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Craniosacral Therapy- A closer look at this groundbreaking form of therapeutic bodywork.
By Ashley Boyce, allied health world staff writer
Published: June, 12 2010
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Allied Health World had the privilege of talking to Dr. Steven Hall, an accomplished practitioner of craniosacral Therapy, for a deeper understanding of this unique therapeutic modality in practice. Dr. Hall is a family practice MD who has embraced craniosacral therapy as a way to bring healing and sustained wellness to his clients. Dr. Hall walks us through what’s involved in training for a career in craniosacral therapy and offers his thoughtful insight on a career spent practicing this revolutionary form of therapeutic bodywork:
What is craniosacral therapy?
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle and noninvasive form of bodywork that seeks to release restrictions in the flow of energy throughout the body to restore the natural rhythmic ebb and flow of the body’s energy currents. Many of the most ancient cultures have recognized the importance of achieving a natural homeostasis in the flow of energy throughout the body: This energy is called
Chi in the parlance of Chinese medicine, or Prana in the East Indian Hindu culture. The modern practitioners of craniosacral therapy refer to it poetically as “The Breath of Life”.
Craniosacral therapy works to optimize the flow of energy throughout the body through the gentle manipulation of the bones that comprise the skull, specifically the cranium; the large cavity of the skull in which the brain is held. The ever-so-slight movement in the sutures that connect these skull bones is interconnected with a rhythmic tidal energy current that runs through a number of complex body systems, including the central nervous system. Cerebrospinal fluid, the membrane that encapsulates the central nervous system, and the sacrum located at the base of the spine are among the body’s other physical components that work as a medium for the flow of energy.
The connective tissues of the body that hold our muscles to our bones are known as fascia. Craniosacral therapy schools teach students how fascia can function as a place where the body’s rhythmic flow of energy can be detected. This rhythmic flow of energy is referred to as the craniosacral rhythm, or CSR. The craniosacral rhythm is literally palpated, physically felt, by the hands of a skilled craniosacral therapist. Any blocks or restrictions in the flow of energy throughout the body can be detected as an irregularity in the CSR.
How was craniosacral therapy developed?
In the early part of the 20th century there began something of a medical renaissance in the west that helped foster the development of new methods of healing by a small group of doctors who began to challenge convention and break from traditional views of what it means to facilitate healing and promote sustained health and wellness. What began as experimental methods based on the principles of medical science applied by Andrew Taylor Stills, has become what is now known as Osteopathy. The D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) credential carried by contemporary practitioners, is now widely recognized as one of the most respected in the medical industry.
It was during this renaissance that an osteopath and understudy of Stills, named William Sutherland, began to apply the principals of osteopathy to the skull. Sutherland studied the craniosacral rhythm, and experimented with gentle manipulation of the skull meant to unblock the tidal flow of energy throughout the body. He was able to teach himself how to palpate this very subtle rhythm and how to diagnose imbalances by detecting rhythmic fluctuations.
Sutherland had a small circle of devoted students and practitioners, mostly osteopaths, who continued to study the cranial rhythm within a closed community for many years after his death. These osteopaths refined the practice of craniosacral therapy over the course of several decades through the scientific method of controlled experiments that produced consistent results.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that craniosacral therapy began being noticed for its ability to bring about healing, at which time it became a recognized modality of therapeutic bodywork. There are now tens of thousands of people who practice the healing art of craniosacral therapy.
Craniosacral Therapy Schools
- Pharmacy Technology
- San Diego
- Vista
- Diploma: X-Ray Technician/Medical Assistant Back Office
- Associate of Applied Science: Health Information Technology
- National City
- San Marcos
- San Diego
- Associate of Occupational Studies in Medical Specialties with Radiography Emphasis
- Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management (Online)
- Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management
- Reseda
- Diploma - Surgical Technologist
- Anaheim
- Ontario
- Associate of Occupational Science in Surgical Technology
- Associate of Occupational Science in Health Information Technology
American Career College (ACC) offers hands-on training that will prepare students for careers in the healthcare industry at three campuses in Los Angeles, Ontario, and Orange County, California.
