Craniosacral therapy in the practice of a massage therapist

Author: Sergey Pavlov, Master of Physical Rehabilitation, Head of the School of Restorative and Sports Medicine (Ukraine, Kyiv)

Source: KOSMETIK international journal, No. 3/2013, pp. 42-45

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Amazingly, even when our bodies are a little out of balance – for example, after a training injury or hypothermia – our highly efficient immune system miraculously helps heal the body and protects us from illness. Craniosacral therapy is one way to optimize this system and create harmony in the body.

It is no secret that proper nutrition, exercise, and low stress are a good foundation for good health and active longevity. If we pay close attention to these three cornerstones of our health, the body will reward us with vitality and a good mood. Surprisingly, even when our body is a little out of balance - for example, after an injury during training or hypothermia - our highly efficient immune system miraculously helps to heal the body and protect us from disease. Craniosacral therapy is one way to optimize this system and create harmony in the body.

The demands of the modern world often challenge the capabilities of our immune system. Constant stress slowly but surely reduces our precious life forces that underlie our internal “health fund”. And we forget that nature has already provided us with its own healing power – the craniosacral system, which helps to create a healthy, protected foundation for life or restore health if destruction has already begun.

The concept of CST is based on the primary respiratory (craniosacral) mechanism - a rhythm present throughout the body. This rhythm is carried out through mechanical movements of bones, membranes of the brain and fluids

John Upledger and his method

The developer of the method of craniosacral therapy (CST) John Upledger (1932-2012) is a clinical researcher and professor of biomechanics at the University of Michigan. The method was the result of his scientific research and private clinical practice from 1975 to 1983. Upledger's works reveal new aspects of the functioning of the human body. And these discoveries turn our ideas about the human body as such upside down.

The term "craniosacral" comes from the fusion of the words cranio - "skull" and sacrum - "sacrum", since diagnosis and treatment are made through the study of the rhythm of the movements of the bones of the skull and sacrum. This relationship covers all systems of the body. The concept of CST is based on the primary respiratory (craniosacral) mechanism - the rhythm present throughout the body. This rhythm is carried out through the mechanical movements of bones, membranes of the brain and fluids.

The craniosacral rhythm is considered the main mechanism of life: you can stop breathing, the heart can stop for a very short time, there can be complete electrical silence of the brain on the EEG, but as long as life lasts, the mechanism of primary respiration never stops. It can be distorted, reduced or limited due to some reasons, but it always continues to operate. And its action stops only a few minutes after death.
The health of a person, his psycho-emotional and motor activity depend on the work of the central nervous system (CNS). And the craniosacral system, its membranes and fluids that protect the brain and spinal cord, is one of those structures on which the functional state of the CNS depends.

Every day the human body experiences mechanical, emotional, chemical stress and deformation. This process is reflected, as all massage specialists know, in muscle tone, joint mobility, elasticity of fascial layers, skin turgor. But there are also structures whose optimal mobility and condition can only be checked by a specialist trained in CST. These include the dura mater, the intracranial membrane system. Areas of tension in them (the so-called restrictions) can jeopardize the perfect performance of the central nervous system and, accordingly, the activity of almost all other systems of the body.
Craniosacral therapy relieves this tension using a light touch: first - to assess the internal state, then - to release the restrictions found. There is no need to use force or rough techniques to influence the craniosacral system. The CST procedure - one of the most pleasant and relaxing in the practice of working with the human body: during the session, the patient feels lightness, relaxation, often falls asleep, which is a good indicator.

J. Upledger also developed and deepened the method of craniosacral therapy, creating the direction of body-emotional release, which allows you to identify suppressed emotions and promotes their release. “If you penetrate the body a little deeper than superficial symptomatic treatment allows, you will discover consciousness,” he writes in his book “Body-Emotional Release”. The integration of fundamental scientific knowledge and an intuitive approach is a requirement of today.

An elegant victory with an effort of 5 grams

The sensitivity of the fingers of a craniosacral therapist is exceptional. It is achieved through special exercises and daily practice. The force of the therapist's hands touching the patient's body does not exceed 5 grams. This is how the hands "listen" to the body. The tissues of the body can tell us a lot if we know how to listen and understand their language.

From the point of view of CST, the body holds on to accumulated problems because it does not have the resources to get rid of them on its own and return to a state of health. And it needs help. Craniosacral therapy can generally be considered as a conversation with the patient's body, in which the therapist's hands serve as a means of communication. This is similar to a psychotherapy session: by talking to the patient in the right direction, the psychologist helps him to speak out and free himself from emotional problems. In the same way, the body "speaks out", and the therapist's hands must be prepared to perceive the body's language. The body must feel that its messages are understood, and it will do the rest on its own.
Craniosacral therapy works great as a mono-method and can be combined with other complementary approaches, such as massage, acupuncture, yoga. In this regard, massage therapists can delicately introduce this effective method into their practice, while expanding the range of services and ways to help their patients.

For whom?

The CST procedure can be used for a wide range of conditions. This can be an acute problem (say, back pain) or chronic, "neglected" cases, such as:

• migraine and headache;
• chronic pain, tension in the neck and back;
• impaired coordination, balance;
• birth injuries;
• chronic fatigue;
• fibromyalgia;
• temporomandibular joint syndrome;
• post-traumatic stress disorder;
• orthopedic problems and many other conditions.

Your hands can do more

Craniosacral therapy training, in addition to theoretical preparation, includes meticulous practical development of manual skills. It is unrealistic to study this method independently - from books or films. The teacher literally "sets the hands" of each student. Without such initiation, transmitted personally, it is impossible to begin practice. Therefore, the level of qualification of the teacher, his experience in practical and teaching work are so important. In the future, the beginning craniosacral therapist develops the necessary skills independently, because to master the CST technique, no innate abilities are required - only a good school and constant practice.

Craniosacral therapy works well as a single method and can be combined with other complementary approaches such as massage, acupuncture, yoga.

In 1985, J. Upledger founded the Institute for the Study of the Craniosacral System, Development and Function of the Nervous System. Since then, thousands of medical professionals, including osteopaths, massage therapists, chiropractors, neurologists, naturopaths, psychologists, and physiotherapists, have been trained to use craniosacral therapy in their practice. Training courses organized by the Upledger Institute (USA) are available in branches in many countries around the world, including Ukraine, and unite all those who have completed the training into the International Association of Healthcare Practitioners.

CST is a method that is receiving more and more attention from health professionals and organizations in all countries of the world. Ukraine is also actively developing in this direction, and in March 2013, the first official CST course from the Upledger Institute was held in Kyiv. The interest in this event was so high that not everyone was able to sign up for the training. The specialists who completed the first level training signed up in full for the second and applied for the third level, dedicated to physical and emotional liberation.

Softness of technique and power of impact

In practice, everything looks like this: by visiting a therapist, a person removes accumulated problems, bringing the body into harmony. A holistic approach to the body allows for the use of CST very widely - from disease prevention to eliminating problems of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system.

After the session, many people report a feeling of relief, awareness of their integrity, and a fresh perception of the world around them. A craniosacral therapy session is effortless, elegant, and comfortable for both the client and the massage therapist. The best illustration of the style of working with a patient is the words of J. Upledger himself: “Be extremely receptive and careful, enduring and caring. Then this technique works.”

The body wants to say something. It longs to be heard. And if you give it the opportunity to speak out, its incredible potential will restore health and beauty. According to reviews from those who have received craniosacral therapy sessions, their vitality and energy have increased, they began to sleep better and get sick less often, even a significant time after the course.

The effectiveness of craniosacral therapy is confirmed by both science and practice. Clinics in Europe and America successfully use CST to treat and prevent various diseases.

Benefits of using CST by massage therapists:

• Craniosacral therapy allows you to gently and painlessly eliminate areas of tension, even in deep tissues of the body.
• CST can easily be introduced into your own practice. J. Upledger developed a 10-step treatment protocol, which includes analysis of the craniosacral rhythm, work with the diaphragms and individual bones.
• Craniosacral therapy allows for a positive therapeutic effect on anatomical structures that are inaccessible to conventional manual intervention, such as, for example, intracranial and spinal membranes.
• Specialists who are proficient in CST pay more attention to the emotional and psychological state of the patient.
• CST allows for the normalization of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, having a positive effect on intracranial pressure.
• CST, if applied correctly, has no side effects.
• No special equipment is required for the use of craniosacral therapy – a massage table is enough.
• People who have already experienced the healing effects of CST technologies come to craniosacral therapists for regular support, for example, during a period of intense physical or emotional stress.
• CST includes a system of diagnostic tests that allow us to identify the root cause of the lesion.

How to choose the right training

As it happens, due to the demand for craniosacral therapy, the method began to be taught even by those specialists who themselves have not undergone full training. Therefore, we recommend being careful and choosing genuine, complete and quality-assured training from the Upledger Institute (USA).

The teachers of the Upledger Institute are not just practicing specialists, but also professional instructors who competently and fully convey knowledge and skills, and can answer any of your questions related to the use of CST. Plus, after receiving the basic skills, you can improve your experience - use CST in working with children, pregnant women, the elderly, and also improve your professional skills in other specialized courses.

Conclusion

Our body, like an expensive musical instrument, requires careful handling and periodic tuning. CST helps restore and balance the function of the craniosacral system, the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, providing conditions in which the nervous system can optimally work and recover. Thus, this approach improves the functioning of the immune system, gives the body the opportunity to make maximum use of internal forces to eliminate stress, strengthen health, and increase resistance to disease.

While craniosacral therapy is a wellness approach, it can also be seen as a spiritual practice. Now more than ever before, we are seeing a return to healing that includes the wholeness of the body, mind, and spirit. We are paying more attention to what we eat, limiting our use of medications. We are striving to live healthy and authentic lives...

In many ways, we are turning to the spiritual roots of our healing. And this is where craniosacral therapy helps us, by influencing our “inner doctor.”