What is Cranio-Sacral Therapy?

Cranio-Sacral Therapy is becoming much better known these days. It is based on a number of findings about the body’s subtle physiology, which were made by osteopaths in the USA nearly 100 years ago. These findings show that every cell in a healthy body expresses a rhythmic movement which is fundamental to life - and which has been called ‘craniosacral motion’. At the core of the body the cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes and cushions the brain and spinal cord, expresses this motion in a tide-like ebb and flow; while bones, organs and other structures in the body each follow their own particular pattern of movement. This motion is so subtle that it is barely measurable with instruments, but the hands of a trained therapist are able to perceive it. As the implications of these findings were realised, during the first thirty years or so of this century, Cranio-Sacral Therapy gradually developed. Since then the therapy has been refined and further developed into the subtle, healing process which is available today.

How does it work?

In response to physical knocks or emotional stress, the body’s tissues contract. Sometimes, particularly when the shock is severe or occurs within an emotional situation, the tissues stay contracted. Any stresses, strains, tensions or traumas which have been “stored” in the body in this way will restrict the body’s functioning and may give rise to problems over the years. The effects may be both physical (such as back pain, migraine or digestive disorders) and emotional (such as anxiety or depression). Restrictions in the body’s functioning show up in the way that cranio-sacral motion is expressed. Cranio-Sacral therapists can identify areas where there is congestion or restriction. In this way they can identify the possible origin of a problem. Then, using the hands to reflect back to the body the pattern it is holding, the therapist provides an opportunity for the body to let go of its restrictive pattern and return to an easier mode of functioning. This happens at a deep, unconscious level within the body, but it occurs in the same way as we might take other, more conscious decisions. For example, if someone holds a mirror in front of you when you are frowning, you suddenly become aware of your expression and may well choose to relax your eyebrows. As well as releasing the body’s tensions, this frees the energy which the body was previously using to hold itself in contraction. So one of the benefits of the therapy is an increase in the level of energy available.

'Fascial Unwinding' is a speciality in Cranio-Sacral work and a skill I particularly like to use. Unexplained symptoms can often be revealed and helped.

Can it help me?

Cranio-Sacral Therapy is so gentle that it is safe & suitable for people of all ages, from babies to the elderly, & also in fragile or acutely painful conditions. Indeed, it is often appropriate when other therapies may be unsafe, such as during pregnancy, after an operation, accident, fall or injury, & for young babies. As a whole body therapy, Cranio-Sacral Therapy may aid people with almost any condition, by raising the vitality and enabling the body’s own self-healing processes to be utilized. But you don’t have to be ill or have any particular symptoms to benefit from Cranio-Sacral Therapy. The alleviation of life’s stresses, and the increased sense of vitality and well-being that Cranio-Sacral Therapy can bring are welcome to most of us at any time.