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Craniosacral Therapy (also Cranio-Sacral therapy, or CST)
is a fast-growing and multi-faceted form of bodywork.
Usually experienced as a very gentle, relaxing hands-on therapy,
CST has an impressive track record of being
able to address problems which have proved resistant to other approaches.
Promoting health of the spine and much, much more...
Because of its gentle approach,
Craniosacral Therapy may look a bit like "healing" from the outside, but in fact is
based on skilled and subtle work with natural movements and rhythms of
the tissues and fluids of the body. As its name suggests,
much emphasis is placed on working with the bones, tissues and fluids which
lie within and around the central nervous system.
Unlocking your potential to heal yourself
Whenever I am asked to describe Craniosacral Therapy in just a few words,
then I say that it is a way of working directly with the self-repair
mechanisms of the body. If you have ever broken a bone, you will know that the
local hospital will place a plaster cast round it to align the bones, but
it's YOUR BODY that dissolves the ends of the bone, regenerates new bone,
new connective tissues, repairs damage to nerves and blood vessels, fights
any local infection, and finally produces a seamless join. Quite a remarkable feat,
isn't it?. Your body contains a fundamental core of health at all times, and the aim of CST is to contact that core of health, and allow it to begin to move.
Cooperation and respect
All self-repair of the body is expressed as small movements of the
fluids and connective tissue. Craniosacral Therapy practitioners are
trained to sense these tiny movements of tissue
and to assist them. Most other therapies will analyse the situation and then
impose a solution from the outside. In CST, we (metaphorically) say to your body
"OK, you're the boss; you lead and I'll help as best I can."
We use very light touch (about 20 grams) because
we know from direct experience that this level of "force"
is accepted by the repair
mechanism, and we can then work as a team - which is quite powerful. Slightly too
much pressure, and the body knows it's being "interfered with", and most times it
starts to resist instead of cooperate.
So, we work very lightly, and that works very well indeed.
Working with the source of wellbeing
You could also interpret this as saying that we work with the inherent movement of
"life" towards wellness. This again is rather different from most other approaches,
because we tend not to emphasise pathology and illness, but rather give emphasis
to whatever will help your body to do what it does best - become more whole, more
integrated, and ultimately more healthy. For other versions of how CST works, see
the craniosacral therapy Links page, the "
Upledger CST" and "
more about ..." pages on this website.
The scope of treatment available
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A Craniosacral Therapy approach offers a wide range of
possibilities and potential.
Anything from pediatric care (infant distress, colic, hyperactivity, floppy
babies) to sports and major spinal and head injuries, depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder, migraines, and infertility. The list goes on and on - and you
can find a few lists of conditions treated on
this website, and at the
Craniosacral Therapy Association
(also see my Links page).
Even if you cannot find a reference to your particular condition, it is always worth booking in for a CST assessment. For a few more conditions which I have treated personally (plus a number of testimonials) see the "who I am" page.
for more information, try reading
Your Inner Physician: Craniosacral Therapy and Somatoemotional Release
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Securing your future health
CST can also be applied as preventative medicine to assist long-term health.
The potential of CST for preventative treatment is huge. Even if you think you are in peak condition, a few weekly treatments followed by a long-term regular treatment programme (4 to 12 times per year) could make a big difference to your life. The effects of CST tend to be permanent and cumulative. My personal experience - and that of many clients - suggests that as the body becomes more free inside, emotional, mental, and even spiritual life also becomes more free-flowing.
IMPORTANT - CST (and any other form of complementary therapy or self-help) should NOT be used to replace the services of a qualified medical practitioner. i.e. if you suspect you have a medical condition, get it checked out by your GP! Many people are turning to complementary therapies because they want to reduce their medication. This should ALWAYS (if at all) be done with the full knowledge and approval of your doctor.
Treatment session bookings in East Anglia
can be made by telephone 01603 665173 / 08454 580138 or
email me : cst02 AT hummingbird-one.co.uk
Andrew Cook
MSc RCST
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