Craniosacral Therapy: The Power of Touch

Written by Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists staff

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, non-invasive, hands-on healing treatment that focuses on the wave-like rhythmic pulse that goes through the entire body. This therapy stems from osteopathy, which is an approach that emphasizes the role of the musculoskeletal system in health and disease and was pioneered and developed by osteopathic physician John E. Upledger, a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University.

Using a soft touch generally about the same as the weight of a nickel, practitioners make contact at selected points around the head, torso, knees, and feet to release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system. This light contact consists of gentle finger pressure, with no bone manipulation or forceful thrusts such as those used in chiropractic work.

By complementing the body's natural healing processes, CST is being used as an adjunct therapy for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction including migraines, chronic neck and back pain, fatigue, stress and tension, orthopedic problems and connective tissue disorders. A 2010 study examined the effects of CST on people with fibromyalgia. A total of 92 people with the condition received either CST or a placebo therapy for 20 weeks. Results showed that those who underwent CST experienced improvements in medium-term pain. [1] Another study in 2010 on CST and fibromyalgia suggests the therapy may reduce anxiety and improve quality of life in those with the condition. [2]

Craniosacral therapy may also lead to an attitude shift in clients toward a more direct and intimate sense of their own well-being and a feeling of being more at peace with oneself, according to the University of Minnesota. It may also support a natural shift to self-acceptance, a more natural capacity for loving relations, and a sense of being connected to life.

[1] Castro-Sánchez, A. M., Guillermo A, Sánchez-Labraca, N., Manuel Quesada-Rubio, J., Granero-Molina, J., & Moreno-Lorenzo, C. (2011). A randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of craniosacral therapy on pain and heart rate variability in fibromyalgia patients. Clinical Rehabilitation, 25(1), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215510375909

[2] Guillermo A. Matarán-Peñarrocha, Adelaida María Castro-Sánchez, Gloria Carballo García, Carmen Moreno-Lorenzo, Tesifón Parrón Carreño, and María Dolores Onieva Zafra, “Influence of Craniosacral Therapy on Anxiety, Depression and Quality of Life in Patients with Fibromyalgia,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2011, Article ID 178769, 9 pages, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nep125.