functioning.
Restrictions in the body's functioning show up in the way that craniosacral motion is expressed. Craniosacral therapist is trained to feel this subtle motion in the body. Then using the hands to amplify certain patterns the body is holding , the therapist provides an opportunity for the body to let go of its restrictions and to return to an easier way of functioning. This frees the energy which the body was previously using to hold itself in contraction.
The resulting changes can bring greater ease on a mental or emotional level as well as to the body.
What is it Like To Have a Session?
Before you start, your medical history will be taken and questions will be asked about the specific symptoms or ailments which are bothering you. You will then be asked to lie down, fully clothed, with your shoes off. The therapist uses very light touch. Craniosacral therapy is different for everyone. You may feel heat, tingling sensations, a sense of profound meditation and relaxation during the hour-long session.
This gentle and profound therapy uses no manipulation – instead the therapist 'listens', via the hands, to what is going on in your body, and identifies and relieves pains or tensions. You remain comfortable, in control, and able to integrate the changes that occur.
Can Craniosacral Therapy Help Me?
Craniosacral therapy is suitable for people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. Babies suffering problems associated with colic, sucking difficulties, restlessness, glue ear can respond well to treatment.
In the elderly, it can be the therapy of choice due to its gentleness and the increased sense of vitality and well-being.
In adults it may help a wide range of conditions.. It is also a general therapy to help people feel well and get back “in balance with themselves”, especially after illness or a traumatic event.
But many people use Craniosacral therapy just as a preventative therapy, together with other measures, to keep themselves in a good state of health.
Is it OK to receive craniosacral therapy if having another form of treatment?
If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, please consult with your doctor.
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle and a natural therapy. If you are already having treatment elsewhere, that’s fine. You can use craniosacral therapy to complement whatever else you are doing to improve your health.
Medical Advice:
Craniosacral Therapy is intended to complement, not replace, the relationship you have with your medical practitioner. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health problem please see your doctor. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of anything you have read on this website.
History:
Craniosacral Therapy has been developed from discoveries about the body's subtle physiology, made by osteopaths in the USA around 100 years ago.
An American osteopath, Dr William Sutherland in the early 1930s discovered intrinsic movements of the bones in the head and his further research revealed different rhythms in the body. As a result of detailed clinical observation it has become clear that these movements, which can be measured with delicate scientific instruments, are a direct expression of health and offer a way of working with the physical as well as the more subtle aspects of life.
Further observation showed that these movements are also inextricably linked with psychological and emotional health. Restriction of movement corresponds to a reduction of the natural capacity to self-heal. Using the hands to feel these movements allows craniosacral therapists to facilitate change in areas of restriction. A limitation or absence of the movements implies a reduction in the expression of health which may result in, for example, numbness, a sense of something missing or disease.
Craniosacral therapy has developed from clinical experience, which shows that health is something active and not just an absence of disease. It is the expression of life, responsible for the organisation of the millions of things that are constantly happening in the body. Craniosacral therapy supports health in the body. It helps increase physical vitality and well-being not only effecting structural change but also having much wider implications, emotionally and spiritually. The resulting increased sense of well-being can help with many aspects of life from strengthening the immune system to improving interpersonal relationships.
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