What is Craniosacral therapy?
As I have explained in What is Osteopathy? , osteopathy embraces a holistic approach in treatment and considers the body as a whole or unit. Craniosacral therapy is one of the techniques practiced in osteopathy that serves patients in a variety of ways. Cranial osteopathy is a gentle hands-on treatment that eases tensions, releases strains, and comforts dysfunctions in the body and enhances the whole body functions and health. Osteopathy in the cranial field was pioneered by a student of A.T. Still’s named William Sutherland, DO, (1873–1954). In Craniosacral therapy, the manual osteopath usually ties to 2 major procedures:
- Adjusting the CSF ( cerebral spinal fluid ) circulation or ‘flow’ and pressure by releasing the reciprocal tension membrane of the Meningeal System or the Dural tube[Balancing the CSF].
- Cranial Sacral Therapy Works on the cranial bones and the sacrum as levers on the Dural tube in a way that through traction ‘folds’ or ‘rifts’ on the meningeal membrane is stretched and re-aligned.
Central to the cranial technique is the concept of the primary respiratory mechanism, which consists of the inherent rhythmic motion of the brain and spinal cord, fluctuation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), mobility of intracranial and intraspinal membranes, the articular mobility of cranial bones, and the involuntary mobility of the sacrum between ilia. In craniosacral therapy, the manual osteopath applies gentle pressure by a soft touch and releases the strains and tensions in the tissues surrounding the CNS ( Central Nervous System ), and the body or whole re-integrates its natural function.
Craniosacral therapy in osteopathy or Cranial osteopathy.
How effective is Craniosacral therapy?
The goal of various treatment modalities in craniosacral therapy is to normalize nerve function, eliminate circulatory stasis, normalize CSF fluctuation, release membranous tension, correct cranial articular strains, and modify gross structural patterns. Numerous studies have proposed that cranial osteopathy is a great treatment for a variety of conditions including Headaches and Migraine, anxiety, stress, and tension-related disorders, fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue syndrome, concussions, and brain traumatic injuries, sleep problems, TMJ pain, and … can benefit from craniosacral therapy. As an example of my practice, I have noticed that people suffering from headaches and migraines reported fewer attacks as well as also dwindled monthly spells. Even, they mention that intervals between attacks have risen which means fewer spells in a month or a year. Another example was my patient with anxiety who tapered his medicines(under the supervision of her family doctor) while being treated with cranial osteopathy.
What happens during a CranioSacral Therapy session?
The practitioner works gently on the skull, neck, the lumbar spine, and sometimes on your hip and feet. The treatment usually brings tranquility and peace of mind for the patients in a way that some patients might fall asleep during a session.
How many CranioSacral Therapy sessions will I need?
Response to craniosacral therapy varies from individual to individual and condition to condition. In some cases, a few session is pretty enough to see the results while in some other a couple more sessions are required. Usually in the very first sessions, one can feel the changes that are being made in his body. So, depending on your problem and your body’s response to cranial osteopathy the number of sessions are varied.
