Patients who deal with chronic pain often search for techniques to relieve pain. Some turn to prescription pain medications or physical therapy, depending on the type and root cause of their pain. However, other individuals can benefit from osteopathic medicine, and the pain relief methods that experienced professionals can only provide.
One of these types of pain relief methods is craniosacral therapy (CST). The concept behind craniosacral therapy work is that the body is permitted to unwind from a twisted or contracted state to a more relaxed one through the hands of the craniosacral therapy expert. As one of many alternative and complementary therapies, this has brought many patients the pain relief they need via the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the craniosacral system.
At The Better Energy Shop, our craniosacral therapists has extensive experience and knowledge of the central nervous system and can work to relieve tension, stress, and pain throughout the entire body. Alternative medicine has long been recognized as beneficial, and our skilled craniosacral therapy team sees the power of craniosacral therapy work as living proof.
What Is Cranial Sacral Therapy?
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a hands-on therapy that uses gentle pressure on the body’s connective tissues (fascia) to detect and move the fluid motion of the central nervous system. By understanding how these fluids in the skull and spine can get stuck or stagnant, causing pain or tension in muscles and joints, the CST practitioner can relieve the tension and boost health and immunity.
Those who practice craniosacral therapy have realized the interconnectedness of all body parts, including muscles, blood vessels, nerves, organs, etc. Through the techniques performed by the craniosacral therapist, the body will be more able to self-regulate, correct, and heal. It can be used to support various health conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, migraines, fibromyalgia, etc.
How Did Craniosacral Therapy Develop?
Craniosacral therapy was developed by an osteopath named William Garland Sutherland in 1899. He was fascinated by the cranial bones in the skull, particularly the temporal bone, and realized there might be a connection between the way the bones are put together and the potential for motion. Through his research, Sutherland realized that there were motions and pulsations that he could feel in the skull, so he began to explore them.
After an experience he had holding a man as he slowly passed away, Sutherland realized a connection between the “Breath of Life” and the Intelligence of the body’s overall system. He understood that the body’s ability to heal is connected to that Intelligence. His experimentation used motion to figure out the pulsation patterns in the skull on a biomechanical level. He created techniques designed to release any resistance or tension in the cranial structures.
Individuals throughout the decades have continued to study and improve upon the original work of Sutherland. In the 1970s and onward, the late Dr. John Upledger taught a therapy called craniosacral therapy, and his work has led to the specific and professional practices used in the osteopathic community. His techniques are taught at the Upledger Institute.
As an alternative medicine technique, craniosacral therapy has been continually improved and developed to include the concept of “biodynamic potency,” the body’s ordering forces throughout its system. It continues to hone its focus on respiration and motion within the body. Some of the most prominent practitioners of craniosacral therapy include Franklyn Sills, Randolph Stone, Claire Dolby, Rollin Becker, and others.
Why Do Massage Therapists Use Cranial Sacral Therapy
Massage therapists and others in the holistic community use alternative therapies such as craniosacral therapy because of its focus on the body’s interconnectedness and the body’s ability to heal with a gentle touch from the therapist. As a holistic process, craniosacral therapy allows the patient to be gently helped overcome the pain through the body’s natural processes of “opening” and “aligning” using the craniosacral whole body wave form or rhythm, to gently push open the tight spaces.
Whether the patient is enduring chronic neck pain, back pain, or conditions such as fibromyalgia, and injuries from sports, craniosacral therapy can be very beneficial. Done on its own or in conjunction with an entire treatment plan, craniosacral therapy has provided much-needed pain relief, especially on the day following the treatment session.
Benefits of Craniosacral Therapy for the Central Nervous System, Brain, and Spinal Cord
When it comes to the benefits of craniosacral therapy compared to other types of treatment for physically painful conditions or ongoing chronic issues, the primary use is that the procedure is a completely non-invasive way to provide stress relief, tension release, and the ability to live pain-free.
By manipulating the bones in the skull, spine, and pelvis, your craniosacral therapy practitioner can normalize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid circulation in the central nervous system and remove blockages. This promotes your body’s ability to heal itself.
Other great advantages of the use of craniosacral therapy include:
- Ridding certain sinus troubles
- Releasing emotional and physical stress
- Headache relief
- Ease or remove restrictions in the head, neck, and nerves
- It can be used for patients of all ages
If you or a loved one is suffering from chronic pain and tension throughout your body, contact The Better Energy Shop in Santa Cruz, California, to learn more about the many benefits of craniosacral therapy sessions.
Contact Our Wellness Professionals in Santa Cruz, California
Whether you have heard of craniosacral therapy before or the idea of a cranial rhythmic impulse is brand new to you, everyone can benefit from this alternative medicine technique. Most people experience pain and tension at some point and would like to have it relieved without having to ingest medications or have invasive procedures performed. With craniosacral therapy at The Better Energy Shop, you will find the relief you need.
Contact us today to schedule your first appointment!
