By Staff of Forum Health Valparaiso
Dr. William Sutherland, who first introduced Craniosacral Therapy over 100 years ago, discovered that, contrary to popular belief, cranial bones were designed to move in small degrees. In fact, they actually pulse in response to the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid and membranes that surround the central nervous system.
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy taps into this “pulse” or rhythm that can be felt at the head and the base of the spine. Because the body is connected in all its parts, this rhythm can actually be felt throughout the body tissues.
Tension anywhere in the body can restrict this natural rhythm. Craniosacral therapists use gentle touch, often less than a nickel’s weight, to subtly correct that rhythm. Tension releases, and healthy change begins to occur throughout the body, especially in the nervous, circulatory, and musculoskeletal systems.
Craniosacral Therapy Treats Many Conditions
In the nervous system, stress-related conditions often improve, including anxiety, insomnia, digestive problems, and depression, as well as menstrual irregularities, breathing difficulties, headaches, visual and hearing problems, and head or spinal cord injuries. Craniosacral Therapy can be particularly helpful in treating children with birth trauma, learning disabilities, chronic ear problems, and hyperactivity.
In the circulatory system, circulation improves as the body relaxes, resulting in increased energy, reduced pain, and improved immune system function. People also experience faster recoveries from surgeries, as well as injuries such as whiplash.
Craniosacral Therapy improves many musculoskeletal problems such as TMJ, fibromyalgia, arthritis, sciatica, and scoliosis.
An Effective Treatment for All Ages!
This gentle yet immensely powerful therapy is suitable for all ages and conditions. Because it works with a system that most techniques do not address, it can be an effective therapy where other alternative techniques have not provided relief. Treatments are intensely relaxing, and a person may experience a deep pulsing or warming sensation, along with heightened body awareness.
