Craniosacral Therapy Frequently Asked Questions
What is a typical Craniosacral Therapy session like?
I take time at the beginning of the session to check in with clients about how they’re doing in general and about particular areas you’d like support with. Clients wear comfortable clothes for the session and are often lying face up for most of the session, but may also be on their sides or lying prone with their faces in the face cradle. Once on the massage table, I make sustained contacts with different parts of the body, from head to toe (not necessarily in that order!), depending on what the body is presenting that day. Sometimes it can seem like there’s a lot of movement, even with a contact that is being held in one place; other times, the movement or sensations may be more subtle and relaxing. And yet at other times, there may be even larger movements of unwinding (movements) that happens in the body. Areas of contact may include: head, face, neck, different areas along the spine, organs, specific muscle groups, joints, and inside of the mouth. I am in communication with clients throughout the session to hear what they’re noticing and if they need anything adjusted or to be different. There is time at the end of the session to do a brief summary and check in.
How is craniosacral therapy helpful for infants? How young of infants do you work with?
Birth is an amazing and rigorous event for all involved, particularly the little one being born! CST is helpful for infants that experienced long labors, getting ‘stuck’ in the birth canal or a particular position along the way, births that happen really quickly, c-sections (emergent and planned), forceps, shoulder dystocia. CST is also helpful for infants experiencing feeding/latching challenges, tongue tie, torticollis, colic and gassiness/difficult bowel movements. The youngest infant I’ve worked with was 3 days old.
What is intraoral work? What is it helpful for?
With intraoral work, the practitioner wears gloves and contact is made with the muscles and/or bones inside of the mouth and jaw. Intraoral work can be helpful with conditions/experiences such as TMJ-D, recovering from and integrating any kind of dental procedures, orthodontics, headaches, whiplash and sinus problems.
How is craniosacral therapy similar and different than massage?
Craniosacral therapy is similar to massage in that it does work with soft tissue and fascia. It is different in that CST often works at varying levels of depth that may be more subtle than massage therapy. Example: If a person has chronic tension headaches, a massage therapy approach would address muscle tension or strain in areas such as the neck, upper back, jaw, scalp and face. A CST approach would attend to the muscles as well, however the primary focus would more likely be on the tension in the movement patterns in the bones of the cranium (head) and the tension patterns within the muscles themselves. CST addresses both the mobility (movement between) and motility (movement within) in the different areas of focus. Practically speaking, CST uses contacts, also referred to as ‘holds’ with particular areas of the body for varying lengths of time, whereas massage moves around the body more fluidly.