Cranio-sacral Therapy & Myofascial Unwinding
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on approach that works with the rhythm and movement of the cerebrospinal fluid as well as with the fascia of the head, neck, face and spine. Using a very light touch, often just a few grams of pressure, the practitioner feels for subtle rhythms and areas of restriction in the body's tissues and guides them to facilitate the bodies ability to re-regulate. This treatment method grew out of osteopathic traditions and fits wonderfully with Chinese medicine, especially when combined with Tui Na massage.
Practitioners of Chinese medicine have long understood that the brain and spinal cord are nourished by a critical fluid and when restricted by injury, surgery, chronic tension, or stress, the result can be pain, stiffness, irritability and a body that stays stuck in "fight or flight".
Sessions are performed fully clothed on a treatment table and there are no needles required. Most people find CST incredibly relaxing and many even report a profound sense of down regulating and "openness" during as well as after their treatment. CST is often combined with other techniques from orthopedic and osteopathic Tui Na massage and is well suited to people who need a gentler approach or simply prefer hands on therapies.
Fascia is the connective tissue that engulfs every fiber of every muscle, bone, nerve, and organ. In Chinese medicine, this maps closely to the Cou Li, a continuous, highly structured network of web-like fibers surrounding microscopic fluid-filled spaces (the interstitium). Old injuries, repetitive strain and scar tissue can leave the fascia in holding patterns that no longer serve you, and these often show up as pain far from the original site. In myofascial unwinding, the practitioner supports a part of the body and follows the tissue's own movement rather than forcing it. The body is allowed to move through its restriction, often with slow, spontaneous motions, until the pattern releases. For orthopedic and osteopathic conditions, this can help restore ease of movement and complement more active treatments like acupuncture and manual therapy. For holding patterns of somatized stress or trauma, this can often break long standing patterns of emotional pain and discomfort.
Many people live in a chronic state of stress and it can manifest in the body as insomnia, a tight neck, back and shoulders, digestive upset, jaw pain, headaches or any other manner of stress response you can think of. Through the lens of Chinese medicine, this is a disruption of the Shen (Spirit) and a loss of the smooth flow of Qi. Craniosacral work uses gentle contact along the skull, spine, and sacrum to encourage the body to shift out of "fight or flight" and into rest and digest. Patients often describe it as feeling like their entire being finally exhaled.
