The craniosacral system is one of the most exquisitely designed systems of the human body. It is comprised of the cerebral spinal fluid (csf) and the membranes that support the integrity of the brain and spinal cord. These membranes, called dura, are anchored by the cranial bones, the vertebra, and the sacrum.
The best explanation of this system and how it works, that I have found, are from an article by Paul Brown originally published in Body Sense Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2010. Copyright 2010. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
“ We are each equipped with a high performance immune system miraculously designed to heal our body and protect us from disease. The demands of a modern world often challenge our immune systems ability to keep up. Craniosacral therapy is based on a particular understanding of human anatomy. Imagine your craniosacral system has a regular rhythm, much like the heart, only subtler and slower. Just as your heart pumps blood to the rest of your body, the craniosacral system pumps your csf between your brain and spinal area…
The csf plays several important roles in your immune system’s performance. These include offering protective covering for your delicate brain tissue, delivering glucose (a type of sugar that nurtures and cools the brain) to the cortex, inhibiting viruses and bacteria in the brain, and forming a transport medium between the blood and the brain. If csf can flow unimpeded, than the body has the opportunity to maintain and/or restore balance…
Remarkably, your entire motor function, learning patterns, and emotions are affected by the craniosacral system, as your whole body expands and contracts with the rhythm of the pumping fluid. This is where craniosacral therapy can improve the functioning of these essential self healing systems…
When soft touch is applied to this system, clients can achieve incredible releases from long standing restriction, stress, and tension…
Craniosacral therapy achieves not only relief from physical pain, but also restoration of clarity and emotional wholeness…
The client lies on a traditional massage table fully clothed, and the practitioner applies a slight amount of pressure to the craniosacral system. Once the body is in a relaxed state, craniosacral therapy has the ability to teach on a cellular level…
By the time you leave your session, you will most likely feel refreshed, relaxed, and re-energized. Some clients even report a ‘reawakening of power’ as the body, mind, and heart find their own profound medicine.”
Most sessions last about an hour. Some of the conditions that craniosacral therapy addresses are: migraines, headaches, chronic neck and back pain, autism, stress and tension related disorders, motor coordination impairments, infant and childhood disorders, brain/spinal cord injuries, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, TMJ syndrome, scoliosis, central nervous system disorders, learning disabilities, PTSD, ADD and ADHD.
Sources: Upledger Institute; CranioSacral Therapy- Accessing the Healer Within by Paul Brown