About Cranial Therapy
"The cerebrospinal fluid is the highest element in the human body...the river of life" - William Garner Sutherland
"... an exceptionally gentle yet extremely powerful therapy" - Thomas Atlee
When is it used?
Cranial therapy (cranial osteopathy, cranio-sacral therapy) is used to promote well-being and relaxation, especially after trauma such as a difficult birth or whiplash injury or emotional shock. These events can cause lifelong physical problems.
How does it work?
Cranial Therapy works with the body's own healing energy. A cranial practitioner senses the subtle tensions and movements, and gently helps the body to move in the direction it needs to go in order to re-align and heal itself. Cranial osteopathy is extremely gentle, almost imperceptible. It is a very different approach to conventional osteopathy, which applies carefully directed forces to specific joints in order to mobilise them.
Cranial practitioners work mainly on the head, the cranium. Unbalanced or excessive tensions in the membranes inside the cranium or the muscles outside the bony skull can have a profound effect on the brain, the pituitary gland, and the body's immune system. Treatment aims to release these tensions, balancing and restoring the gentle natural rhythmic movement of the cranium and sacrum.
The slow rhythm of the cranial system can be felt at the head and the sacrum, and also throughout the body. The source of this pulse is still disputed, but there is scientific evidence of its existence. The cerebrospinal fluid, the "river of life", bathes and nourishes the brain and spinal cord, the central nervous system of the body. The central nervous system is connected via an extensive network of nerves to every organ, muscle and tissue in the body.
For Babies
During their birth, babies are exposed to various stresses as they pass down the birth canal, especially if the delivery is difficult or lengthy. This can cause tension and strain patterns that are retained within the body. These strains can manifest as a mis-shapen head or a twist in the neck. Other strain patterns can contribute to colic, sleeping difficulties, feeding problems and irritability.
For Children
As children grow, any unresolved strain patterns from a difficult birth or falls, for example, can contribute to health problems such as recurrent throat infections, glue ear, backache and headache.
For Adults
By the time a person reaches adulthood, the body has often accumulated many strain patterns. These may include unresolved tensions acquired during birth, as well as those acquired from accidents and injuries, sport, and traumatic life events. These stresses depress the function the central nervous system, which coordinates all body functions including the immune and endocrine systems. The result may be long-term symptoms, often in specific organs of the body, such as headache and migraine, chest pains, heart burn, or palpitations, respiratory or stomach disorders, irritable bowel syndrome or colitis.