The body naturally seeks homeostasis and Craniosacral therapy facilitates this balancing.
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a non-invasive bodywork technique that gently creates space by removing restrictions & tension throughout the body, namely to the vital flow and movement of the cerebrospinal fluid. This gentle technique takes stress and tension off of the nervous system having a calming and balancing effect on the body and mental state. CST comprises a light touch, or compression about the weight of a nickel making this bodywork modality appropriate & safe for all populations especially for infants, pregnant mothers and during the postpartum period. During a treatment, you remain fully clothed on the massage table.
Who Benefits from Craniosacral?
CST is a wonderful modality for all age groups and beneficial for all conditions, from those treating severe ailments to those looking for preventative health care. Consistent CST sessions can help to maintain health, well-being and immunity, as well as to ward off depression, musculoskeletal dysfunction and stress.
CST is an effective for treating trauma or restrictions in the body, whether from a challenging birth to a physical injury or emotional shock to the nervous system, the body goes into fight or flight mode altering its priority from actualization to survival mode. The sooner that shock, restriction, and trauma are released from the body, the easier and faster the healing process.
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a non-invasive bodywork technique that gently creates space by removing restrictions & tension throughout the body, namely to the vital flow and movement of the cerebrospinal fluid. This gentle technique takes stress and tension off of the nervous system having a calming and balancing effect on the body and mental state. CST comprises a light touch, or compression about the weight of a nickel making this bodywork modality appropriate & safe for all populations especially for infants, pregnant mothers and during the postpartum period. During a treatment, you remain fully clothed on the massage table.
Who Benefits from Craniosacral?
CST is a wonderful modality for all age groups and beneficial for all conditions, from those treating severe ailments to those looking for preventative health care. Consistent CST sessions can help to maintain health, well-being and immunity, as well as to ward off depression, musculoskeletal dysfunction and stress.
CST is an effective for treating trauma or restrictions in the body, whether from a challenging birth to a physical injury or emotional shock to the nervous system, the body goes into fight or flight mode altering its priority from actualization to survival mode. The sooner that shock, restriction, and trauma are released from the body, the easier and faster the healing process.
Benefits of CST in Pregnancy
- For mothers who have experienced miscarriages or hard birth outcomes in the past, CST helps to integrate a previous birth experience providing an opportunity to release and clear the pain and trauma of the past. When we fully let go of the pain of our past, we can embrace life in the present, and experience the love and beauty of living in the moment.
- Releases restrictions in the pelvis to facilitate optimal fetal positioning so baby can assume an ideal position for birth
- Provides a space to support you with your concerns or anxiety around pregnancy, birth, and motherhood.
- Balances the pelvis & uterus before & during pregnancy to ease and prevent aches & pains.
- Softens tissue of the pelvis to help the body open and soften for birth.
- Provides safe & loving touch to facilitate infant-mother bonding.
- Eases and prevents ligament, low back, & hip pain
CST for Postpartum Mothers
Craniosacral, during the postpartum period focuses on the realignment of bones and tissues restoring emotional balance, pelvic floor health, and helps alleviate the discomforts of newborn care and mothering. A postpartum treatment focuses on structural realignment of the pelvis and spine and rehabilitation of the muscles overworked or weakened during pregnancy. When appropriate, we teach mothers techniques on how best to help themselves recover strength and balance in their bodies
CST also rebalances the emotional system facilitating healing, especially for mothers who have had cesarean births or other unexpected outcomes. If a birth has not gone according to what was hoped for, receiving craniosacral therapy can be a space to pause and notice the changes that have taken place. A CST session is always a place of honoring where we are right now, and for a new mother that may include just being allowed this time to recognize herself and her motherhood.
Craniosacral, during the postpartum period focuses on the realignment of bones and tissues restoring emotional balance, pelvic floor health, and helps alleviate the discomforts of newborn care and mothering. A postpartum treatment focuses on structural realignment of the pelvis and spine and rehabilitation of the muscles overworked or weakened during pregnancy. When appropriate, we teach mothers techniques on how best to help themselves recover strength and balance in their bodies
CST also rebalances the emotional system facilitating healing, especially for mothers who have had cesarean births or other unexpected outcomes. If a birth has not gone according to what was hoped for, receiving craniosacral therapy can be a space to pause and notice the changes that have taken place. A CST session is always a place of honoring where we are right now, and for a new mother that may include just being allowed this time to recognize herself and her motherhood.
CST Can Help Infants who
- Experienced Surgical delivery via cesarian, forceps or vacuum suction
- Babies who are overly sensitive, have sensory issues, or just seem uncomfortable in their bodies
- Breastfeeding problems or difficulty latching contributing to sore nipples for moms
- Babies who favor turning their heads to one side & favor one breast or position for nursing
- Babies who experienced birth positions such as asynclitic, military, or occiput posterior
- Babies who have digestive or elimination difficulties
- Experiencing sleep difficulties
- Fussy, hard to soothe babies
- Babies who hate tummy time
- Torticollis babies
- Hip dysplasia
- Teething babies
- Pre & Post Frenectomy
- Spitting Up
- Colic
- Reflux
Is Craniosacral Therapy Safe during Pregnancy, Postpartum and for Infants?
Yes! Not only is CST safe for everyone of all age groups, but also highly recommended during pregnancy as it soothes both the mother and baby’s nervous system. Studies show that people who receive loving touch during their pregnancies are better able to provide loving touch to their newborn infants. A CST session provides a quiet space to encourage emotional bonding between mom and baby, which can otherwise be short-circuited due to the everyday fullness of life and stressors. In an ideal world, all pregnant women and infants would receive CST to promote healthy births, babies and families, thus saving on health care costs in the long run!
Babies and small children respond well to CST because it is gentle, non-invasive, and effective in ways they can intuitively recognize. Ideally, all babies should receive a CST session as soon as possible following birth. As baby’s head naturally molds to fit through the mother’s pelvis during the birth process, it is normal for the cranial bones to override each other. The overrides should resolve shortly after the birth postpartum, but if they do not correct themselves, it is possible they can hinder with proper cranial nerve function leading to digestive, colic, breathing, swallowing, or sensory-motor impairments. CST can also address helping babies to integrate a prolonged or precipitous labor as well as birth injuries due to a vacuum extraction, forceps or cesarean birth. The injuries or trauma may be both emotional and physical.
It’s extremely beneficial for children to continue receiving CST periodically throughout childhood as they adapt to the process of growing up: neurologically, physically, and emotionally. Children quickly get used to the work as they develop trust in their practitioner and pre-verbal children may actually direct my hands to areas of discomfort. For active kids on the go, I can do much subtle work during "playtime" or even during naptime. Parents are often astounded at the way a hyperactive, touch-sensitive, or crabby child will fall into deep relaxation or sleep during treatment.
Yes! Not only is CST safe for everyone of all age groups, but also highly recommended during pregnancy as it soothes both the mother and baby’s nervous system. Studies show that people who receive loving touch during their pregnancies are better able to provide loving touch to their newborn infants. A CST session provides a quiet space to encourage emotional bonding between mom and baby, which can otherwise be short-circuited due to the everyday fullness of life and stressors. In an ideal world, all pregnant women and infants would receive CST to promote healthy births, babies and families, thus saving on health care costs in the long run!
Babies and small children respond well to CST because it is gentle, non-invasive, and effective in ways they can intuitively recognize. Ideally, all babies should receive a CST session as soon as possible following birth. As baby’s head naturally molds to fit through the mother’s pelvis during the birth process, it is normal for the cranial bones to override each other. The overrides should resolve shortly after the birth postpartum, but if they do not correct themselves, it is possible they can hinder with proper cranial nerve function leading to digestive, colic, breathing, swallowing, or sensory-motor impairments. CST can also address helping babies to integrate a prolonged or precipitous labor as well as birth injuries due to a vacuum extraction, forceps or cesarean birth. The injuries or trauma may be both emotional and physical.
It’s extremely beneficial for children to continue receiving CST periodically throughout childhood as they adapt to the process of growing up: neurologically, physically, and emotionally. Children quickly get used to the work as they develop trust in their practitioner and pre-verbal children may actually direct my hands to areas of discomfort. For active kids on the go, I can do much subtle work during "playtime" or even during naptime. Parents are often astounded at the way a hyperactive, touch-sensitive, or crabby child will fall into deep relaxation or sleep during treatment.
