How
CST Works
The
CranioSacral Therapy practitioner works with the patient
to assist the body’s self-correcting mechanisms and evaluates the body’s craniosacral
system. This system plays a vital role of maintaining the
environment in which the central nervous system functions.
It consists of the membranes and fluid that surround and
protect the brain and spinal cord as well as the attached
bones – including the skull, face and mouth, which make
up the cranium, and the tailbone area, or sacrum. Since
the brain and spinal cord are contained within the central
nervous system, it is easy to see that the craniosacral
system has powerful influence over a wide variety of bodily
functions.
The
CranioSacral Therapist essentially helps the
body release restrictions – which it has been unable to
overcome on its own – that inhibit the body’s normal, self-correcting
tendencies. Rather than deciding how these changes should
be made, the therapist follows cues from the body on how
to proceed. When the therapist follows this gentle approach,
the method is extremely safe and effective. The few contraindications
to CST are aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, and other
conditions where altering intracranial fluid is not recommended.
Benefits
of CranioSacral Therapy
CST
has been shown to alleviate a wide range of conditions,
including traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, migraine
headaches, chronic fatigue, motor-coordination impairments,
chronic neck and back pain, scoliosis, central nervous system
disorders, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), stress
and tension-related problems, and orthopedic problems.
While the focus of CST is to uncover the source of the problem,
symptom relief also is achieved. The length of time and
number of sessions needed is extremely variable and depends,
among other factors, on the complex layers of injury and
trauma that may mask the original cause of the problem as
well as the body’s defense mechanisms. Due to its gentleness
and effectiveness, many people include CST as a component
in their personal wellness programs. They report having
more energy, sleeping better and being sick less often.