Craniosacral Therapy Helps Mitigate Pain, Expedite Healing & Promotes Whole Body Health

 

Are you trying to manage recent or chronic pain, seeking both immediate and sustainable relief?

 

Are you in recovery from illness, injury or surgery and want to expedite your healing?

 

Do you feel uncomfortable in your body, sensing that something is not right? 

 

Maybe you’re struggling with insomnia, anxiety, trauma and/or other ailments that arise from a dysregulated nervous system. Or perhaps your healthcare practitioner has suggested craniosacral therapy as part of your recovery plan. It might be that you’re looking for an alternative to invasive medicine, seeking an effective, holistic approach to whole-body healing. 

 

If any part of you—mental, emotional or physical—is in stress overload and/or you’re interested in either recovery or preventative care, craniosacral therapy can help. This highly effective, whole body approach to healing is designed to treat the root cause of mind-body stressors. Through gentle touch that stimulates nervous system regulation, craniosacral therapy can help treat everything from eye ticks, head trauma and TMJ dysfunction to anxiety disorders, postpartum depression and PTSD. 

 

You Are Not Alone 

 

We live in a world in which stress levels are almost always keyed up. In perpetual states of fight, flight, freeze, fawn, stress wreaks havoc on all of our systems. And, in the Front Range area, particularly, many of us are weekend warriors, conditioned to both work hard and play hard, which puts increased stress on our bodies and makes us more susceptible to accidents and injury. Many of us are also trying to navigate symptoms of anxiety, depression and trauma. In stress overload and/or feeling depleted, we may struggle to relax, get a good night of sleep and feel comfortable and alive in our bodies. 

 

Dysregulation of the mind, emotions and body impacts both the nervous system and the craniosacral system, taking a toll on both our mental and physical health.  

 

Understanding Craniosacral Therapy 

 

Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a noninvasive, holistic approach to healing that uses gentle touch to relieve pain by releasing stuckness and tension in the body’s connective tissues from the skull and along the spine to the sacrum. Focusing on the subtle, natural rhythms and movement of the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, CST works to release restrictions and regulate spinal fluid flow. This improves the function of the central nervous system—our primary processing center that controls most of the body’s functions. 

 

This innovative, highly effective healing modality was developed in the 1970s by John Upledger of the Upledger Institute, where I studied and was certified, to release tensions held deep in the body to help reduce pain, correct dysfunction, and improve whole-body health, functionality and performance. 

 

CST is commonly used to treat chronic pain, fibromyalgia, headaches/migraines, head trauma and post-concussion syndrome, scoliosis, stroke, and TMJ (read more here about craniosacral/TMJ massage I offer), as well as many other physical ailments. Because it helps to regulate the nervous system and trauma is held in the body and therefore must be released from the body, CST can also be highly effective in treating various forms of trauma and in helping to alleviate symptoms associated with mental and emotional health issues, including anxiety, PTSD and depression. 

 

It’s also been shown to be highly effective in: 

 

Stress Reduction. The gentle touch and manipulation used in craniosacral therapy can promote relaxation and help reduce stress, activating a sense of calm and improved mental well-being.

 

Pain Management. Many individuals experience relief from various types of pain, such as headaches, migraines, neck pain and back pain through a release of tension and improved functioning of the central nervous system.

 

Enhanced Healing. Through the facilitation of increased circulation and proper flow of cerebrospinal fluid, craniosacral therapy may support the body's natural healing processes. This is particularly relevant for those recovering from injuries or surgeries.

 

Improved Emotional Health. Craniosacral therapy can have a positive impact on emotional well-being as it helps to regulate the nervous system, promotes relaxation and reduces stress. Most of my clients note feelings of emotional release and a greater sense of balance after sessions.

 

Whole-Body Health & Wellness.  Craniosacral therapy is rooted in a holistic philosophy that views the body as an interconnected system and targets the central nervous system, which, when balanced, restores and maintains balance and harmony to the whole system—mental, emotional and physical. 

 

The Craniosacral Healing Process 

 

I know both personally and professionally how effective craniosacral therapy can be. 

 

Personally, I struggled with severe TMJ dysfunction as a teenager and nothing prescribed in the Western medicine model helped—in fact, some things made the flare ups worse. I finally consulted with an osteopath who suggested craniosacral therapy. Within three months, the clicking and popping in my jaw were gone; within six months, I was pain free. 

 

Professionally, being in practice for over a decade now, I am consistently blown away by how effective and versatile craniosacral therapy is. I’ve used  it to help treat a plethora of mental, emotional and physical ailments. Craniosacral has proven to be effective treating anything related to the nervous system, which is pretty much everything; however, here are some conditions that craniosacral therapy is well known to help with:

 

• Migraines and Headaches

• Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury 

• Autism

• Chronic Neck and Back Pain

• Stress-Related Tension Disorders 

• Motor Coordination Disorders 

• Infant and Childhood Disorders

• Chronic Fatigue 

• Fibromyalgia

• TMJ Syndrome

• Scoliosis 

• Central Nervous System Disorders

• Learning Disabilities

• ADD/ADHD

• PTSD

• Orthopedic Problems 

• And many other conditions… 

 

Craniosacral therapy, when done right, is a process, which when adhered to can provide sustainable results and relief. Right now your body is in a holding pattern of pain and dysfunction, which will take time to release and recondition. Often with CST, it is two steps forward, one step back, which may sound discouraging at first, but it takes time to adjust to and integrate proper flow and alignment into your body’s systems. 

 

Your first session will be 90 minutes—15-minutes for intake and assessment and a 75-minute session. All subsequent visits are 60 minutes. Depending on what is occurring in your mind/heart/body, I generally suggest three to five follow-up sessions for your body to begin to receive and integrate the work, although most clients report feeling better and better with each visit, beginning with the first. I offer packages and we can talk about what would work best for you. 

 

You Can Feel Better In You Body 

 

I am professional, personable and highly committed to this work, achieving results and helping my clients feel better in their bodies. As mentioned earlier, I got into this work because it works. As a massage therapist and advanced body worker, craniosacral therapy may be my favorite modality because of how versatile and highly effective it is. Everyday, I get to see people experiencing significant benefits, and it’s truly validating, gratifying and exciting to see the progress made from the first to final/maintenance visits. 

 

In addition to treating the specific ailment that has you coming in, added benefits of craniosacral include better sleep, increased relaxation and peace and improved overall mental/emotional/physical health and wellbeing. 

 

This modality is also especially effective for women who feel uncomfortable in their bodies and for anyone who has experienced trauma that has led to it feeling difficult/unsafe to be touched. While craniosacral can be weaved into massage, as a stand-alone modality, your clothing remains on during the session, and touch is gentle, light and noninvasive. Craniosacral work can support you in feeling safer, more embodied, and more receptive to touch, which can foster healing far beyond the physical body. 

 

Healing Starts Here 

 

If you’re interested in craniosacral therapy, I invite you to schedule an appointment and/or contact me to connect. I’m happy to talk with you about your unique situation and answer any questions you have about craniosacral therapy and my practice.