 |
The Whole-Life Connection |
||
| Telephone: +61 2 9727 5794 Facsimile: +61 2 9754 2999 |
Address: |
||
Craniosacral TherapyCraniosacral therapy has been shown to be effective for childhood disorders - especially within the autistic spectrum of disorders, learning difficulties, hyperactivity, and related problems because of the pioneering work of John Upledger (D.O., F.A.A.O.), in studies and work done at the Centre for Autism in the United States.
Due to the success of the work at the Centre for Autism, Upledger went on to open his own clinic for brain-dysfunctioning children at Michigan State University. Here he received and had positive results with patients suffering from a wide array of problems including paralysis of all types, with causes ranging from birth trauma to cerebral palsy, nerve root compressions, head injuries and spinal cord injuries. Seizure disorders of all types, hyperkinetic (hyperactivity) disorders, attention deficit disorders, dyslexia, dyscalcula, and a wide range of developmental delay problems. The results demonstrated by Upledger and his team have since been duplicated around the world.
Not everyone with every condition will be responsive to craniosacral work, but it has been clinically shown to prove helpful in a large number of cases. All cases cited by Upledger reported a minimum of an improved state of wellbeing, and as it is non-invasive and gentle, no harm can be done.
As a student of Osteopathy, at the turn of the century, Dr William Sutherland was taught in school that, in the adult, the bones of the skull (the cranial bones) were fused at their sutures. The medical profession as taught in the English derived schools, did not believe the bones in the cranium could move at all, although European schools of anatomy, particularly the Italian and French, appear to have been more enlightened in this regard. Sutherland noticed that the edges of the individual cranial segments were shaped, as if they were designed and created to perform a function, that being, movement. As research now indicates, the segments of the skull do slightly shift, and they can be gently, slowly adjusted in a non-invasive way for improved joint movement, fluid flow and general health. The kinesthetic energetics of cranial work is nothing short of phenomenal.
Dr. Sutherland, as an American osteopath, continued his discovery of the intrinsic movements within the cranium. His further research revealed different rhythmic tidal motions in the body. These movements, which can be measured with delicate scientific instruments, are a direct expression of the health of the nervous system. Palpation of these tides allows Craniosacral practitioners to monitor and facilitate change, in areas of restriction, i.e. where the health is not being fully expressed.
Movement is an important concept in Chiropractic and Osteopathy, as any restriction to a natural physiological movement will lead to a reduction in the function of that area. In his continued search for a "truth", Dr Sutherland used a slightly unorthodox method of research. He set out to prove that the cranial bones did move, by personally wearing a helmet he had specially designed with bolts, to hold still the individual bones of the skull. These abnormally produced restrictions, within the varying positions of his head, led to a number of very distinct states in him, ranging from gastric disorders to severely disturbed psychological states. Dr. Sutherland concluded that movement was vital between the cranial bones, in order for health to exist. Over his 60 years of research, he further discovered that this rate of motion was 8-10 cycles per minute.
Dr. Randolph Stone, also worked with the cranial concept in the earlier part of this century. He was an Osteopath and Chiropractor, and the originator of Polarity Therapy which he developed out of an understanding of the energy patterns which underly the body's structure, form and function. He developed a keen understanding of the energy centers that are described in traditional Indian Ayurvedic Medicine and applied this understanding to his work with the cranial system. His concepts and life's work did much to unite the approach of energy-medicine with the structural approach.
Dr. John Upledger, in the 1970s, re-discovered the craniosacral rhythm for himself, while he was assisting in a surgical operation, in which he had to hold still the thick membrane surrounding the spinal cord, called the dural membrane. During this procedure, Dr. Upledger found great difficulty preventing its motion, and discovered that it moved in a rhythm of 8-10 cycles per minute. This original experience frustrated him, leading him to search for the cause; followed by 25 years of research and dedication to the principles. In 1975, as a professor of biomechanics, Dr. Upledger joined Michigan State University, where he led a research team of biophysicists, anatomists and other professionals to perfect the scientific basis for the craniosacral system, and to advance contemporary knowledge of how to alleviate chronic pain and dysfunction.
Dr. Upledger's work stresses the importance of the connective tissue in holding emotional patterns. He developed what he called the "somato-emotional release", which is the release of the emotions as these patterns of resistance are resolved.
So What Is
Craniosacral therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy is a subtle and profound healing form, which aids the natural bodily intelligence (both the central and the autonomic nervous systems), by assisting to remove impedements to the flow of cerebrospinal fluid which have been created within the cranium and spinal cord. A nervous system, which is free of impingement, allows fuller support of the natural processes of healing, and balance is the key to normal function.
A very gentle touch is used to 'listen' to the slow pulsation generated by the cerebrospinal ebb and flow throughout the whole body tissue to find where the motion is disturbed or affected by constriction or resistance within the body structure and consequently where the body function is being affected. The therapeutic side of the work is in helping the body to re-establish the original movement flow by assisting in the resolution of any resistance patterns. (For more information on cerebrospinal fluid and it's role in the body, please see the article THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VITAL ENERGY AND THE HUMAN BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM).
The gentle procedures used in Craniosacral work are geared toward bringing ease to the body and in turn to bring the body’s own healing potential to bear on the affected tissue, organ or structure, thus allowing a return of optimal functioning. Cranial work is client-led; the body sets the pace of work so that the person receiving Craniosacral Therapy remains comfortable and in control and able to integrate the changes that occur. The receiver may feel a deep sense of relaxation combined with sensations of heat, tingling, and pulsation during the session.
C ST works with the natural rhythms of the body. It is non-invasive -a light touch is usually all that is needed to achieve a response. As frequently found in structural bodywork approaches, distortional patterns in one part of the body may be compensatory for imbalances in another area. For example, a condition in the pelvis may arise from the cranium. It is quite usual for symptoms in one part of the body to originate elsewhere, and for distortions to be corrected, when other apparently unrelated distortions are adjusted.
To realise that the mental and
emotional aspects of our lives cannot be separated from our
bodies, and that one affects the other, particularly at the level
at which Craniosacral Therapy operates, it is easy to see how
profound a healing system Craniosacral Therapy can be, and
because the touch, which is used, is very gentle, it can often be
applied where other more direct interventions are too invasive.
The craniosacral system of the body consists of fluid and
membranes that surround and protect the spinal cord. The system
encompasses the bones of the skull, face, and mouth, which make
up the cranium, or head, all the way down to the sacrum and
coccyx, or tailbone. This physiological system begins functioning
in the womb and continues its function until death.
Like, and separate from, the cardiovascular and respiratory rhythms, another body rhythm -- the craniosacral system (AKA the cerebrospinal pumping mechanism)-- influences many body functions. An imbalance in this system can adversely affect the development of the brain and spinal cord, which can result in sensory, motor and neurological dysfunction. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) encourages your body's natural mechanisms to improve the functioning of your brain and spinal cord, dissipate the negative effects of stress, and enhance your general health and resistance to disease. Craniosacral facilitators recognise health as an active principle, and that it is a natural expression of Life - an innate ordering force. Craniosacral Therapy is a subtle and profound healing form, which assists the natural bodily intelligence. CST helps increase physical vitality and well being, not only affecting structural change, but also having much wider implications.
The positive effect of Craniosacral Therapy relies largely upon an individual's natural self-corrective physiological activities. The therapist's light, hands-on approach assists the hydraulic forces that are inherent in the internal environment of the body.
Three of the essential concepts in Craniosacral Therapy are:
 function is dependent on form and form is in
constant movement |
| the body is self-healing and self-regulating |
| the human system is a unified whole and
functions as such |
This movement comprised an expansion/contraction, and ebb and flow movement, which Sutherland called "The Primary Respiratory Mechanism" (of the cerebrospinal pump).
The components of this "Primary Respiratory Mechanism" include:
| the gentle ebb and flow in the fluid that
surrounds the brain and spinal cord, the Cerebrospinal
Fluid (CSF) |
| the slight curling and uncurling movement of
the Central Nervous System (CNS) |
| the small regular movement of the cranial
bones which is transferred through the spinal column to
the sacrum |
The rhythmic cerebrospinal fluid movement is generated in the central axis of the body, to which all the other bones and the organ systems relate. This motion, therefore, is transferred to and taken up by the more peripheral bones of the body, the connective tissue and all the organs. Hence, the motion becomes a whole body motion.
An important bodyworker's axiom is that "form affects function". This means that if our form or structure is affected by restriction or congestion, then its function is affected.
Who Can Benefit from Craniosacral Therapy?
Everyone can benefit from
receiving Craniosacral Therapy. As the touch used is gentle, but
firm and reassuring, everyone who has received CST reports a
feeling of ease, comfort and relaxation, and increased feelings
of general wellbeing long after the session.
Craniosacral Therapy has been used successfully to assist in
cases of:-
Seizure
Disorders
Autism
Spectrum Disorders
Cerebral
Palsy and Spacticity
Hyperkinesia
(hyperactivity)
Attention
Deficit Disorder
Dyslexia
and Dyscalula
Developmental
Delay
Migraine
Headaches
Tinnitus
Temporomandibular
Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
Chronic
Pain Syndromes
Arthritis
and Joint Pain
Neuraligia
Fibromyalgia
Low
Back Problems and Backache
Reflex
Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
Traumatic
Injuries
Degenerative
Diseases of the Central Nervous System
Stroke
and Post Operative Rehabilitation
Assisting
in Cases of Difficult Labour
The answer here is - most definately!. Instead of imposing physical forces to effect a change in the body, the body's natural waves and rhythms are followed, and monitored for the ease, which develops. Craniosacral Therapy is so gentle that it is suitable for babies, children, and the elderly, and in fragile or acutely painful conditions. CST is suitable for anyone who desires cranial peace!
The weight of a single coin is about the same amount of gentle pressure used in a wholistic session of Craniosacral balancing. This very gentle pressure and monitoring of the 22 bones in the cranium and sacrum is performed over an extended period of time. Craniosacral therapy is based on the understanding of the human energy field and how to achieve the proper flow and balance of this energy - the goal being the development of spinal flexibility, ease of the nervous system, and improved general health and wellbeing. Craniosacral therapy is quite different from standard massage and structural forms of chiropractic and osteopathic adjustments. Within different positions on the head, the bones are invited to move into ease ... The movements are extremely subtle and sensitive, they are not at all hard, sharp or quick.
The subtle qualities of touch used in Craniosacral work is what makes it one of the safest methods for use with a wide range of presenting problems. It is typically non-directive, non-invasive in its approach—essentially the art of listening and enobling the body to heal itself.
References & Reading
The Amazing Brain by Robert Ornstein
and Richard F. Thompson ..... the clarity the authors offer is
enhanced by the wonderfully detailed illustrations of David
MaCaulay that take us to the surreal landscape of the interior of
the brain.
Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank H Netter, M.D Dr. Netter ... thought it important to achive a happy medium between complexity and simplification, and has produced illustrations that are readily understandable, yet instructive and a pleasure to look at. A treasure trove of beautiful illustrations that students say are indispensable for the understanding of anatomy.
A Brain is Born by John E Upledger, D.O., O.M.M. Dr. Upldger .. latest book, is an in-depth guide you'll turn to time and time again. It crosses the boundaries of many disciplines, including embryology, obstetrics, paediatrics, neurology and CranioSacral Therapy. In his down-to-earth style, he breaks up complicated issues into understandable nuggets of information, and is as valuable to expectant parents as it is to those who work with children every day. The illustrations are amusing and make the physiology easy to understand.
CranioSacral Therapy by Upledger and Vredovoogd ... The basis of current CranioSacral study, this volume describes the core mechanisms, functions and anatomical relationshops, with clear illustrated instructions for the various holds and releases and their associated mechanisms.
Craniosacral Therapy II - Beyond The Dura by Dr Upldger .. Develops the work of CranioSacral Therapy with detailed studies of the cranial nerves, the anatomy of the neck and the TM joints, taking us through to arcing, unwinding and full body diagnosis.
An Introduction to CranioSacral Therapy by Don Cohern .... Don Cohen has done an excellent job of presenting an overview of the various diagnostic, evaluative and therapeutic approaches to the cranium, the sacrum, the dura mata envelope and the fluid which it encloses. He is one of those rare individuals who has a real sense of the human body and what it is about. He also has a deep appreciation of the fact that the human body is not living in isolation. He knows both intellectually and intuitively about the interralations between spirit, mind and body"
Manual Thermal Diagnosis by Jean-Pierre Barral . Beginning with a review of the scientific understanding of body heat, and the clinical significance of changes in surface temperature, Barral proceeds step-by-step to provide the reader with the tools that are needed to transform their hands into sensitive diagnostic instruments.
Polarity Therapy Volumes I & II by Dr. Randolph Stone. The creator of Polarity Therapy guides us through the concepts of his system of wholistic health and wellbeing. Detailes of treatments in a step by step manner, charts, essays and lecture transcripts from the systems originator.
For further information, assessments or appointments,
Please contact
Gregory de Montfort or Rosemary Boon at:-
The
Whole-Life Connection
| Telephone: +61 2 9727 5794 Facsimile: +61 2 9754 2999 |
Address: |
||
Links:-
