Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral therapy is a therapeutic approach that utilises the bones of the skull, face and mouth, which make up the cranium, and the spinal column, which extends down to the sacrum. Membranes enclosing a hydraulic system connect the system.

An imbalance in the system can adversely affect the brain and spinal cord, which can result in sensory, motor and intellectual dysfunction. Additionally, an additional approach that has been developed is the view that emotional issues can be addressed by craniosacral bodywork, which can have profound effects on physical health.

The craniosacral therapist uses non-invasive touch to gently manipulate the system, with the aim to assist the patient’s natural self-corrective physiological processes to improve the internal environment.

Examination is done by testing for movement in various parts of the craniosacral system. Trained therapists are able to palpate the motion of the craniosacral system anywhere in the body, but it is most easy to do via the bones of the skull, sacrum and coccyx because they attach to the membranes that actually enclose the cerebrospinal fluid. Seldom is pressure of more that 5 grams applied.

Because craniosacral therapy aims to support our self-healing mechanisms, the scope of conditions it may assist is very wide. It may assist with chronic pain, reduced mobility, stiff joints, headaches and migraines, jaw (temporomandibular joint) problems, neuralgia, learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, menstrual and menopausal problems and clumsiness.

In newborns, and infants and children, problems such as colic, hyperactivity, feeding and sleeping problems, and faulty development are often helped. If a routine evaluation of a newborn is done, release of strains and restrictions, even after a normal delivery, can be done that may avoid dysfunction in later life.