Among other reasons, the long list of conditions CranioSacral Therapy can be used to address appears to be a driving force behind the diverse array of professionals who practice this gentle and noninvasive technique. From massage therapists and bodyworkers to naturopaths and chiropractors, with so many more in between, it seems all kinds of health professionals are interested in offering CranioSacral Therapy.
For those professionals who work in the field of massage therapy and bodywork, taking steps to get trained in CranioSacral Therapy may be motivated by the desire to add this method to one’s practice menu and thereby extend the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy to current clients. Offering CranioSacral Therapy may also serve to draw a whole new set of clients into an existing massage therapy or bodywork practice.
Often, CranioSacral Therapy provides a new angle on ways in which the health professional can address the issues or conditions a client presents. For example, massage therapists and bodyworkers may possess a wide array of skills used to address chronic neck and back pain, many of which might involve deep-tissue techniques.
However, if these techniques do not seem to be providing any lasting improvement in the pain, the practitioner trained in CranioSacral Therapy could offer his or her services as another possible solution. Unlike deeper or more intense forms of hands-on therapy, CranioSacral Therapy uses an extremely light touch, usually no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel.
The gentle pressure of CranioSacral Therapy is used to release soft-tissue restrictions that may be impacting the craniosacral system, which consists of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. By releasing these restrictions, CranioSacral Therapy seeks to correct any areas where the nearby restricted soft tissues may have been pressing in on or otherwise distorting the flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the craniosacral system.
The premise of CranioSacral Therapy is that once the proper flow and function of the craniosacral system has been restored to optimal levels, through the release of any restrictions in the surrounding soft tissues, the body will then be able to better heal and correct any ongoing issues, such as that chronic neck and back pain so many clients and patients seek to relieve.
It is important to remember that the craniosacral system, which is the main focus of CranioSacral Therapy, is what surrounds, nourishes and protects the brain and spinal cord. These two vital components of the human body are what form the foundation of each person’s central nervous system.
Therefore, by aiming to improve the function of the craniosacral system, CranioSacral Therapy also aims to improve the overall function of the central nervous system. This is the one of the key reasons CranioSacral Therapy is used by all kinds of health professionals to treat such a wide array of issues and conditions—because it is believed that by improving the function of the central nervous system, CranioSacral Therapy improves the body’s innate capacity for self-healing.