Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a subtle yet powerful form of therapy that gently manipulates the bones and tissues to their correct alignment, allowing for both physical and emotional release of tension from the body. It is not uncommon, while working on someone’s neck or diaphragm, for the patient to burst out laughing or even into tears as the tension or fear that is chronically held in the tissues is released.
CST is important to me because in my own journey of recovery from injuries and long-term pain, I came to the slow realisation that you can strengthen and stretch the beejaysus out of an injured tissue or chronic pain but if you hold emotional tension in the area and cannot let go or relax, you will make slow progress and easily return to an injured state.
An example I like to give is: imagine the last time you watched a horror movie. At a scary scene, you might notice your body holding tension and particularly your shoulder creeping up to your ears (an unconscious defensive posture to protect the neck from threat). When the scene ends, the tension in your shoulders dispels in a feeling of relief.
In a similar vein, when we receive either a large physical or emotional trauma, the body can begin to unconsciously hold chronic tension, also known as armouring, to protect from further insult. If this is not resolved then a person could potentially carry this tension throughout their whole lives, manifesting in chronic pain such as chronic neck/back pain or in the affected area.
This is where CST really shines, as the deep state of relaxation induced in the patient and the subtle realignment of joints and tissues allow both subtle and sometimes powerful cathartic releases of tension held in the body.
More Therapies & Treatments
There are many other therapies and treatments available to help the body achieve and maintain wellness.