Craniosacral Therapy for Wellness
‘Wellness’ is generally considered to be an active process.: Go out and exercise. Plan and cook your meals. Take your vitamins and supplements. Do the work!
And, while all of these things can and do make a difference, there are also ways to support your health that require nothing of you aside from your presence.
One such is craniosacral therapy (CST), a magical treatment offered by Dr. Katherine.
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
A type of therapy originally developed by John Upledger, an osteopathic physician, CST is a way of reminding your body that it already has what it needs to heal itself. And making the space for it to do just that.
Technically speaking, your brain and spinal cord are bathed in what’s called Cerebrospinal Fluid. It’s this fluid that both protects and nourishes the precious central nervous system. Cerebrospinal fluid (aka CSF) cushions the nervous system from impact. It brings some nutrients and carries away waste products. And, it is produced by the brain rhythmically, day in and day out.
What are Craniosacral sessions like?
Typically, a CST session lasts about 50 minutes. During that session, your only job is to show up and lie down (fully clothed) on the treatment table. Your provider will place her hands on your head, where she is able to feel the (very subtle) movement of the bones of the skull. This movement is created by the generation of CSF. Ideally, all the bones of the skull (and spinal cord) move freely and without restriction. However, because we’re dynamic humans living in a dynamic environment, we can develop restrictions in this system.
As a craniosacral provider feels any alteration in movement in the head, they are then able (through gentle and specific pressure) to adjust how the bones of the cranium are moving. This process allows for more free and balanced movement of CSF, which translates into improved health and function of the central nervous system, and, by extension, the body and mind as a whole.
How Does it Feel?
CST is inherently very gentle. The only tools used are the therapist’s hands. While there can at times be mild discomfort associated with the pressure applied, pain is exceedingly rare. Some sensations described by recipients of CST include:
- Feeling as though they’re floating
- Sleep
- Increased awareness of what’s going on inside their head
- A feeling of release or ‘unwinding’
- Emotional release (crying)
- Euphoria
- Seeing colors
- Tingling, heat, or other sensation throughout the body
- Feeling as if there’s suddenly more room to move within the body.
How Can it Help Me?
CST — while not a replacement for medical care — is a helpful adjunct for many conditions, including but not limited to:
- Anxiety and Depression
- Insomnia
- Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury
- Migraines and Headaches
- Chronic Neck and Back Pain
- Stress and Tension-Related Disorders
- Motor-Coordination Impairments
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
- Chronic Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- TMJ Syndrome
- Scoliosis
- Central Nervous System Disorders
- Learning Disabilities
- ADD/ADHD
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Orthopedic Problems.
The number and frequency of sessions varies widely from person to person. For more chronic or serious health conditions, weekly sessions may be recommended for 4-12 weeks or more. For less serious conditions, or simply to maintain health, sessions may be recommended once per week for 4 weeks, and then spaced out once every other week or once monthly thereafter.
How Can I Try it?
Craniosacral sessions can be booked through our client portal or by reaching out to Dr. Katherine directly. We also have an option to buy a package of six for a 10% off discount.
