It was born from Cranial Osteopathy.
What is Cranial Osteopathy?
The main concepts that comprise Cranial Osteopathy were discovered by Dr.William Garner Sutherland D.O. (American Osteopath) during the period prior to WW II. Fascinated by the construction of the human skull, he conceived the concepts and theories of cranial motion and lesion patterning that evolved into Cranial Osteopathy by experimenting on himself. This was done by means of a helmet device he designed that he could wear on his head and could use to introduce controlled pressures into specific cranial bones in effect creating very specific lesion patterns.
With this appliance he would put minute pressures on various cranial bones and then observe the effects it would have on him, he would then try to understand why and how such tiny pressures could cause results which were sometimes very debilitating and disturbing in nature. When the pressures were alleviated the symptoms receded. The Cranial Osteopathy theories and techniques pioneered by Dr. Sutherland have been expanded upon by many other Osteopaths over the years.
What is CranioSacral Therapy?
CranioSacral (a.k.a. Cranial Sacral) Therapy is a popularized method that was initially pioneered by Dr. John Upledger, D.O. It was usually used to describe a more simplified therapeutic method derived from elements of Cranial Osteopathy. With gentle techniques and utilizing the Cranial Rhythmic Impulse, the Therapist seeks to promote a state of balance and deep relaxation in the patient in order to help their body more fully utilize its own inherent healing processes.
It used to be that the difference between CranioSacral and Cranial Osteopathy generally concerned the scope and depth of the training involved. This is not strictly the case anymore in all methods and styles of Cranial Sacral Training . In general I would say the major difference now is : Cranial Sacral takes into account the Human energy fields when treating whilst Cranial Osteopathy adheres to a more anatomical approach.
What happens during a Cranial Sacral treatment.
A Cranial Sacral treatment directed toward assessing then if needs be facilitating and balancing the inherent motion patterns of the bones that comprise the cranium-face and pelvis thus influencing the membranes that surround the brain and the spinal cord. These membranes (the meninges) form a continuous tissue sheath from the cranium to the sacrum.
Treatments are done with extremely gentle techniques and a very light touch utilizing the Cranial Rhythmic Impulse which an inherent motion pattern of 6 to 11 cycles per minute that fluctuates within the semi-closed hydraulic system that is formed by the cerebrospinal fluid and the meninges. The motion of this rhythm is palpable to trained hands and is used for both assessment and treatment purposes.
The Cranial Sacral Therapist seeks to promote a state of balance and deep relaxation in the Client in order to help their body more fully utilize its own inherent healing processes.
Cranial Sacral Therapy is gentle, non invasive and has shown some remarkable results in the treatment of headaches, whiplash, TMJ and various traumas as well as stress related conditions.
Healing with Cranial Sacral Therapy and Guided Imagery
* Stress Related aches and pains
* Fibromyalgia
* TMJ disfunction and Pain
These three conditions are often are multi factorial and chronic in nature. What this means is that they are the end result of many seemingly diverse factors. Because of their chronic and painful nature these conditions often have a strong emotional component intertwined with the physical symptoms.
This makes it challenging to treat them effectively and often the best results are obtained by combining several different therapeutic approaches. For example: Cranial Sacral Therapy together with Guided Imagery can help the Client relax at a very deep level thereby facilitating a more positive therapeutic result in the body as a whole.
