While deep-tissue work and other more intense methods of massage therapy and bodywork are quite popular among a wide range of clients, there is much to be said for the gentle approaches to touch therapy as well. One such gentle approach is CranioSacral Therapy.
Of course, the word gentle can have different definitions to different people. One client’s version of gentle might be another’s idea of too much pressure. Therefore, it can be important to try to define just how gentle CranioSacral Therapy can be, in terms of the typical weight of the touch applied during a CranioSacral Therapy session.
In general, practitioners of CranioSacral Therapy use a level of pressure no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel. If you place a nickel on your skin, you can feel for yourself that the weight of touch involved in CranioSacral Therapy really is gentle.
When clients are looking for a noninvasive form of healing touch, they often turn to practitioners in the realm of massage therapy and bodywork. In some cases, however, deeper forms of touch therapy can feel somewhat invasive for certain clients. For these kinds of clients, it can be important to be able to offer CranioSacral Therapy as a method of healing touch that feels very gentle but can still bring big benefits in terms of the client’s needs and goals for the session.
It may be necessary to educate your clients on the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy, because many people bring a “no pain, no gain” attitude into the session room, believing that touch therapy must be somewhat uncomfortable in order to evoke any real change. In fact, some professional massage therapists and bodyworkers may even be skeptical that the light touch of CranioSacral Therapy could be used to address so many different—and often complex—conditions.
For starters, it is crucial people understand the role of the central nervous system in overall health, and how CranioSacral Therapy is used to enhance the health and optimal function of this system. Essentially, the central nervous system comprises the brain and spinal cord. These vital elements of the body are wrapped in membranes and fluid, known as the craniosacral system, which protect and nourish the central nervous system.
With CranioSacral Therapy, practitioners are using that incredibly light touch to release any soft-tissue restrictions that may be pressing in on and distorting the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that encase the brain and spinal cord. By releasing any nearby restrictions, CranioSacral Therapy aims to correct any distortions in the craniosacral system.
The core goal of CranioSacral Therapy, then, is to release the soft-tissue restrictions that may be impeding the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the central nervous system. When this fluid is flowing properly, it may provide substantial improvements in the health and function of the central nervous system overall—and the central nervous system is key to keeping all the body’s systems functioning properly.