CranioSacral Therapy

The craniosacral system consists of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. It extends from the bones of the skull, face and mouth, which make up the cranium, down to the sacrum, or tailbone area. Since this vital system influences the development and performance of the brain and spinal cord, an imbalance or restriction in it could potentially cause any number of sensory, motor or neurological disabilities. These could include chronic pain, scoliosis, motor-coordination impairments, learning disabilities and other health challenges.

CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle method of detection and correction that encourages your own natural healing mechanisms to dissipate negative effects of stress on your central nervous system. Craniosacral practitioners include osteopaths, medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic medicine, doctors of Oriental medicine, psychiatrists, dentists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and other professional bodyworkers.

How CranioSacral Therapy is performed.

The CranioSacral Therapy practitioner uses a light touch - generally no more than the weight of s nickel - to test for restrictions in the craniosacral system. This is done by monitoring the rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid as it flows through the system. While experienced clinicians can detect this motion anywhere on your body, they can most easily feel it at the skull, sacrum and coccyx. These bones attach to the membranes that enclose the cerebrospinal fluid.

The positive effects of CranioSacral Therapy rely to a large extent on your body's natural self-corrective activities. The therapist's light, hands-on approach simply assists the hydraulic forces inherent in the craniosacral system to improve your body's internal environment - and strengthen its ability to heal itself.

What conditions CranioSacral Therapy addresses.

CranioSacral Therapy intensifies the body's ability to do what it does best...take care of you. In that way it helps alleviate a range of illness, pain and dysfunction, including infantile disorders, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, migraines, chronic fatigue, motor-coordination impairments, chronic neck and back pain, scoliosis, central nervous system disorders, emotional difficulties, Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ), learning disabilities, stress and tension related problems, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), orthopedic problems, and many other conditions.

The Foundation of CranioSacral Therapy.

CranioSacral Therapy dates back to the early 1900s, when osteopathic physician William Sutherland was struck by the unusual idea that the bones of the skull were structured to allow for movement. For more than 20 years he explored this concept, eventually developing a system of examination and treatment known as Cranial Osteopathy.