Craniosacral Therapy FAQs

What is Craniosacral Therapy?

Craniosacral  Therapy (CST) uses a gentle, hands-on approach (while fully clothed) releasing tension and pain deep in the body. This results in improving whole-body health and well-being. The touch used in Craniosacral Therapy is light and gentle, even inducing sleep at times. CST addresses a rhythmic system at the core of our physiology - the pulse of energy flowing between our head and pelvic areas. Focusing on the rhythm and involuntary movements of the cranial bones and the sacrum, it has been used to alleviate a wide range of both physical and psychological symptoms.

What to expect in an Craniosacral Therapy treatment

It begins with an exploration of your health history, current circumstances, and goals in a virtual meeting, or in-person as part of your first session.

 

The in-person CST session begins with you face-up and fully-clothed on a professional massage table. With a light touch, the CST practitioner will evaluate the craniosacral system by gently feeling various locations of the body to test for ease of motion and rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid pulsing around the brain and spinal cord. As real as our breath and heart rate, this rhythmic system at the core of our physiology can alleviate many symptoms from chronic pain to depression and more.

 

The stresses and strains of everyday life - both physical and psychological can often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system. The resulting restrictions around the brain and spinal cord can be detected and corrected through your CST session. Restrictions are then released through gentle, soft-touch techniques.

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The purpose of this work is in opening the environment around the brain and spinal cord allowing the body to self-correct.

What conditions does Craniosacral Therapy address?

Craniosacral Therapy has been known to alleviate a wide variety of conditions from chronic pain, sports injuries to stroke and neurological impairment.  According to worldwide CST organizations, it has been used to address conditions such as: chronic pain, jaw pain, migraines, ear infections, joint stiffness, pregnancy problems, depression, autism, ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, coordination impairments, spinal cord injuries, stress and tension related disorders, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, and many other conditions. Your CST practitioner can help you determine if CST is appropriate for you condition based on the health history.

 

What is the origin of Craniosacral Therapy?

CST originated in 1970 when John Upledger, D.O., author of Your Inner Physician and You (North Atlantic) furthered the early work of William Sutherland in concluding that skull bones are capable of shifting. Since 2005, Beth Ann has been studying BioDynamic Craniosacral therapy technique and Articular technique.