To understand Cranio-sacral therapy it involves putting gentle pressure on the upper and lower spine. A form of massage, cranio-sacral therapy concentrates on the head and neck. Considered a branch of osteopathy, cranio-sacral therapy involves studying the bones of the skull. By applying very light pressure to the sutures of your cranium, where the bones meet each other, tensions are released.
Therapists hold that cerebro-spinal fluid found under the base of the skull and in the spinal cord can become blocked or the flow becomes irregular. This has an adverse effect on other parts of the body that are connected to our central nervous system. Through carefully touching your head, they can feel where potential problems may lay. The method was first developed by William G Sutherland in the 1920s but began to gain widespread popularity in the seventies.
What are the benefits?
It has been used to ease headaches as well as musculo-skeletal pain, especially that experienced in the face and lower back. Hearing problems, including deafness and chronic ear infections, have responded well. It's also effective in helping to clear up sinusitis. Learning difficulties and dyslexia have also been treated using these methods.
Children with hyper activity problems and cerebral palsy sufferers are believed to have benefited. It's very relaxing and induces a long lasting sense of well being. By addressing 'glitches' in the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid, it can have a profound impact on the central nervous system which connects our bodies and our minds. Thus it can help to improve your overall health and boost your body's ability to self heal.
