What is Craniosacral Therapy And How can it help?

Written by Deborah Peter, LMT of Harmony Ridge Healing Arts.

Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a hands-on, whole-body method of improving health and well-being. It is a gentle touch technique that works with the central nervous system (CNS) to release restrictions anywhere in the body. These restrictions inhibit movement and compromise the body’s function.

The craniosacral system has a relationship with and is deeply connected to the central nervous system, which powerfully influences the functioning of the entire body.

The craniosacral system includes the membranes that surround the brain and the spinal column, the bones to which the membranes attach, and the cerebrospinal fluid that flows within the membranes. By paying attention to the flow of the craniosacral rhythm, restrictions and areas of tension and stress are located and released. In addition to the physical release of tension, CST regulates and balances the nervous system, reducing the fight or flight state we often live in, and taking it into more of a rest and digest state. A regulated nervous system allows the body additional resources to do its job. This helps the body and its various systems feel and function better and more efficiently than when in a more heightened state.

In addition, as a massage therapist, I know a common response to touch is for a person to tense up and guard. This is often an involuntary nervous system response. With the gentle, non-intrusive touch utilized in CST, the therapist stays below the threshold where the guarding response occurs. As such, this supports the body’s own healing wisdom. And by doing so, it facilitates profound, positive, and likely more permanent changes in the body.

How can it help me?

Our bodies are a reflection of the experiences we’ve had over our lifetime. We know the body compensates and adapts around injuries, repetitive actions, stress, trauma (physical and emotional), and anything that impacts or restricts our physical or emotional body. The adaptation and compensation create new patterns that limit and restrict the body. Even the stress of daily living impacts our body the same way as an injury or trauma, and we are often unaware of the impact it is having. These restrictions create tension and build on each other over time. As this happens, the body’s ability to function is reduced, and it does not operate efficiently and optimally. Ultimately, it affects our health and can lead to disease. By releasing restrictions in the body, we are supporting the body’s own self-correcting healing process and assisting in the regulation of a dysregulated parasympathetic nervous system.

Since the central nervous system affects the entire body, craniosacral therapy is an effective way to address any dysfunction happening in the body, as well as an excellent way to maintain health and well-being.

Craniosacral Therapy is an effective treatment for chronic pain, pain for which a source cannot be identified, for physical or emotional trauma as well as the following:

• Stress

• Anxiety / Depression

• Concussions, TBI’s and any blows to the face or head

• Overworked, tight, strained, or sprained muscles

• Injuries

• Emotional Shock/Stress (Divorce, Grief, PTSD, Trauma)

• Headaches and Migraines

• Sinus problems                                                

• TMJ syndrome or dysfunction

• Emotions and mood changes

• Feeling “out of sorts” or overwhelmed

• Disorders of the immune system     

• Disorders of the Central Nervous System

• Pre & post-surgery – preparation and recovery

• Symptoms with an unidentified cause

For more information on Craniosacral Therapy or to schedule with Deborah, visit the website for Harmony Ridge Healing Arts.