When I was in my second year of Massage Therapy schooling I was introduced to Craniosacral Therapy. I was having a lot of headaches, migraines and jaw pain at the time and every time I had a massage at school it almost seemed to aggravate things even more.
One day I turned my head quickly and one side of my neck spasmed. I could hardly move it after that without sharp pain. I went to work at my practicum placement at the Chiropractor office I was working from and one of the Massage Therapists there offered to do some work on me between clients. We were hoping to see if she could at least get my neck to a point where I could move my head and neck without pain.
She was also an Advanced Craniosacral Therapist and suggested we try Craniosacral therapy to help the issue. I booked in with her for a full session later that week and after a couple of treatments my neck was way better. I continued treatment with her and it completely helped my headaches, migraines and jaw pain. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t even care how it helped, or how it worked, all I cared about was that I felt better.
I continued seeing her periodically when my headaches would flare up, or my jaw was tight. It was the only thing that seemed to help me. During my pregnancy and postpartum I saw her to help with my hip and back pain. And there wasn’t just physical pain. I can’t recall all the details but I do remember releasing emotions around my first birth (which I viewed as traumatic in ways) as well as the devastation of miscarriages that I experienced. I went on to have a wonderful second birth and I believe that craniosacral therapy was one piece of the puzzle for me in that process. After my experiences with this wonderful modality, I put craniosacral therapy on my list of courses I want to take in the future.
Fast forward a couple of years later and I just completed my first level of cranio in December 2019. It took two tries because I got really sick with a head cold the first time I was registered and only made it to two days out of four. A month later, I flew to Toronto to finish the course.
In the last couple of weeks I have had the chance to practice some of the techniques incorporated into my massage sessions.
One client has been seeing me with neck, shoulder tension and pain. On her second treatment I incorporated some of what I learned and the next time I saw her, she reported that her neck was feeling much better.
Another individual who is in her last month of pregnancy has been experiencing pelvic pain and low back pain. After using the sacral techniques on her, she had instant relief from her low back pain and was able to move with much more ease.
These are just a couple of examples of what craniosacral therapy can do.
So what is this craniosacral therapy anyways?
It is this super gentle hands on therapy that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction, and improve whole-body health and performance. It releases tension to allow the entire body to relax and self-correct.
It is different from a massage session in that the client remains fully clothed during treatment and they lay on their back for the duration of the session. Of course if it is a combination session then you may be undressed.
The therapist carefully listens with their hands to locate areas of weak fluid flow or tissue motion within the central nervous system and trace them to the original source of dysfunction. Delicate manual techniques are then used to release those problem areas and improve the form and function of your central nervous system. (Upledger Institute, What is Craniosacral Therapy).
For more information on this amazing therapy, you can read all about it on the Upledger Website.
It’s been found to help with many conditions including:
- Migraines and headaches
- Chronic Neck and Back Pain
- Stress and Tension related disorders
- Motor Coordination Impairments
- Infant and Childhood Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Post-Concussion Symptoms
- Chronic Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- TMJ Syndrome
- Scoliosis
- Central Nervous System Disorders
- Learning Disabilities
- ADD/ADHD
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Orthopaedic Problems
- And Many other conditions!
I am offering my first forty sessions in 2020 at a discounted rate. Normally $80/hr, I am offering $20 off for the months of January and February, 2020. Combination sessions (90minutes of massage and cranio) are included in this offer. To Book an Appointment with me in Winnipeg, MB Click Here.
I am looking forward to serving you on your journey towards wellness <3
