Osteopathic Roots
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a specialized branch of osteopathy. Osteopathy, was developed in the US by Andrew Taylor Still in the late 1800’s. It is a form of drug-free non-invasive manual medicine. It addresses the body’s structural, organ, nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems. At first osteopaths were not especially concerned with structures in the cranium because they were taught that cranial bones fuse at some point in our lives and that our heads don’t have moveable joints (like coconuts).
Cranial Osteopathy
Some osteopaths like William Garner Sutherland, DO and Charlotte Weaver, DO disagreed with the head-as-coconut model and began to develop assessment and treatment techniques that focus on what we now call the craniosacral system – the membranes, fluid and bones that surround, nourish, protect and support the brain and spinal cord. They noticed that not only were cranial bones slightly moveable, but that they also have a palpable movement or rhythm of their own. We now call this the craniosacral rhythm or cranial rhythmic impulse. Modern CST builds on the foundation established by these early cranial osteopaths.
The Craniosacral Rhythm
In addition to other assessment and treatment techniques available from the roots of osteopathy, craniosacral therapists use the craniosacral rhythm as an assessment tool and treatment opportunity.
Gentle Touch for Optimal Mobility
CST is a gentle, noninvasive type of bodywork. Seldom do we use more than a few grams of pressure. This gentle touch is one of the things that sets CST apart from all other forms of manual therapy. All of our body parts should move independently of their neighbors. When they don’t, pain or loss of function can follow. We use our hands to seek areas of the body that don’t move normally. Our passion is not to put bodies into a particular alignment. Our passion is to improve mobility. In the presence of normal mobility the body can find its own structural balance. The body is always seeking balance. We see homeostasis as not just biochemical, but also structural. We strive to give the minimum amount of input necessary to help our clients achieve this goal of balance.
The Latest Developments in Neuroscience
We’re really excited about new research that establishes the existence of things like the so called glymphatic system, lymph vessels in the central nervous system, and accelerated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow during sleep. Prior to the recent development of imaging techniques sensitive enough to monitor CSF flow, we really had little knowledge of these things. We now know that cerebrospinal fluid also extends throughout the peripheral nervous system. We’re feeling really good these days about our opportunities to improve mobility (and function) in the central and peripheral nervous systems – thus improving quality of life for our clients.