By learning craniosacral therapy through home study courses, you can help ease your clients’ chronic pains, fatigue and other disorders with healing touch.

During the craniosacral therapy session, the therapist places her hands on the client, allowing her to apply subtle pressure to the craniosacral system. She then works with the spine and the skull and its cranial sutures, diaphragms and fascia.

Craniosacral therapy sessions typically last 30 minutes to an hour. Craniosacral therapy should only be practiced by a trained therapist. Professionals warn that people who have suffered an aneurysm, cerebral hemorrhage or severe bleeding, or an injury to the skull should not receive the therapy, as it involves the direct application of pressure to sensitive areas.

Through this technique, the restrictions in the nerve passages are eased, the movement of cerebrospinal fluid through the spinal cord is optimized and misaligned bones are realigned into their proper position. Those restrictions are thought to be the cause of poor health, specifically conditions related to the brain, spine and nervous system.

Craniosacral massage therapists use the techniques and methods to treat mental stress, migraines, headaches, scoliosis, immune disorders, chronic neck and back pain, temporomandibular joint syndrome, as well as for fibromyalgia and other connective-tissue disorders.

Some craniosacral massage home study courses include topics that cover the sacral release technique, anatomy and physiology, sacroiliac decompression, core link technique, cranial base release, the core link between the cranium and sacrum, the cranial wave, sphenoid release technique, ear-pull decompression, palming-decompression technique, the parietal hold and lift, frontal decompression and mandible compression and decompression.

Recent studies of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed the use of craniosacral massage therapy improved the patients’ quality of life in treating lower urinary tract symptoms.

All subjects in the study had a diagnosis of MS, a LUTS condition lasting for at least three months and failure of past treatment for LUTS. The patients were between 23 and 75 years old, according to the study.

Results of the study showed both frequency and urgency of urination were significantly reduced among the 28 participants. Of those, 79 percent of the patients reported improved quality of life, according to the 2009 study, “Effect of craniosacral therapy on lower urinary tract signs and symptoms in multiple sclerosis.”

Make sure you check with your national and state licensing bodies to make sure the courses you select are acceptable for continuing education credits.

—Jeremy Maready