Craniosacral Therapy
CST is a gentle but potent way of working with the body using a light touch. It supports your body’s innate ability to balance, restore and heal itself as well as helping to reduce stress, build underlying energy and find deep relaxation. It is suitable for everyone, from newly-born babies to the elderly. CST works very deep with the mind-body-inner level and it can be quite a profoundly transformational experience.
CST is a presence where communication is not reliant upon words and where words, when used, are like drops of healing rain.
Session Option: 60 minutes only
Craniosacral Therapy FAQT
There are certain situations where application of CST would not be recommended. These include conditions where a variation and/or slight increase in intracranial pressure would cause instability.
Acute aneurysm, cerebral hemorrhage or other preexisting severe bleeding disorders are examples of conditions that could be affected by small intracranial pressure changes.
Response to CST varies from individual to individual and condition to condition. Your response is uniquely your own and can't be compared to anyone else's - even those cases that may appear to be similar to your own.
The number of sessions needed varies widely - from just one up to three or more a week over the course of several weeks.
Through the simplicity of gentle listening touch, CST offers a distinctive stillness that allows your mind and body to rest deeply and begin to restore a natural balance.
CST recognises and assists the connections between body, mind and emotions. In the peaceful space created during a session these strands can become more fully integrated.
CST works well on its own as well as alongside other complementary approaches such as acupuncture, homeopathy and yoga. If you are unsure please talk to a practitioner.
CST is a perfect complement to talking therapies. Physically processing emotional issues and trauma held in the body supports the work of counselling and psychotherapy.
CST is intended to work alongside the healthcare service your doctor provides. If you have a particular concern about your health we would always recommend that you consult your GP. CST practitioners do not diagnose or prescribe medication.
The CSTA accredits practitioners who are in continuing professional development and adhere to the Association’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
If you have any questions about CST and whether it is suitable for you, please contact a practitioner, who will be happy to help you.
It was in 1970, during a neck surgery in which he was assisting, that osteopathic physician John E. Upledger first observed the rhythmic movement of what would soon be identified as the craniosacral system. None of his colleagues nor any of the medical texts at the time could explain this discovery, however.
His curiosity piqued, Dr. Upledger began searching for the answer. He started with the research of Dr. William Sutherland, the father of cranial osteopathy. For some 20 years beginning in the early 1900s, Sutherland had explored the concept that the bones of the skull were structured to allow for movement. For decades after, this theory remained at odds with the beliefs of the scientific and medical communities. Dr. Upledger believed, however, that if Sutherland's theory of cranial movement was in fact true, this would help explain, and make feasible, the existence of the rhythm he had encountered in surgery.
It was at this point that Dr. Upledger set out to scientifically confirm the existence of cranial bone motion. From 1975 to 1983 he served as clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University, where he supervised a team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists and bioengineers in research and testing. The results not only confirmed Sutherland's theory, but led to clarification of the mechanisms behind this motion - the craniosacral system. Dr. Upledger's continued work in the field ultimately resulted in his development of CranioSacral Therapy.
Craniosacral Therapy additional information
- Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury
- Depression
- Stress and Tension-Related Disorders
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
- Central Nervous System Disorders
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Motor Coordination Impairments
- Learning Disabilities
- ADD/ADHD
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)
- Neck pain / Bone and Joint Disorders / Frozen Shoulder
- Anxiety
- Head Aches / Migraines
- Neuralgia / Sciatica / Sinusitis / Scoliosis / Back Pain
- TMJ Disorders (temporomandibular joint) / Bruxism
- Immune Issues
- Emotional Trauma
- Tinnitus / Labyrinthitis
- Sexual Trauma
- Autism
- Dyslexia
- Post-Pregnancy (post-partum) Difficulties
- Loneliness
- Sleep Difficulties / Insomnia
- Menstrual Cramps
- Meningitis
- Sinus Problems
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Digestive Problems
- Hormonal Disorders
To help connect mind with body
- Engaged in stressful and demanding careers
- Experiencing loss or grief
- Experiencing unexplained pain such as neck, back and shoulder tension and headaches
- Often feel anxious
- Post-traumatic stress
- Appreciative that body work can be used to help develop a personal mindfulness practice
- Want to connect with a sense of spirit
- Want to deepen self - and body - awareness
- Want to feel a sense of harmony and peace
- Want a feeling of letting go
- Want to feel balanced
- Want to feel increased energy
- Babies and parents alike who have had traumatic births
- Babies or children with sleeping or feeding disorders
- Children with speech or behaviour issues
On the first visit the practitioner will take a few minutes to listen to your case history, listening with care to the reasons for your visit.
This part of the session is important, both for gathering information and to establish a good understanding with your practitioner. The session typically lasts an hour, although this can vary.
You remain clothed and will usually lie face up or on your side, or you may be seated. The practitioner makes light contact with your head, the base of your spine (sacrum, triangular bone at the base of your spine), and other areas, encouraging your body to relax and begin to make the changes it needs.
Because the body functions as a whole, your practitioner may focus on areas other than where your symptoms occur.
People report a wide variety of experiences during and after a treatment, including the following:
- Relaxation and sense of ease
- Warmth, and tingling sensations
- Feeling accepted
- A sense of harmony and peace
- A feeling of letting go
- Feeling balanced
- Increased energy
- Feeling more fully alive
- Seeing different colours and patterns
- Remembering past events
- Getting in touch with emotions
- Connecting with a sense of spirit
- Deepening self - and body - awareness
After a session there is occasionally a short period of adjustment as part of the healing process, where you may become more aware of symptoms.
Sometimes people report relief after only one or two sessions. For long-standing problems further sessions may be needed.
Some people find they benefit from regular treatment over an extended period of time and say that, as well as noticing improvement in their physical or emotional symptoms, they feel that they have more awareness of their own needs and strengths, and their quality of life has improved.
- Recent brain hemorrhage or stroke
- Recent spinal tap or puncture in the Craniosacral system
- Arnold Chiari Malformation
- Recent fracture of skull bones, vertebral column or ribs
- Aneurism
