Crania Sacral Therapy
One of the modalities or massage techniques that I find very useful and effective is Cranial Sacral Therapy. It is a tool that uses an out-of-the-box approach to working with the body's soft tissues which involved MANY certification levels and branches using the cranial sacral system, including the membranes, the cranial sacral fluid and the bones housing the system. Some examples of the certifications are Somato-Emotional Release, Prenatal and Pediatrics, The body's soft tissues are the ligaments, tendons, muscles, skin, fascia both superficial and deep, blood vessels, lymph vessels , fat, synovial membranes, and nerves. As a massage therapists works on you, we are moving and effecting all of the soft tissues in one manner or another. With Cranial Sacral Therapy, we are tapping into the cranial rhythm of your body, the rhythm produced with the production, by the ventricles deep in your brain, and absorption of the cranial sacral fluid housed in your meninges. What is the meninges? Well, your meninges is that three layered sheath of connective tissue that surrounds your brain and spinal cord and houses it in a well lubricated environment that keeps your CNS fed, protected and healthy. Most people never think about this membrane. That is, until someone they know has had the misfortune of contracting meningitis which is when this membrane gets inflamed and can be deadly,if not treated properly and in a timely fashion.
The rhythm is palpated or felt with the hands at key areas called listening stations at the feet, thighs, hips, lower ribs and sternum, collar bones, and three places on the skull. This takes practice and patience and a level of skill. We gadge and critique it by a measuring stick called SQAR, which is the acronym for symmetry, quality, amplitude and rhythm. By what we palpate, we can tell where the body is stuck and nudge it with well placed hands to help it unwind or find its own homeostasis. It is a noninvasive and passive approach that works deep into the body due to the continuity of fascia, that connective tissue that permeates through out the body connecting everything. The body is a self regulating,organism and knows what needs to be done to bring about that balance. With that in mind, the therapist sits back and lets the body bring itself back to balance by placing their touch in key spots. It is a very profound, effective and intricate therapy and definitely should be tried at least once and implemented in your sessions, when you find that it has relieved any issues in your tissues. Cranial Sacral Therapy can be used in conjunction with massage therapy, chiropractic care and physical therapy just to name a few. Please note that massage therapy is something that is used in conjunction with your primary care and doesn't not REPLACE professional medical care! When you incorporate a multi faceted and wholistic approach to your health, you get the best results. So be sure to talk to your primary care physician before you implement massage therapy is you have a condition that requires regular medication and observation so that the therapist can communicate with your doctor to ensure cohesive therapy.
