Craniosacral Therapy (CST)

By Alexus Bonapart, ND

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on healing modality that uses light touch to assess and release restrictions within the body’s fascia, while also supporting the body’s innate ability to heal itself. CST focuses on the central core of the body—working from the cranium (head) down to the sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine)—while also addressing the tissues and structures in between.

By using light touch, practitioners help release tensions, encouraging the body’s soft tissues to return to alignment. This also supports the healthy flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), allowing easier circulation, lymphatic flow, detoxification, and nutrient delivery to the tissues. CST also helps with the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to the promotion of deep relaxation, pain relief, emotional balance, and immune resilience.

CST can be beneficial for a variety of concerns, including chronic pain, menstrual cramps, headaches and migraines, stiffness, inflammation, brain fog, and associated symptoms of concussions. It also offers gentle, yet effective support for mental-emotional wellness—helping ease stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia and so much more!

If you’re seeking a holistic way to restore balance and wellbeing, CST may be the therapy you’ve been looking for. Dr. Alexus, a San Diego-based practitioner, has been using Craniosacral Therapy to help patients find relief and healing in both body and mind.

Call us today to find naturopathic care near you!

References

  1. Lee S. What is BCST? Craniosacraltherapy.org. Published 2019. https://www.craniosacraltherapy.org/what-is-bcst-
  2. Castro-Sánchez AM, Lara-Palomo IC, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, Saavedra-Hernández M, Pérez-Mármol JM, Aguilar-Ferrándiz ME. Benefits of Craniosacral Therapy in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2016;22(8):650-657. doi:10.1089/acm.2016.0068
  3. Haller H, Lauche R, Cramer H, et al. Craniosacral Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Sham-controlled Trial. Clin J Pain. 2016;32(5):441-449. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000290
  4. Haller H, Lauche R, Sundberg T, Dobos G, Cramer H. Craniosacral therapy for chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019;21(1):1. Published 2019 Dec 31. doi:10.1186/s12891-019-3017-y
  5. Jäkel A, von Hauenschild P. A systematic review to evaluate the clinical benefits of craniosacral therapy. Complement Ther Med. 2012;20(6):456-465. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2012.07.009
  6. Jara Silva CE, Joseph AM, Khatib M, et al. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and the Management of Headaches: A Scoping Review. Cureus. 2022;14(8):e27830. Published 2022 Aug 9. doi:10.7759/cureus.27830
  7. Tafler L, Chaudry A, Cho H, Garcia A. Management of Post-Viral Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome With Craniosacral Therapy. Cureus. 2023;15(2):e35009. Published 2023 Feb 15. doi:10.7759/cureus.35009
  8. Wetzler G, Roland M, Fryer-Dietz S, Dettmann-Ahern D. CranioSacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation: A New Treatment Intervention for Concussion Recovery. Med Acupunct. 2017;29(4):239-248. doi:10.1089/acu.2017.1222
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