CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, non-invasive osteopathically-derived therapy that is complementary to many other therapies. This blog touches on just a few of these therapies and how CST can contribute to their healing processes.
In physical therapy clinics CST is often the “go-to” treatment for patients who have incurred a physical trauma and are in too much pain to exercise or receive manual therapy. These traumas can include motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries or concussions. After a few to several CST sessions the patient’s body will have calmed and healed enough to be able to receive the deeper-tissue work and exercises implemented in physical therapy.
If one is receiving regular chiropractic treatments but has a persistent or stubborn area of the spine that does not hold chiropractic manipulations, a few sessions of CST can release the tension patterns in the body that are inhibiting the free movement of the dural tube. As you may have read in my previous blogs, the dural tube is the strong membrane that travels up the spinal canal and protects the spinal cord. A segment of that membrane could be holding a restriction that is not allowing full range of the motion in that section of the vertebral column. Gently releasing that segment with CST sessions can make the chiropractor’s adjustments more effective and long-lasting.
Mental health practitioners often refer their clients for CST if the client is experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, or are needing a safe place to achieve greater body awareness. CST practitioners are usually professionally licensed to touch, allowing for the gentle mind/body process developed by Dr. John Upledger to remind and re-train the body’s central nervous system to calm. Regularly achieving a calmer state in the physical, emotion, mental and spiritual realms allows one’s internal battery to recharge and provide more resilience in managing day-to-day stressors. This resilience additionally allows a therapy client to achieve their therapy goals with greater ease and grace.
Physicians are becoming more aware of CST and its efficacy in treating occipital neuralgia, chronic neck and back pain, migraines, concussion recovery and the effects of Bells’ Palsy to name just a few. If the physician’s patients are requesting a non-invasive, drug-free approach to treatment, or desire to reduce pain medication, a referral to a CranioSacral therapist is a good place to start.
Dentists also find that CST treatments support their goals of correcting their patients’ bites and TMJ issues. My next blog will more thoroughly address how CranioSacral Therapy can support and enhance dentistry and orthodontia.
Thanks for reading! See you next time!
Healing Arts Boise 