Craniosacral- The Therapy You Didn't Know You Needed

Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle hands-on treatment that may provide relief from a variety of symptoms including headaches, neck pain and side effects of cancer treatment among many others. CST uses a light touch to examine membranes and movement of fluids in and around the central nervous system. Relieving tension in the central nervous system promotes a feeling of well-being by eliminating pain and boosting health and immunity.

The focus of CST is a gentle placement of hands to assist release of the body’s connective tissue, or “fascia.” Fascia (Latin word for “band”) is a covering found throughout the body including organs, glands, nerves, muscles, blood vessels, brain and spinal cord. This covering forms a body-wide connective network, linking all tissues, organs, and systems together. Fascia can reinforce and hold internal structures in place, especially following a traumatic event. This immobilization can affect the skull plates and spinal cord.

There is controversy surrounding CST and how it works. Wikipedia defines CST as “a pseudoscience, and its practice has been characterized as quackery. It is based on fundamental misconceptions about the physiology of the human skull and is promoted as a cure-all for a variety of health conditions.” The arguments against CST seem to revolve around the thought that the bones in the skull are immovable and cannot be manipulated, however braces still seem to work, despite their logic. Most of the past studies done on the synarthrotic joints of the skull were performed on heavily preserved cadavers, not a relatively fresh cadaver, leading to inconsistencies between Western medicine and Eastern(to include European) medicine.

Despite the outcry of controversy for how CST works, results continue to be recorded about the efficacy of such a non-invasive therapy. Being able to peacefully manipulate the soft tissues around the skull, spine, and sacrum provides the ability for the body to relax and repair on a more complete and holistic level. CST has shown promise with alleviating:

• Chronic pain.

• Fibromyalgia.

• Migraine headache.

• Complex regional pain syndrome.

• Fascial adhesions.

• Multiple sclerosis.

• Neuralgia.

• Neurodegenerative diseases.

• Temporo-mandibular joint syndrome.

• Stroke.

• Post-concussion syndrome.

• Speech impairment.

• Epilepsy.

Give us a call at 615-448-6446 to book your first craniosacral appointment with one of our skilled practitioners today!

CEREBROSPINAL FLUID STASIS AND ITS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE - PMC

Entrainment and the cranial rhythmic impulse.