Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, powerful health care approach that acts through the tissue, fluid, membranes and central nervous system to aid in enhancing the health of the whole body (Enslin and Associates, 2014). Alexander (2001) mentions that there are rhythmic impulses brought on by the cerebrospinal fluid in the cranium and sacrum, and that if these impulses are weak, this represents an imbalance or illness in the body, but she also found out that tender touches and manipulation of the cranium and sacrum can restore the balance and improve the health of the whole body.
A diagram of the Craniosacral System (The Craniosacral Therapy Association of South Africa, 2014)
History
According to Alexander (2001) Dr William Garner Sutherland was qualified osteopath in the early 20th century, who discovered that there’s actually minute movement between the sutures of the skull and that they are also in a risk of being restricted, stiff and traumatized. This is when he developed cranial osteopathy and also discovered that the cerebrospinal fluid produce pulses and these pulses would be weak when a person is ill, he found that tender manipulation of the head and lower back can normalize the pulse and cure the illness.
The development of craniosacral therapy came upon when one osteopathic physician named Dr John E. Upledger was performing a neck surgery in the early 1970s; he got intrigued by the dural tube movements that he researched more about it until he came across Dr Sutherland’s work. He came to understand Dr Sutherland’s work that it led him to make his own discoveries that many ailments ...
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...on usually cost from R250-R500 per session, medical aids do not cover craniosacral therapy.
References
Alexander, J. (2001) Mind Body Spirit, 1st edition, Carlton Books Limited, London, pp 196-197
Ernst, E. (2001) The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine an evidence-based approach, 1st edition, Harcourt Publishers Limited, London, pp 48-49
Enslin, J. and Associates (2014) Craniosacral Therapy, Available at: http://www.craniosacral.co.za/aboutcranio.html Accessed: 01 May 2014
John Hopkins Medicine, (2014) Health Library, Available at: http://m.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/cardiovascular_disease/cerebral_aneurysm_85,P08772/ Accessed: 01 May 2014
The Craniosacral Therapy Association of South Africa (2014), The Craniosacral Therapy Association of South Africa, Available at: http://www.cranial.org.za/ Accessed: 01 May 2014
Mathews, Holly F. "Introduction: A Regional Approach and Multidisciplinary Persepctive." Herbal and Magical Medicine: Traditional Healing Today. Ed. James Kirkland, Holly F. Mathews, C. W. Sullivan, III, and Karen Baldwin. Durham: Duke UP, 1992. 1-13. Print.
Sabbatini, Renato M.E. “The History of Psychosurgery” June/August 1997. Brain & Mind Magazine. 14 Jun.1997. State University of Campinus, Brazil. 6 Oct. 2002
Since expert opinion in relation to SBS is very important, there is an urgent need for both the physician and biomechanicians to collaborate so that the infant head injuries are evaluated objectively for the purposes of assisting the court.
Introduction: This report is to discuss an experiment to assess the sensory and motor functions of the facial nerve in humans. The facial nerve is one of twelve cranial nerves that innervates the head and neck. These nerves serve a variety of functions, both sensory and motor, and are responsible for moving the muscles in the face, head and neck, and receiving information the brain can interpret into all five sense. Appendix A outlines each cranial nerve, it’s sensory and/or motor function, and the foramen in the bones of the skull it passes through.
Kolcaba, K., Dowd, T., Steiner, R., & Mitzel, A. (2004). Efficacy of hand massage for enhancing the comfort of hospice patients. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 6(2), 91-102. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=2de162ef-afff-4a48-8415-83dcedf9530a%40sessionmgr110&hid=104
Touch is as essential to a healthy and happy life as eating right, getting proper sleep, and exercising. With the world growing more technological, the need for healthy human contact is more important than ever. Massage and body therapies are an age old healing refuge for us in this fast-paced, stressed-out world. The practice of massage therapy is rapidly growing in the United States. It has so much to offer and is becoming more widely accepted by doctors and the general public. Massage is touching another person by such movements as rubbing, kneading, pressing, rolling, slapping, and tapping. This type of therapy provides circulation of the blood and lymph, relaxation of muscles, relief from pain, restoration of metabolic balance, and many other benefits both physical and mental. There is much historical evidence to indicate that massage is one of the earliest remedies for pain relief and for the restoration of a healthy body. It is said to be the most natural and instinctive means of relieving pain and discomfort. Massage has proven to be an effective method for treating many conditions for thousands of years and it will continue to be used for thousands of years to come. Massage therapy is a great treatment for the body and soul.
In today’s world, many people assume that the latest medical technology and treatments are always the best option. However, all over the world, different techniques for curing diseases and aliments are being used. These methods fall under the category of complementary and alternative medicine.
The control center of the human body is none other than the mighty brain. Due to its incredible importance in basic human functioning, both voluntary and involuntary, any injury or trauma to this organ will have a great influence on the body and it's capabilities (Burrus, 2013). Exploring how the brain deals with various injuries and damage proves that the functionality of the brain is fitting to make the brain the power house of the body. But before exploring this with the help of case studies, it is important to first make sense of the the anatomy and functioning of the nervous system as a whole in order to understand how it is affected during injury, the functioning of the body that is lost, the intervention implemented for treatment or rehabilitation and the changes experienced.
Velasco-Suarez, M., Bautista Martinez, J., Garcia Oliveros, R., & Weinstein, P. R. (1992). Archaeological origins of cranial surgery: trephination in Mexico. Neurosurgery, 31, 313–318; discussion 318–319. doi:10.1227/00006123-199208000-00017
D.D Palmer believed in a body’s’ ‘innate intelligence’, and believed subluxation to be the ultimate cause of all diseases, promising to be overcome through spinal manipulation. (Lantz, 1995). This theory cured the deaf janitor, and marked the birth of the chiropractic profession. The cause that led to the great schism occurred when Dr. Carver and enrolled students in Palmers Collage debated the techniques being taught, searching for evidence based theory, and structure for manipulations, moving away from the previous spiritual and innate intelligence grounded theory. (Rosenthal et al. 1981). Carver opened a new collage, rejecting and evolving from D.D Palmers one cure model, and introduced the search for ‘clarification’ of the chiropractic overall structure and function through scientifically based evidence. (Rosenthal et al.
The adage of the adage of The Gentle Power of Acupressure. RN, 60, 53-56. pp. 58- Nickalls, S. (1996). The 'Secon Fluid Forces.
On Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Overview and Alternative Therapy. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 18(4), 20-36. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/docview/1114602433
Montgomery and Goode (2014) conducted an experiment on cadaveric models to assess whether cervical collars provided sufficient immobilisation. They concluded that
Joos S.,(2008). The role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Germany - a focus group study of GPs. BMC Health Services Research,8,127–140.Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2442431/