Craniosacral Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy, like other advanced modalities, is usually used in conjunction with acupuncture sessions for pain relief and injury recovery. Inquire at the front desk with any questions or to book your session.
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, non-invasive, hands-on approach that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance.
CST includes a variety of osteopathic techniques in which practitioners apply a gentle, healing touch to the bones, soft tissues and cerebrospinal fluid that surround the central nervous system. By restoring the natural position of the bones, it can decrease stress from chronic injuries as well as provide relief from migraine headaches, neck and back pain, TMJ, and more.
By normalizing the environment around the brain and spinal cord and enhancing the body’s ability to self-correct, CST is able to alleviate a wide variety of dysfunctions, from chronic pain and sports injuries to stroke and neurological impairment.
Balancing the Body's Natural Healing Mechanism
By complementing the body’s natural healing process via the central nervous system, CranioSacral therapy is an excellent way to take preventive health measure for its ability to bolster the immune system, decompress the nervous system, and is effective for a wide range of physical symptoms associated with pain and dysfunction.
“Think of the body not as a mechanistic machine but rather as a system of intelligence.” – John Upledger, D.O.
Promotes Relaxation & May Reduce Anxiety or Depression
May Reduce Pain from Headaches
May Reduce Symptoms Associated with Fibromyalgia
Is an Effective Treatment for Post-Concussion Syndrome
a non-invasive approach to acute and chronic pain
Back Pain ✷ Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury ✷ Migraines and Headaches ✷ Chronic Neck and Back Pain ✷ Stress and Tension-Related Disorders ✷ Motor-Coordination Impairments ✷ Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries ✷ Chronic Fatigue ✷ Fibromyalgia ✷ TMJ Syndrome ✷ Central Nervous System Disorders ✷ Learning Disabilities ✷ ADD/ADHD ✷ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ✷ Orthopedic Problems
CranioSacral Therapy FAQ
What is CranioSacral Therapy (CST)?
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a light-touch, manual therapy that releases tensions, as well as restrictions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve overall health.
CST was developed by Osteopathic Physician, John E. Upledger after extensive clinical research at Michigan State University. Established in 1985, Upledger Institute International has trained more than 125,000 therapists worldwide and offers more than 600 courses in 50 countries.
How does CST Work?
Few structures have as much influence over the body’s ability to function properly as the brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system. And, the central nervous system is heavily influenced by the craniosacral system – the membranes and fluid that surround, protect and nourish the brain and spinal cord.
Every day your body endures stresses and strains that it must work to compensate for. Unfortunately, these changes often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system. These distortions can then cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord resulting in restrictions. This can create a barrier to the healthy performance of the central nervous system, and potentially every other system it interacts with.
Fortunately, such restrictions can be detected and corrected using simple methods of touch. With a light touch, the CST practitioner uses his or her hands to evaluate the craniosacral system by gently feeling various locations of the body to test for the ease of motion and rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid pulsing around the brain and spinal cord. Soft-touch techniques are then used to release restrictions in any tissues influencing the craniosacral system.
By normalizing the environment around the brain and spinal cord and enhancing the body’s ability to self-correct, CranioSacral Therapy is able to alleviate a wide variety of dysfunctions, from chronic pain and sports injuries to stroke and neurological impairment.
What Can I Expect from a CST Session?
CranioSacral Therapy is an advanced osteopathic modality that will be incorporated into Acupuncture treatments or facilitated in a private session when indicated.
CST is performed with the client fully clothed and lying on a comfortable massage table. Using a light touch, the therapist evaluates or “listens to” the body for tension patterns and imbalances.
The craniosacral system is accessed and treated using the bones and connective tissue. Skilled CST therapists can enhance fluid flow and balance membrane tension, helping to bring increased vitality to the system. Releasing chronic tension patterns and enhancing fluid motility allows the body’s healing mechanisms to operate more effectively, imparting greater balance and ease.
What is experienced during a CST session is highly individualized. Some say they feel deeply relaxed, while others describe feeling unwinding sensations as the body releases tension. Sometimes, circumstances are recalled surrounding a past trauma or injury that caused the body stress. While this doesn’t happen every time, this process called “SomatoEmotional Release” is perfectly normal and helps the body reverse dysfunction and restore optimal levels of mobility.
The craniosacral system is accessed and treated using the bones and connective tissue. Skilled CST therapists can enhance fluid flow and balance membrane tension, helping to bring increased vitality to the system. Releasing chronic tension patterns and enhancing fluid motility allows the body’s healingmechanisms to operate more effectively, imparting greater balance and ease.
What is experienced during a CST session is highly individualized. Some say they feel deeply relaxed, while others describe feeling unwinding sensations as the body releases tension. Sometimes, circumstances are recalled surrounding a past trauma or injury that caused the body stress. While thisdoesn’t happen every time, this process called “SomatoEmotional Release” is perfectly normal andhelps the body reverse dysfunction and restore optimal levels of mobility.
What Will I Experience After a CST Session?
Just as each individual experiences CST sessions differently, the results can be diverse as well. You may leave in such a relaxed state that you feel like sleeping for hours. Or you may leave full of boundless energy. You may feel a decrease in pain or an increase in function immediately after the session, or the effects may develop gradually over the next few days.
Since CST helps the body resume its natural healing processes, it’s common for your improvements to continue weeks after the session. You may also experience a reorganization phase as your body releases previously held patterns and adapts to a new state of wellness.
Who Can Benefit from CST?
Because CST is effective as a preventive health measure, almost anyone can benefit from a session. The extremely light touch also makes CST a safe approach for children and infants who have experienced early stress, including birth trauma. By releasing restrictions around the central nervous system early, you may help prevent future difficulties such as learning disabilities or hyperactivity.