Cranio Sacral Therapy
What is Cranio Sacral Therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy is a hands-on touch therapy that facilitates your body to respond in a healing way to the specific hand placements of the therapist during the session. The hand placements are meant to facilitate a release of fluid stagnation within tissues and stimulate optimal flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the proper channels.
​
Cranio Sacral therapy is a branch of Osteopathy. Osteopathy was conceived in the late 1800’s by a man called Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917), in the United States. Still was a medical doctor, a mechanic and a man of faith.
​
William Garner Sutherland (1873-1954) was an early student of AT Still. He developed Still’s principles and practice to conceptualise the Cranial Approach to Osteopathic Treatment. This is commonly known as Cranial Osteopathy or Cranio Sacral Therapy : meaning head and sacrum. The evolution of the approach was initially brought about by the study of the soft tissues and bones of the head. Sutherland applied this concept to treating the whole body.
Rollin Becker DO (1910-1996) was a student of Sutherland, and it is really Rollin who brought Cranial Osteopathy to the UK in the 1970’s.
​
Some of the benefits of craniosacral therapy includes: Pain relief (especially for headaches, migraines, TMJ issues, sinusitis, lower back issues, pelvic floor issues, plvic girdle pain, etc.) ; deep relaxation and improved emotional well-being.
​
Most people report a soothing, relaxing and pain / symptom alleviating feeling during the session. They mention pleasant sensations throughout the body such as a warm feeling, pleasant tingling, muscle twitch, a letting go feeling, muscle relaxation, pressure release, things of that nature.
What to Expect:
​
You'll be asked to lie on your back on a massage table. By quietly resting the hands on your skull and sacrum, the therapist will evaluate your craniosacral rhythms. This in itself can create a shift in energy.
Sometimes, the therapist's hands become aware of places along the spine or in the body where energy is stuck or heated and will directly or indirectly hold them.​​
​
After the session you might experience a flare-up of the symptoms for a few days. The nervous system needs to adapt to the changes, so this is completly normal. Keep well hydrated to help with fluid relief and circulation, and while the body is getting read of unecessary toxins.