Cranio sacral therapy
What is it?
Craniosacral or Cranial sacral therapy (aka CST) is a hands-on bodywork that uses subtle touch, mainly around the head area. It was developed in the 1970s by osteopath John Upledger and is mainly practised by osteopaths, but you'll also find it offered by chiropractors and massage therapists.
The gentle, noninvasive touch of CST releases tension in the central nervous system to enhance the body's natural healing abilities while relieving stress and pain caused by compression. As a result of this, it can help to treat a number of conditions.
How does it work?
The brain and spinal cord are surrounded by membranes and fluids, otherwise known as the craniosacral system.
As the skull naturally narrows and widens and the spine gently lengthens and shortens, this creates a subtle yet palpable rhythm within the craniosacral system.
These subtle movements circulate the cerebrospinal fluid and should, ideally, have a consistent movement pattern to adequately lubricate the brain and spinal cord. A regular rhythm of cerebrospinal fluid also ensures the delivery of nutrients to the central nervous system and the circulation of hormones and neurotransmitters.
Without this regular flow, the central nervous system can become unbalanced, which increases the chance of developing pain and illness. People often seek out Cranio Sacral therapy to treat restrictions, pain, dysfunctions and challenges anywhere on the body.
During the treatment,
With the client lying face up on a couch, the practitioner will place their hands around the head and neck using an extremely light touch to assess the state of the cerebrospinal fluid. Any pressure higher than 5 grams will miss the subtle movements that occur 6-12 times per minute.
To encourage a healthy flow, the practitioner will gently and slowly draw the occiput (the base of the spine) upward toward the head of the couch. This opens up the spine and releases congested areas in the craniosacral system.
During a treatment, the patient is sometimes asked to breathe deeply to initiate a relaxation response to aid the release of tension.
This technique is also applied to the sacrum area while the patient lies facing up (or sometimes face down), with the same subtle, almost intangible movements.
CST is thought to relieve compression, soothe pain, and release physical and emotional tension while increasing mobility in the head, neck, back, nerve and cranial areas.
Is this for you?
There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that CST is an effective treatment, but more research is needed to scientifically determine this. There’s evidence that it can relieve stress and tension, though some research suggests that it may only be effective for infants, toddlers, and children.
Other studies, however, indicate that CST may be an effective treatment — or part of an effective treatment plan — for certain conditions. One 2012 Trusted Source study found that it was effective at reducing symptoms in those with severe migraines. Another study found that people with fibromyalgia experienced relief from symptoms (including pain and anxiety) thanks to CST.
Therefore, in a way, this treatment falls into the box of: ‘I could try it because I’ve already tried everything else, and so far nothing has worked.’
A lot of people with fibromyalgia, other kinds of chronic pain, stress, migraines and anxiety have at some point, few scientifically based treatments left to try.
In these kind of moments it is very important to do your research and see what other options there are still that might not have scientific backing, but do have backing from people close to you or very compelling cases a little further away. This is how CST has grown its popularity.
In a way, you should see signing up for a treatment like this as a gamble, or at its best a calculated guess. It is very understandable that you do so as the alternative is to be stuck with all the complaints that you have.
Make sure to prepare yourself as well as you can: be clear upfront about your complaints, make sure you write down its intricacies and what a good outcome of the treatment would be for you. What would 20% improvement look like? And 50%?
Another important step is to make sure that you’re able to track your progress in some way, so you’re not spending money left, right and center without any idea of impact. How can you measure the result of the CST sessions in relation to the pain that you have?
If you have any of the complaints listed for which CST may be an effective treatment and you’re (financially) ok with it not having the impact you hope, CST could be a next step for you.
What is my experience?
I’ve tried Cranio-sacral therapy once when I was at a quite dark place in my life. Heartbreak, unable to sleep, head-aches and ongoing, my chronic pain. It may not have been the best moment to try CST, as I haven’t continued the therapy for more than one session.
Not because the experience wasn’t good, but because the distance to travel and the effort to get there (combined with that broken heart) was not the right combination.
I would love to try it again now here in Bali, as unfortunately, I do belong to the group (describe above) that have few other options left but therapies and treatments that are not scientifically proven.
The one treatment that I had, for me was about experiencing consolation. I felt safe, held, incredibly tired and broken, and if that was ok in that space. The treatment is incredibly gentle and in a way the back of your head is lifted, held, slightly manipulated and softened, which I thought was a great feeling. I cried during the treatment, mainly soft, silent tears, and got to a better breathing rhythm than I had managed in the days before.
After the session, ( I have the same response with Osteopathy) I completely zonked out. Needed sleep for hours, maybe for days.
If someone would ask me “Did it do anything?” I wouldn’t say it didn’t. I would however need to do it again (and for a longer period perhaps) to better understand (and track) its impact on me.
As my focus is more on my body and muscle tension at the moment (and its root causes) it wouldn’t be the first treatment I would go back to, on the other hand, if I had unlimited resources and time I would be very keen to explore its possibilities, I do believe that just because something is not scientifically proven yet, there is always room for me to explore and judge for myself is this should be a part of my journey to feel better.
How can I try this?
If you’re interested in this treatment, and you have no one in your network that can recommend you someone, Google is your best friend. With the above key-words and desired area you should get quite a lot of result. Please check out my article on How to book a treatment for the first time here.
Disclaimer:
This blog provides general information and discussion about health, treatments and related subjects. I try to shine light on a vast and often ambiguous arena by sharing my own experiences. The words and other content provided in this blog, as well as any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. I’m not a medical expert. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed physician or other health care worker.