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Ed Craniosacral therapy

yairhol

Graduate Poster
yairhol
Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Messages
1,401
Hi,
I've just heard of something called Craniosacral therapy.

A craniosacral therapy session involves the therapist placing their hands on the patient, which allows them to "tune into the craniosacral rhythm".[2] Craniosacral therapists claim to treat mental stress, neck and back pain, migraines, TMJ Syndrome, and for chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia.[
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Now of course this sounds bullsh** (and it probably is) but I have also found a peer reviewed journal called: Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
and there is a paper there which sums up:

CST was found to be an effective means for treating lower urinary tract symptoms and improving quality of life in MS patients.​
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Does anyone know about this method of therapy? Does it have any theraputic abilities?
Thanks.
 
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Poor grammar aside (see abstract), the study is poorly controlled and not blinded to the operator (difficult). There is no group that received no treatment or perhaps a treatment not on the key points on the head, so the specifc effect of CST is not established.
 
craniosacral rhythm
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Don't need to read any further. It's woo.

Although, one might also note that it seems to work on the usual ailments with large subjective components.

Edited to add: A search for this journal on PubMed reveals a number of scholarly articles on such subjects as diaphragmatic breathing therapy for diabetics, aromatherapy for postpartum depression, and reflexology for cardiac patients. Reflexology. For CARDIAC patients.

So yeah.
 
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The phrase "tunes into _____ rhythms" is pretty much a dead giveaway as BS unless you are talking about music.
 
I have a friend that makes her living 'manipulating' the joints of the skull.
People's insurance even pays for the 'therapy'.
She asked to practice on me, and i found it to be the wooiest therapy ever.

Except aura-fluffing, i suppose.
 
yairhol said:
Hi,
I've just heard of something called Craniosacral therapy.



Now of course this sounds bullsh** (and it probably is) but I have also found a peer reviewed journal called: Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
and there is a paper there which sums up:



Does anyone know about this method of therapy? Does it have any theraputic abilities?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

You have to be careful about the peer reviewing in such journals. It is used to mislead people into believing that it is peer reviewed by reputable academic researchers. In reality, journals with 'complementary' or 'alternative' in their title or description are reviewed by other woo-meisters.
 
yairhol said:
Does anyone know about this method of therapy? Does it have any theraputic abilities?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

As someone who received training in various forms of massage therapy, I have a little bit of experience with Craniosacral. I, myself, wouldn't call it completely woo. My impression, though, was that it was of relatively little use. Potentially of some value for one or two minor causes/factors of headaches, at best, and the placebo effect for most of the rest of the effect.

I might still have my notes regarding it, but I don't really feel like digging them up.
 
I was talked into having it once. It is exactly that - homoeopathic head massage. The "therapist" just moved the skin of my head slightly in relation to the bones of my skull, and talked a lot of complete rubbish which had no basis in actual anatomical fact.

It's harmless, that's as much as can be said for it. Your hairdresser will give your head a much more challenging workout though.

Rolfe.
 
"Aura fluffers"? Really? I mean, I know what a fluffer does on a porn movie set... Does the customer get a happy ending?
Can I make money at this? Sounds like a great retirement job. Do you have to dress funny?
 
Bikewer said:
"Aura fluffers"? Really? I mean, I know what a fluffer does on a porn movie set... Does the customer get a happy ending?
Can I make money at this? Sounds like a great retirement job. Do you have to dress funny?
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You'd have to move to Sedona, Arizona.
 
That's exactly what the one who did her voodoo on me thought. She was going on about feeling these bones move, and I said, look, I'm 46, this is not happening.

Rolfe.
 
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