Q. What is Cranial Sacral Therapy?

Cranial Sacral Therapy is a technique based on Cranial Osteopathy. Like Cranial Osteopathy, Cranial Sacral Therapy seeks to restore the natural rhythmic movement found between the bones of the skull. It does the same for the movements of the sacrum. The purpose of this is to aid the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid throughout the central nervous system.

However, Cranial Sacral Therapists believe that the natural movements at the skull bones come from the membrane that lines our nervous system structures, namely the brain and spinal cord. For this reason, their focus is on those membranes, rather than directly on the bones and sutures.

Unlike Cranial Osteopathy, Cranial Sacral Therapy is not taught in Osteopathic Colleges. This technique is often given by massage therapists and bodyworkers, who have engaged in further study and skill development.