Benefits of Craniosacral Therapy

 

  Imbalances in the craniosacral mechanism often begin before birth. Deficient prenatal nutrition can result in underdevelopment of the facial and jaw bones that can later impair smooth functioning of the craniosacral system. Difficult delivery, extended periods of engagement (the time the baby's head is in the birth canal), or the incorrect use of forceps, even suction, can produce severe stresses and distortion to the growing cranial tissues. This consequently can affect the baby's general health. Many of these stresses to the newborn's craniosacral system are normally considered untreatable by common medicine, and often go unnoticed.

 

  Some of the most successful craniosacral treatments are performed on newborns and infants. At this stage the cranial bones are primarily cartilage and the membranes are growing and changing very rapidly, so they need a very gentle corrections of the therapist's fingers. Newborns can be treated immediately after birth.

  For many years cranial osteopaths have successfully treated infants for common conditions such as earaches, sinus congestion, vomiting, irritability, and hyperactivity, using only craniosacral therapy. In these cases, craniosacral therapists usually find compression at the base of the skull, which they maintain is related to the birthing process, and particularly the extreme backward extension of the baby's head during delivery.

  Specific conditions that relate to the overall function of the craniosacral system also benefit from craniosacral therapy. Bob Fulford, a retired osteopathic physician and instructor of craniosacral therapy  had great success in using craniosacral therapy to treat problems other doctors could not solve. For example, he regularly cured young children of recurring ear infections by simply  'freeing up their breathing and getting their tailbone (sacrum) unstuck' so that it could get back into normal respiratory (craniosacral rhythm) motion. When this motion is restricted, fluid backs up in the ear, providing a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

 

  Decreased efficiency of the central nervous system contributes to many chronic and nonspecific conditions, and problems within the craniosacral system are responsible for terrible suffering and loss of potential vigor and health.

  The proper functioning of the craniosacral system means health for the central nervous system. The proper regulation of the craniosacral system allows the nervous system to rest at a more stress-free level. Individuals who experience craniosacral treatment describe deep states of relaxation, of feeling lighter and more integrated. Robert Norett, D.C., Director of the Stillpoint Health Center in Venice, California, says  that when there is synchronous movement in the craniosacral system, the physiology of the central nervous system functions more efficiently and the nerve tissue is, in general, healthier.  

  Craniosacral therapy is used to estimate and treat problems involving the brain and spinal cord, especially direct trauma to the head and spine. Other treatable conditions include chronic pain, headache, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), mood disorders, dyslexia, autism, stroke, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, dizziness, and tinnitus (ringing in the ear). Also benefited are systemic conditions such as edema (swelling), recurrent infections, hypertension, hypotension, and some types of muscular conditions.

  According to Dr. Norett, the entrapments and compressions around the nerve and blood vessels that pass in and out of the skull and spine can be lessened through craniosacral therapy. Hundreds of small holes that carry these vessels can become thick with connective tissue and effectively "choke" the vessels. He recalles the case of the owner and head chef of a French restaurant who had slipped and hit the back of his head against a stove. As a result of the trauma, he lost his sense of smell, vital to his work as a chef. We found significant restriction of the area inside the cranium where the olfactory nerves (affecting the sense of smell) pass through, and within about five treatments, he had improved.

  Dr. Upledger has had great success treating chronic, severe, and disabling headaches. He reports that 80 to 85 percent of resistant long-term headache patients respond favorably to CranioSacral Therapy. The benefit of this treatment is that once the headaches are gone, they do not return, and the patient does not need a lifetime of periodic therapy sessions.

  Dr. Upledger recalles the story of a United States naval officer on active duty during World War II. Recurring headaches accompanied by a loud noise in his ears began after he stood next to a cannon as it was being fired. Although he tried every kind of treatment available through the navy, he found no relief. When he visited Dr. Upledger, he had been living with the pain for twenty-five years. After evaluating his craniosacral system, Dr. Upledger found the skull bones on the left side of his head were jammed inward and stuck. Dr. Upledger manually released the compression of the cranial bones and the left side of the head expanded immediately. His pain disappeared immediately. By the third visit, his ear noise had stopped.

  Joseph F. Unger, D.C., F.I.C.S., recalls a patient suffered from a two-year-old radical mastectomy scar. She also had swelling and pains in the arm on the side of the surgery. Using one of Dr. Dejarnette's S.O.T. cranial techniques, Dr. Unger was able to eradicate the pain from the scar. Over the next two to three weeks, the swelling in her arm reduced almost to normal.

  Craniosacral therapy is very popular now among health practitioners and the public. This may be because of the nonintrusive nature of this therapy, and how it works with the entire structure, physiology, mind, and spirit.