How CranioSacral Therapy Can Treat Inflammation

Many people suffer from severe neck pain or have constant headaches or muscle tension that leads to head and neck problems. There are others who wish they were able to get the swelling down around an injury so that they can move better. CranioSacral therapy may be the natural treatment needed to find relief without invasive procedures. CranioSacral therapy was developed by an Osteopath, Dr. John Upledger. This therapy uses a light touch to gauge tension and find restrictions in the tissue. The therapists then uses CST to release those restrictions. 

CranioSacral therapists undergo extensive training to teach them how to listen to the body in order to find and release the restrictions which may come chronic pain or a regular injury response.

What is CranioSacral Therapy?

A therapist that learns how to move slowly and gently appreciates the responses from the body and understands the anatomy of the structures being treated. They use extensive knowledge about pain and bodily reactions to help a person. While the individual stays clothed and lying on a massage table, the CranioSacral therapist will follow a protocol of treatment. Depending on the input they get, the therapist will connect with the areas tracing down the source of the problem. They will work to find the area causing the most pain and find out whether the body is responding to trauma from a previous injury, something recent, or an issue that keeps arising.

Problems That May See Relief with CranioSacral Therapy

• Headaches
• Neck pain
• Migraines
• Eye pain
• Shoulder pain

What is the CranioSacral Rhythm?

The CranioSacral rhythm is the how the body responds to spinal fluid pressure changes and the way tissues move with the increase or decrease of fluid. The therapist will use the 5 diaphragms of the body to bring the rhythm into balance.

The CranioSacral rhythm is often measured at the base of the head (hence the word Cranio, for cranium) and the Sacrum (therefore Sacral, which included the coccyx or tailbone) where the therapist can feel the rhythm of spinal fluid movement. The therapist can isolate one particular area or a general group of tissues depending on the symptoms of the individual.

Understanding the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Swelling

The body reacts differently to a new injury versus something that plagues the body for months or even years. A CranioSacral Massage Therapist knows how to tune into the body to figure out which inflammation type is present, giving a good indication of the best way to treat the person. When a person has chronic swelling, there will be little or no movement in the immune system. The therapist can detect this swelling and tightness with light pressure during the initial exam. A person that has an injury will have swelling that shows signs of movement around the edges and outer layers of the inflammation, meaning that the injury is recent, and the body is responding normally to the damage.

How Therapists Use Massage and Other Treatments to Improve Healing

When a patient has chronic inflammation, manual manipulation of the area is necessary to get the tissues to drain and release the excess fluids and toxins so that the body can get rid of them naturally. One of the key things for the doctor or therapist to do is to provide a quiet, relaxing space where the patient can go limp and give the therapist the best conditions for finding problems. Getting the client to feel at ease and fully relax is vital to feeling the body responses to pressure and movement. If the patient cannot settle down and let the body lay still and loose, then the therapist cannot get an accurate sense of how the fluids in the body move.

How Chronic Issues Can Improve with the Help of a CranioSacral Expert

When a patient has chronic inflammation, manual manipulation of the area is necessary to get the tissues to drain and release the excess fluids and toxins so that the body can get rid of them naturally. One of the key things for the doctor or therapist to do is to provide a quiet, relaxing space where the patient can go limp and give the therapist the best conditions for finding problems. Getting the client to feel at ease and fully relaxed is vital to feeling the body responses to pressure and movement. If the patient cannot settle down and let the body lay still and loose, then the therapist cannot get an accurate sense of how the fluids in the body move.

How Chronic Issues Can Improve with the Help of a CranioSacral Expert

The therapist uses the body responses to direct the way they approach the treatment. They help move fluids along the lymphatic system and towards the veins, getting cells to release toxins and expedite the body getting rid of them and the pain or pressure, too. By directing tension and swelling to the lymph nodes and nearby capillaries and veins, the therapist can initiate movement in a tight and tense area that would not otherwise release.

With regular treatment, the therapist can promote better circulation and keep swelling down in injury-prone areas.

A CranioSacral therapist goes through strict training and certification processes to help them learn how to relax and tune in to the human body. Experts suggest finding someone that is calm and makes people comfortable for the best results.

Eugene Wood is a Licensed Massage Therapist located in Nassau County NY. Learn more about advanced massage therapy by visiting his website.