What is CranioSacral Therapy?
CranioSacral Therapy is a light touch manual therapy that increases movement of the cerebral spinal fluid into the brain and treats restrictions in the craniosacral system. The craniosacral system consists of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. The system extends from the cranium, which is made up of the bones of the skull, face and mouth, down to the sacrum or the tailbone area. This system is important for the development and performance of the brain and spinal cord and an imbalance in the system could cause a number of health challenges. CranioSacral Therapy releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health. Everyday you endure stresses and strains and your body absorbs them. But your body can only handle so much tension before the tissues begin to tighten and potentially affect the brain and spinal cord. This can compromise the central nervous system. Correcting these restrictions and imbalances in the system enhances the body’s own natural ability to heal itself.
How is CranioSacral Therapy Performed?
CranioSacral Therapy is performed on a fully clothed body in a quiet, private setting. Using a light touch, generally no more than the weight of a nickel, the practitioner gently touches parts of your body to monitor the rhythm of the fluid that is flowing around your central nervous system. By carefully listening with the hands to locate areas of weak fluid flow or tissue motion, the practitioner can trace those areas of weakness through the body to the source of the dysfunction. The clinician uses gentle manual techniques to release those problem areas and relieve unnecessary pressure on the central nervous system. A CranioSacral Therapy session can last from about 15 minutes to more than 1 hour.
How did CranioSacral Therapy Begin?
CranioSacral Therapy dates back to 1970 when osteopathic physician John E. Upledger first witnessed the rhythmic movement of the craniosacral system during a spinal surgery. None of his colleagues or medical textbooks could explain this phenomenon. A few years later Dr. Upledger attended a course on cranial osteopathy developed by Dr. William Sutherland. Sutherland’s material demonstrated that skull bones continue to move throughout a person’s life and are not fused as doctor’s had been taught in medical school. Putting this information together along with the pulsing rhythm he had observed a few years ago, he theorized that a sort of hydraulic system was functioning inside the craniosacral system. In 1975 he joined the Osteopathic College at Michigan State University as a clinical researcher and Professor. There he led a team of researchers to test and document the influence of therapy on the craniosacral system. They were able to explain the function of the craniosacral system and demonstrate how a light-touch treatment could be used to evaluate and treat dysfunctions in the brain and spinal cord. In 1985, Dr. Upledger opened the Upledger Institute to teach the public and healthcare practitioners about the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy.
What Conditions Does CranioSacral Therapy Address?
CranioSacral Therapy can help alleviate a range of illness and pain, including but not limited to:
- Headaches and Migraines
- Chronic pain including neck and back
- Fibromyalgia
- Motor coordination impairments
- Stress and tension related problems
- Infantile disorders, some of which include:
- Colic
- Torticollis
- Autism
- Central Nervous System disorders
- TMJ Syndrome
- Orthopaedic problems
For more information on CranioSacral Therapy at Neil King Physical Therapy, or to make a referral, please contact Neil King Physical Therapy at (248) 853-7555.