CranioSacral Therapy For Common Health Complaints

CranioSacral Therapy is slowly gaining recognition in the medical community as an acceptable alternative healthcare modality. Part of the reason that the acceptance is so slow is because it challenges long held beliefs that there is no movement in the dura mater or the craniosacral system as a whole, which is the basic principle that inspired the creation of craniosacral therapy.

There are some scientists of late, however, who have determined that there is a movement in the craniosacral system. Their contention, though, is that it cannot be detected by the therapist but only by means of specialized instruments. While it is true that specialized instruments can detect it, the sensitivity of the therapist’s hands has long been under-appreciated. Micro movements, such as the movement of the craniosacral system, can be detected with practice and development of sensitivity. In the classes, learning to feel the rhythm is the most important part of the teaching.

One of the more common health conditions that craniosacral therapy has been shown to be effective in treating is migraines. As healthcare professionals are well aware, migraines have been studied for a very long time, and conclusions have been reached about what they are. Migraine is a type of headache that is caused by vasoconstriction in the area of the occiput and neck. A possible but unstudied cause of migraine can also be that the vasoconstriction occurs because the occiput has become improperly set upon the atlas, or first cervical vertebra.

When patients are treated with craniosacral therapy, this issue is reversed, and many of the participants in the studies related to migraines reported an immediate relief of symptoms. The most promising part of these studies was that some of the migraine sufferers reported that the migraines did not return for a month the treatments had been discontinued. This is great news for those suffering, since most of the treatments available must be continuously administered.

Another health condition which is a great deal rarer than migraine, but no less difficult to treat, is fibromyalgia. When patients were treated with craniosacral therapy for fibromyalgia, they reported less anxiety, less pain, and a better quality of life. Fibromyalgia is another condition that requires life-long treatment most of the time, since it is such a mystifying disorder without a thoroughly understood causative relationship having been determined.

Many patients with this disease are given regimens of various pharmacological interventions throughout their lives. However, alternative methods such as massage therapy and craniosacral therapy are gaining recognition as acceptable treatment methods, since they improve the quality of life and reduce the pain these patients experience.

There are many other examples of conditions that can benefit from craniosacral therapy, which will be discussed in greater detail in future blogs. If you would like to learn more about CranioSacral Therapy, please visit our CranioSacral Therapy page by clicking here.

Craniosacral Therapy and Massage For Migraine Headaches

People who suffer from migraine headaches can tell you that a migraine is one of the most painful conditions they have ever experienced. Due to the nature of a migraine, the pain is inescapable. The head is pounding, there may be visual disturbances and nausea, and all that one can do when in the midst of a migraine headache is sit or lie still and hope to fall asleep. There are alternatives available, including massage therapy and craniosacral therapy that can help with migraines.

Several recent studies have demonstrated that both massage therapy and CranioSacral Therapy can have beneficial effects on those who suffer from migraines. A study published in Annual Behavior and Medicine demonstrated that based on heart rate, state anxiety, and cortisol levels which were tested before and after massage therapy interventions, massage demonstrated beneficial effects for sufferers of migraine headaches.

A study on CranioSacral Therapy and migraines was published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. The study asked participants to receive CranioSacral treatments as treatment for their migraines. All study participants suffered from migraines a certain number of times a week. Questionnaires that were provided to participants demonstrated that the severity and frequency of migraines were reduced following treatment.

These studies listed above can be found on our studies page by clicking here. These studies should provide hope that there is help for those who suffer from migraine headaches. While the treatment methods used were not a cure for migraines, they did provide some relief.

A review study published in the Journal of Headache Pain compared the results of manual therapies with the available and commonly prescribed medications for migraine headaches, and found that manual therapies were as effective as the pharmacological interventions. This is also promising news for those suffering from migraines, as there are many individuals for whom side effects of the drugs prescribed for migraines can be as debilitating as the migraine itself.

If you are interested in learning more about craniosacral therapy, or to book a session, please visit our website by clicking here.

Kids Massage At Home For Children Experiencing Health Issues

Many people think that children can’t really benefit from massage. It is believed that kids don’t suffer from stress, or other health issues that can benefit from massage. However, there are many common issues that children can experience which may benefit from massage therapy.

One very common condition that infants and toddlers experience is colic. This is an issue with unknown causes which makes children cry for more than three hours per day and more than three days per week. Massage therapy has been shown to have some beneficial effects of infant colic. See our studies page for more details on massage and colic.

Another condition that children often suffer from that has been shown to benefit from massage therapy is anxiety. A study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology in 1999 showed that children suffering from anxiety caused by their condition of cystic fibrosis had improved mood and sleep after massage therapy, as well as less anxiety caused by their condition.

Another study regarding anxiety and depression with regard to children who had depression and adjustment disorder showed that giving the children a 30 minute back massage every day for a five day period had reduced levels of anxiety and depression. The self reported findings were also correlated with nurse reports and salivary cortisol level tests. Nighttime sleep for these patients also increased during the time of the study.

One uncommon complaint of infants and children are migraines and headaches. Some children have constant migraines and headaches, and although it is rare, this is a condition that can be successfully helped without drugs or surgery with massage therapy. A study published in Annual Behavior and Medicine in 2006 showed positive benefits for people suffering from migraines who were given frequent massages. Another study published in the Journal of Headache Pain in 2011 showed that massage therapy, as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation, physiotherapy, and relaxation were as effective as two of the most commonly prescribed drug therapies for migraine. The results of these studies are promising for individuals seeking a non-pharmacologic treatment for migraines, especially with regard to children who may be too young to take the prescription medications.

Craniosacral therapy has also demonstrated effectiveness on migraines sufferers, in many cases causing alleviation of migraine symptoms for one month or more from a single treatment. Since craniosacral therapy helps to gently move the bones of the spine, particularly those of the occiput and sacrum, it is likely that some migraines may be caused by incorrectly aligned spinal bones. The results of these studies are very promising to those suffering from migraines, especially small children.

These studies explored above show that massage therapy can have very beneficial effects on children suffering from certain medical conditions. While this is the case, ordinary children who do not currently suffer from any medical conditions can also benefit from massage therapy, both as a preventative measure and as a way to alleviate stress and tension caused by everyday living, including schoolwork and other obligations.

If you are interested in learning more about pediatric massage therapy, please check out our website by clicking here.

CranioSacral Therapy: A Positive Therapeutic Approach to Pain Management

Craniosacral therapy is a relatively new therapy, in that it has been around much less than a hundred years, being developed in the seventies by Dr. Upledger. Utilizing small amounts of force and pressure, measured in grams, osteopathic manipulation is performed. Craniosacral therapy is built on the principles of osteopathic medicine, and specifically the work of Dr. Sutherland in the 1930s.

Using the craniosacral rhythm of the body, which is the circulation of the craniosacral fluid around the brain and spinal cord, assessments are made of the bones of the cranium and pelvis. Light pressure techniques, sometimes called releases, are performed to certain bones of the cranium and pelvic.

Very often, patients receiving craniosacral therapy are surprised by the relief of symptoms in one area which have been affected by therapy to a very different and sometimes distant area. For example, there have been patients suffering from TMJ or migraine headaches who experience an alleviation of pain symptoms after therapy at the sacrum and pelvis. Some of the principles of craniosacral work are that the body system is connected, and that often times, pain in one area can be what is known as referred pain, coming from an entirely different area.

While there are not very many studies on the effects of craniosacral therapy, the few randomized clinical trials that do exist have shown positive effects on pain in patients who received it. For example, one study published in Clinical Rehabilitation in 2011 concluded that craniosacral therapy “improved medium-term pain symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.” Anyone who knows someone with fibromyalgia will understand that it is a very difficult disorder to treat. When someone has this disorder, they are in widespread generalized pain all of the time. Craniosacral therapy can be used as an excellent adjunct to standard medical care for these patients.

Another study published in Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice concluded that craniosacral therapy can help to reduce the severity and frequency of migraine headaches. Considering the debilitating nature of migraines, this is very promising to those suffering from migraines.

These are only two of the available studies on CranioSacral Therapy, both of which had positive findings for pain relief. Further research into the effects of craniosacral therapy are certainly warranted. If you are interested in learning more about CranioSacral Therapy, or in booking a session, please visit our website by clicking here.