What is Craniosacral Therapy?
There are few body structures that have more influence over our health than the central nervous system. The central nervous system is very much influenced by the craniosacral system which includes the soft tissues (membranes) and fluid that surround, nourish and protect the brain and spinal cord. The term craniosacral refers to the practitioner’s focus on the spinal column, the bones of the head, and the sacrum. Paying special attention to the craniosacral rhythm, which is the subtle pulse-like movements of flexion and contraction from pressure changes in cerebrospinal fluid that can be felt at different stations throughout the body. Best described as our “inner ocean”, this rhythm can occur at a surprising rate of 4-12 cycles per minute and keeps the brain and spinal cord healthy so they can send balanced electrical impulses to the body’s tissues, organs, and systems.
When our body endures stress and strain, it can directly cause tissues in the body to tighten and distort the craniosacral system. As a craniosacral therapist, I use this subtle, powerful approach as a tool to monitor and evaluate any tension, pain and dysfunction with the goal of ultimately restoring ideal movement and function throughout the whole body. Referred to as CST for short, this therapy addresses a number of conditions including fibromyalgia, migraines, learning disabilities, and PTSD among many others. It is gentle enough to treat people of all ages including the most fragile populations of tiny infants and elderly clients. sessions are typically performed on the massage table with the client comfortably clothed. It stands alone when used as a primary modality but works great to complement other modalities as well.
My earliest introduction to CST was actually through my youngest brother. Canon, who is eleven now, was born 5 weeks premature and ended up spending just under 2 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. His head was wedged underneath our mother’s rib cage, as you can plainly see in the attached picture, and that lead to an emergency c-section delivery. He arrived safely and had indentions of ribs on the side of his head once he was born. Soon after bringing him home from the hospital, I remember going with my mom to take him to a chiropractor that also practiced Craniosacral. It was astonishing to see how she was somehow able to modify techniques and use them on the tiniest, most fragile human I’d ever met. I mean, the kid was the length of 2 soda cans and weighed less than 6 pounds for the first month of his life! I observed him go from a pretty colicky, uncomfortable baby to the most peaceful, easy-going little guy that we eventually lovingly nicknamed “Buddha baby”.
This was the very first picture I got to see of my baby brother immediately after he was born.
It’s fairly common for babies’ heads to be misshapen after they’re delivered. In my brother’s case, CST proved to be extremely helpful in relieving any discomfort the cranial bones can cause if they aren’t properly aligned.
I was 14 years old at the time and was absolutely inspired to continue studying this amazing modality. My experience with Craniosacral definitely guided my choice of massage school a few years later. I am beyond grateful for the thorough education and enriching experience I received at East West College of the Healing Arts in Portland, Oregon. I gained hundreds of hands on hours where I got to refine and strengthen my palpation skills and learn from an incredible Craniosacral therapist and instructor, Cyr Zeeborg-Foote who has over 20 years of experience and expertise. Now, a decade later, I am so honored to get to share this gift with my clients. I hope to continue to grow my Craniosacral clientele by educating others on the benefits and eventually focus on providing care to families predominately with infants, children and pre and postnatal mothers.
Perks of having a massage therapist as a mama.
My daughter Wren received her first Craniosacral Therapy when she was only 2 months old.
Contraindications for CST
Although this work is generally safe for people of all different ages and sizes, there are certain situations where application of Craniosacral Therapy would not be recommended. Some examples of this include conditions where a slight increase and/or variation in intracranial pressure would cause instability in a client. An acute concussion, acute brain hemorrhage or stroke, recent spinal tap, recent fracture of skull bones, vertebral column, or ribs, recent case of whiplash, acute intracranial aneurysm, herniation of the medulla oblongata or other pre existing severe bleeding disorders are some examples of conditions that could be affected by intracranial pressure changes and therefore potentially harmful to those individuals. If you have any of these conditions and are still curious about your eligibility for CST, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I will likely need to be in contact with your primary care physician and get their permission before booking a session. Feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns before booking a CST session.
