Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral Therapy targets the central nervous system and manipulates the bones of the skull to treat a range of conditions, from headaches and ear and sinus infections, to strokes, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral palsy.
Everyone is familiar with the body's cardiac rhythm (heartbeat) and respiratory rhythm (breathing). Yet there is a third and equally important rhythm known as the craniosacral rhythm that result from the increase and decrease in the volume of the cerebrospinal fluid within and around the craniosacral system.
“Cranio” refers to the cranium (head), and “sacral” refers to the base of the spine and tailbone. The Craniosacral system is comprised of the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system); the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord; the surrounding membranes that enclose the brain, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid; and the bones of the spine and skull that house these membranes.
Restrictions that result from injury, inflexibility of the joints of the spine and cranium, or from dysfunctions in other parts of the body, can all cause abnormal motion (rhythm) in the craniosacral system. This abnormal motion can contribute to poor health in the brain and spinal cord. The purpose of Craniosacral Therapy is to enhance the function or this important system.
For decades various forms of cranial manipulation have been used to improve overall body functioning, and today Craniosacral Therapy is gaining more and more acceptance by health professionals worldwide and the public as a successful treatment modality. This may be due in part to the nonintrusive nature of this type of therapy, and how it works with the entire structure, physiology, mind and spirit.
Some medical conditions for which Craniosacral Therapy has been shown to be effective: