What is Craniosacral Work and How Can It Help Me?

Photo by Andrew Stamm

Over the past few months I’ve been dedicating time to learning a form of bodywork called Craniosacral Work or commonly known as Craniosacral Therapy.

Some of you may have already experienced this work in your sessions while others have not. Regardless of whether or not you’ve experienced this form of healing, the information provided below is a brief description of what this work is, how it can help you and a list of ailments that can benefit from it.

Craniosacral work is a gentle form of treatment that works with the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, the 22 cranial bones and the membranes inside of the cranium, the sacrum and spinal column that make up what is called, the craniosacral system. The practitioner uses gentle touch while providing long holds with each contact to the head, spine and pelvis to help optimize a movement pattern in this system called the cranial wave.

When the movement of the cranial wave is not flowing with ease, it inhibits the craniosacral system from functioning efficiently and as a result we can feel “out of sorts.” The bones in the head, spine and central nervous system are affected adversely and because the central nervous system governs what the rest of our body does, it’s challenging to be and even feel at our best.

My mentor, Sara Johnston CMT, MFR, LMT, put it beautifully by stating, “The humam head is so delicate and so suffused with vital nerve pathways, that even slight deformations of a bone’s movement or position can produce physical or psychological symptoms. When the cranial wave is distorted it diverts a disproportionate amount of energy or “chi”, lowers the strength of the immune system, and opens the door to chronic states like depression.”

Below is a list of some ailments that can benefit from Craniosacral work:

Tempromandibular Joint Syndrome (commonly known as TMJ)
Migraines and Other Forms of Headaches
Chronic Back, Hip and Neck Pain
Central Nervous System Disorders
Scoliosis
Vision Impairments
Mood and Stress Related Issues
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Traumatic Injuries to the Brain and Spinal Cord

Receiving Craniosacral work can help bring you back into balance with your body and well-being so you can live your life in a forward moving fashion.