By Kelly Mahoney LMT

First let's understand CranioSacral Therapy (CST). It is NOT a scalp massage. CST is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Medical research has recognized and confirmed significant systems in the brain that can benefit from manual therapies, like CranioSacral Therapy.
1 - There is motion of the cranial bones.
2 - The brain has a waste removal system, the glymphatic system.
3 - The brain is directly connected to the immune system by lymph vessels.

After injury, the sutures between cranial bones can jam, decreasing the cranial motion, decreasing the craniosacral rythm and even causing the sutures to become calcified.

There is also soft tissue damage, the superficial fascia can send imbalances and restrictions to the dura mater (the protective membrane around the brain and spinal cord). This too, can disrupt the cranial motion, the craniosacral rhythm, create scar tissue and even block neurological function.

In acute stages of brain injury, a restriction of the cranial motion can cause a backup of fluids in almost any part of the brain. This backup of fluid causes pressure and swelling on the brain and inhibits brain function.

So you can now see how restoring cranial motion allows the systems of the brain to function properly.

Keep in mind restrictions of the craniosacral system can begin on the outside and work inward as well as start internally and work to the exterior.

Remember, everything in the body is connected... What can affect the craniosacral system? Stress, muscle tension, surgery, scars, injury, postural imbalances, medical conditions, the list is endless.

So when you go for massage, take care of the whole body system, not just the 'knots'