By Carol McCoon
Craniosacral therapy may help you manage symptoms of stress, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, headaches, including migraines, chronic fatigue and more.
Craniosacral therapy is a series of gentle hands-on techniques to improve the health of the cranial bones, brain, spinal cord and sacrum. The cranium is the part of the skull that encloses the brain. The sacrum is a triangular bone at the base of the spine.
Osteopathic physician John E. Upledger led the research team that discovered the craniosacral system. His techniques to evaluate and treat the brain, spinal cord and sacrum are called craniosacral therapy. Health care professionals, including massage therapists, who practice craniosacral therapy, learn how to assess the rhythm of the cranial bones by lightly holding one or two bones at a time.
The treatment goal for the first session is to gently improve the ability of the cranial bones to move more fully. It may take several sessions before the cranial bones maintain their rhythm. When people have had head injuries, whiplash, or spinal injuries they may require multiple sessions to relieve their symptoms.
The Craniosacral Rhythm
There is a rhythm to the body’s different systems. We all experience the rhythms of the heart beating and the lungs breathing. The cranial bones have a unique rhythm. As you hold the head quietly you can feel it. The rhythm of the cranial bones is in synchrony with the sacrum.
When your client lies facedown and you place one hand on the occipital bone at the back of the head and the other hand on the sacrum, you can feel them move in the same direction at the same time.
Each person deals with different health issues and has different symptoms. Craniosacral therapy may change the nervous system by reducing the tension in the sympathetic nerves and increasing the state of relaxation in the parasympathetic nerves.
Studies show that many people see relief of their symptoms after craniosacral therapy. Each person’s situation and reason for the therapy is different and your results may vary.
Carol McCoon, MS, LMT, is an experienced multi-disciplinary holistic healer certified in leading-edge energy healing modalities, including lymph drainage, biofield tuning, reiki and Eminus Mirus energy medicine. She is the founder of Singing Wind Sound Therapy. For more information email her at singingwind00@hotmail.com or visit www.singingwindsoundtherapy.com.