How Does Craniosacral Therapy Work?
What is craniosacral therapy and how does it work?
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle and non-invasive treatment. Similar to osteopathy, craniosacral therapy supports your body’s ability to restore and heal itself. By releasing restrictions in the head, neck, and nervous system, it may help sooth pain, release tension, and relieve emotional and physical stress. During treatment a therapist gently places their hands on your head, neck and other body parts to release restrictions. Craniosacral therapy is open to people of all ages, including mothers with newborn babies.
What are the benefits of craniosacral therapy?
CST may help and support conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, scoliosis, fibromyalgia, trauma recovery, mood disorders, and neck pain. It may also be part of your treatment for conditions like:
Migraines and headaches
Insomnia and disturbed sleep cycles
Scoliosis
Sinus infections
Irritable bowel syndrome
Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression
Difficult pregnancies
Fibromyalgia
Ear infections
Trauma recovery including whiplash trauma
Cranial osteopathy and craniosacral therapy
While they sound similar, cranial osteopathy and craniosacral therapy aren’t exactly the same treatment. The difference between the two lies in the practitioner’s educational background. Craniosacral therapy is based on cranial osteopathy, but is practised by a therapist who isn’t a trained osteopath, so they will bring a different set of specialties and techniques to their treatment. Read more in our post about the origin story and difference between the two.
Find a craniosacral therapist for you.
On Circe, you can book your treatment with qualified craniosacral therapists easily online. All practitioners on Circe are registered with a regulatory organisation and vetted by our team.
The Craniosacral Therapy Association (CSTA) is the accrediting body for craniosacral therapy in the UK and practitioners might also be registered with the Complementary Therapists Association (CTHa). In the UK osteopaths must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council.
