Monday, July 4, 2011

Restore Natural Fluid Function Through Craniosacral Therapy

By Remington S. Cousarty


Even though defying conventional thought or accepted methods, some forms of alternative medical treatment are genuinely helpful. There are differences of professional opinion and controversy associated with craniosacral therapy, and those disagreements will probably never totally disappear. Yet, many people undergoing treatment based on this approach are vehement in their support, suggesting that it is often effective.

Primarily based on the opinions and observations of an osteopathic doctor named John Upledger, the practice is based on the regular bio-rhythms associated with the fluid systems working within the spinal cord and brain. Over the years, these findings have evolved into his belief that when this rhythm is interrupted by physical disease, environmental stress or toxins, there are detectable blockages formed within the system. Balance may be restored through specific manual practices, often accompanied by lymphatic drainage, or even massage.

Those in favor of this approach stress that it is a preventive, holistic way of dealing with discomfort, and has never been intended to replace conventional medical practice or treatment. The method is decidedly different in approach, and a visit to the practitioner is often far more comfortable and relaxed than a standard visit to the doctor, which can sometimes be very stressful.

The patient reclines on a massage table, dressed in loose, comfortable clothes, with shoes removed. A trained therapist in this setting is said to be able to detect your personal craniosacral rhythms through expert touch. Using techniques often compared with chiropractic methods, problem areas are released through gentle, light manual manipulations. An individual session is often short, usually less than 60 minutes.

A great deal of the real effectiveness surrounding this treatment is due to the individual skills of the therapist. He or she is actually able to not only feel abnormalities in rhythm, but can actually measure them, and can define such subjective characteristics as the amplitude, rate of movement, symmetry of movement, and the quality of the pulsations. This helps to isolate those interruptions in the rhythm.

Once these blockages have been refocused or released through touch, the results are often beneficial. Some patients assert that they feel far better, having gotten rid of migraines, anxiety and stress-related pain, chronic fatigue, and many other debilitating conditions related to the nervous system. Those who experience discomfort as the result of a past physical injury claim that this treatment is particularly effective, and works without pain medications.

Good results are said to be the result of physical improvement in the function of this system, and by extension the entire nervous system. Much of the improvement is anecdotal, relying upon the testimonies of pleased patients. While craniosacral therapy may occupy an unsubstantiated area of alternative medicine, it must be evaluated based on results, and according to many, it can often work when conventional treatments have been ineffective.




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