What Is Craniosacral Therapy?

Last November, at a garage sale auction to raise money to deliver water to a small village in Thailand, Sean Jigolyk bid on a gift certificate for a craniosacral session with Brenda Pulvermacher. After several motor vehicle accidents, including accidents with skidoos and motorbikes, that resulted in no less than 13 extended hospital stays, Sean had seen everyone from neurosurgeons to Indian medicine men to deal with his back problems, but after beginning his sessions with Brenda, he now relies on craniosacral therapy ( CST) as his main form of healing. Sean claims that craniosacral therapy helps him energetically on a cellular level. "It's a full body energy experience," he explains. "I have less back pain, less general body pain, and peace of mind. It is some of the strongest medicine."

So what is this medicine and how does it work? Craniosacral therapy is the practice of gently manipulating the spine and skull in order to realign the bones and enhance the cerebral spinal flow. Beneficial especially for those who have suffered head injuries, motor vehicle accidents, or migraines, craniosacral therapy is intended to restore vital resources and rebalance the nervous system. The sessions last approximately one hour and are performed while the patient is fully-clothed, lying down. Afterwards, patients report feeling relaxed and calm. "It's about gently inviting the body to open up where the flow is restricted," Brenda Pulvermacher explains. "It's about noticing where the body is healthy and inviting the body move toward the health rather than the dysfunction."

But with considerable anecdotal evidence such as Sean's to suggest the efficacy of craniosacral therapy, the craniosacral field of study is still relatively new, and has ignited controversy among the scientific community. Do the bones of the skull move? Is there a craniosacral rhythm, and if so, can this rhythm be detected?

Craniosacral therapy began in the early 1900s, when a physician named William Sutherland observed that the bones of the skull were bevelled like the gills of a fish, indicating their ability to act as a respiratory mechanism. He then deduced that the sacrum moves in synch with these cranial bones. Since Sutherland's findings, many have countered the basis of craniosacral therapy, asserting that the cranial bones cannot move because they fuse in early adolescence.

"I suppose some people are sceptical." Brenda acknowledges. "And I think it is clear from the results that there is merit in the approach". It was Brenda's interest in science that drew her to craniosacral therapy. After obtaining a degree in biology, Brenda trained with The Upledger Institute, a worldwide recognized craniosacral teaching centre based on the teachings of John E. Upledger, who, in the 1970s, continued the investigation of the craniosacral pulse that William Sutherland previously observed, then went on to incorporate emotional and psychological elements into the process. Becoming especially interested in these aspects of the therapy, Brenda later sought training in the holistic approach of biodynamic craniosacral therapy ( BCST) with massage therapist , author, lecturer and somatic psychologist, Dr. Michael Shea. A student of the Dalai Lama, Dr Shea is know for his integrative teaching style which incorporates embryology, pre and peri-natal psychology, leading edge trauma resolution and shamanism. Brenda's multi faceted approach may also include Shiatsu - therapeutic pressure point massage, Qi gong - energy based therapy, and Self-Regulating Therapy ( SRT )- a therapy that helps the client to track sensation, moving their focus from activation to relaxation several times until the nervous system settles.

Business consultant, Wanda Morris, first sought craniosacral treatment from Brenda at the recommendation of her massage therapist. Also seeing a therapist and a physiotherapist at the time, Wanda's craniosacral sessions with Brenda included dialogue, and resulted in what Wanda describes as: "immediate relief from emotion trapped in the body." "Brenda is a healer," Wanda says, though Pulvermacher sees it as collaboration.

But beyond satisfied patients, where does science stand on craniosacral therapy? Although Italian anatomists have been convinced of the mobility of the cranial bones since the 1900s, British and North American anatomists contend that these bones fuse into a solid mass likened to a helmet early in life. In the early 1970s, when animal testing was less controversial, John E. Upledger attempted to observe the movement of the plates of the skull by fastening antennae to the skulls of primates, then tracing the amplitude and frequency through the radio waves. There is now wide concurrence that these rhythms do exist, although some hypothesize that they belong to the cardiovascular system, not the craniosacral one. "There are many rhythms within the system," Brenda explains, "biodynamic craniosacral therapy tracks what we call, primary respiration which has a 100 second cycle and is a fundamental force for wellness in the body. Upledger CST is working with a faster rhythm with six to ten cycles per minute."

The next question asked by craniosacral sceptics is whether this rhythm can be traced and manipulated by a practitioner. A study from the British Columbia Office of Health Technology Assessment found evidence for a craniosacral rhythm, but determined that this rhythm could not be manipulated by an examiner. Chiropractor and craniosacral patient, Benita Basra, disagrees. "The cranium is so sensitive that it doesn't need aggressive movement to put it back into place," she explains. "The light, therapeutic touch sets the cranial bones into their proper position at a physiological level."

With advanced training in craniosacral pediatrics, Brenda often treats infants. Craniosacral therapist Janice VanDusen describes a natural childbirth as "the first craniosacral treatment", and for those who have missed this experience due to suction procedures, forceps, or caesarean births, craniosacral theory purports that the compression of the skull bones can affect a child's development. Registered massage therapist, Joanne Hum, has received craniosacral therapy from Brenda and has also sought treatments for her children. Joanne describes the results in for herself as a sense of calm followed by a good sleep, but says she noticed a dramatic difference with her children. Her older son's previous behavioural issues dissipated, and her new baby - fussy and irritable prior to his first craniosacral session - left Brenda's office serene. "Even adults who had difficult births can benefit from craniosacral therapy," Brenda explains.

Like many areas of science, sometimes explanations lag behind results, and as of now, the positive results achieved by craniosacral therapy remain open to interpretation. Craniosacral therapy is currently gaining rapid acceptance among health practitioners as an effective form of full-body healing, which can, in Brenda Pulvermacher's words: "calm the mind, relax the body, and open the heart."

Brenda Pulvermacher, clinical supervisor of the Langara College Craniosacral Therapy program has been practising craniosacral therapy for 18 years. She currently practices at Ocean Wellness on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. Article written by Michelle Lauren Kay.

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