Craniosacral Therapy for Autism

by Sam Malone


Craniosacral therapy is not new. It was first postulated by William Sutherland in 1873, and although it has still not been accepted into mainstream science, there are a number of practitioners of this technique of complementary medicine.

Craniosacral therapy is a little difficult to understand as it relies on the practitioner feeling or tuning in to the patient’s life force. Cranial sacral therapists understand that this life force imparts a movement to all the tissues of the body, even to the bones of the head and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which can be felt by the trained practitioner.

The therapist lightly places their hands on the person and “tunes in” to the rhythm of the ebb and flow of this movement in the body.

The understanding is that whenever we are sick, or when something is wrong with us, it is because of a change in the rhythm or blocks in the flow of the “force”. The cranial sacral therapist, by gentle pressure and massage, encourages the body to restore the flow of this force to normal.

Techniques

Craniosacral therapy is more an art than a science, and although there are a number of factors that the craniosacral therapist needs to keep in mind, how exactly they use these techniques is up to their personal judgment.

Some of the things that the craniosacral therapist has to keep in mind are:

  • Base cranial rhythm analysis
  • Creating a still point at the base of the skull
  • Rocking the sacrum
  • Lumbar sacral spine lengthening
  • Addressing the pelvic, thoracic and respiratory diaphragms
  • Releasing the hyoid bone in the throat
  • Addressing each one of the cranial bones.

There is no particular technique as such apart from gentle pressure and massage using the fingers.

For Children with Autism

Craniosacral therapy comes under the heading of Complementary Medicine Therapies (CMT). It is estimated that between 50 and 70 percent of parents of autistic children use some form of CMT or other, with craniosacral therapy being very high up on the list.

Parents claim that craniosacral therapy has a number of benefits such as:

  • Improved behavioral patterns
  • Improved sleep
  • Improved appetite
  • Reduced outbursts

Children seem to be more peaceful after a session, and some people even claim that craniosacral therapy brings about permanent change.

Scientific proof for this procedure is however lacking. Study is still going on to find out if and how craniosacral therapy works.

References

  1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17154138
  2. http://www.craniosacraltherapy.org/Whatis.htm

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.


Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
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