Craniosacral Acupressure
Source: KMTR News Eugene
http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/a-combination-of-Eastern-acupuncture-and-modern-medical-science-334892971.html
EUGENE, Ore. – A marriage of Eastern tradition and Western medicine, more doctors around the world are studying and practicing a treatment called craniosacral acupressure.
“Craniosacral acupressure is a very gently hands on technique designed to move the body through pain and dysfunction,” said Dr. Zachary Corbett.
Corbett, a licensed acupuncturist, started practicing craniosacral acupressure five years ago. The therapy originated in the 1920s and 30s.
“They found a Western anatomical explanation for what the Japanese and Chinese masters were already discovering,” he said. “They can create a change in the body that is stable and sustainable.”
Corbett said CSA is a combination of Eastern acupuncture and modern medical science. Doctors use the physiology of connective tissue to move into the strain, so it can unravel.
Corbett compared craniosacral acupressure to a child learning to tie shoes.
“A child will come across a knot that they’re muscling and forcing. And that knot’s just getting tighter and tighter,” he said. “And then there’s that great day when you realize, oh, if I feed the ends back to the knot – which is kind of counter-intuitive – the knot fluffs up, relaxes, and unravels on its own.”
Corbett said craniosacral acupressure can be useful in treating chronic problems like respiratory, circulation and musculoskeletal issues. He said the practice is different than more invasive or forceful treatments.
“The light pressure allows us to begin to adjust the connective tissue in the direction the body’s already trying to adjust,” he said.
Corbett and other practitioners use about 5 grams of pressure during the therapy.
In contrast, hard pressure releases the body’s elastin properties, which allows the body to snap back to the more painful position.
“You might have neck pain, but actually there’s a problem someplace down by a hip,” he said. “So you can work the neck all you’d like, but the body’s just going to pull it out of shape again.”
A typical treatment lasts between 60-90 minutes, with the goal of only needing one or two sessions a year.
Corbett said the treatment has proven to be very helpful for patients including small babies, athletes and the elderly. He said in other cases, the treatment may have no effect.
