How CranioSacral Therapy Can Help Headaches
Did you know that approximately 45 million or 1 in 6 Americans suffer from headaches every year. Headaches are currently the number one medical complaint throughout the world. (1) The three most common headaches are tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches. (1) With the exception of cluster headaches, the most common prescribed therapy for headaches is over-the-counter or prescription medication. (2) Prolonged use of medication to combat headaches can lead to a variety of adverse side-effects including a condition known as “medication overuse headache.” In these situations, your body stops responding to the medication and the headaches are actually worse than before taking medication. (2)
If you are looking for a drug free approach to dealing with headaches, CranioSacral Therapy (CST) may be your answer. The origin of CST was developed by the clinical research of Osteopathic Physician John E. Upledger. (3) When assisting on a spinal surgery, he witnessed a rhythmic pulse in the dural membranes of the spinal cord. (4) His discovery had not been documented in medical textbooks. Two years later, he went on to study Cranial Osteopathy. (4) Combining the techniques he learned from Cranial Osteopathy and his clinical knowledge regarding the significance of the dural membrane, CranioSacral Therapy was born.
CranioSacral Therapy is a “hands on” alternative therapy that is performed with a light touch or no more than five grams of pressure. The therapist uses their hands to address restrictions in the CranioSacral system. This system includes bones, membranes and cerebrospinal fluid. (5) CranioSacral Therapy works at addressing headaches because it normalizes cerebrospinal fluid, removes structural blockages and realigns structures that are out of alignment. (5)
If you have been suffering from headaches and have not had success with traditional approaches, CranioSacral Therapy may be your answer. Bret LeBlanc is a Manual Osteopath and certified as a CranioSacral Therapy Level 2 practitioner through the Upledger Institute. You can book an appointment today through the following link: https://choicehealthcentre.com/our-team/osteopaths/bret-leblanc/
If you would like to find out more about Craniosacral Therapy and the various conditions that it can help with, explore the following link: https://www.upledger.com/therapies/
1. https://www.ihateheadaches.org/headache-statistics
2. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/medicines-for-headaches
3. https://www.upledger.com/therapies/
4.https://annabarrick.co.uk/2016/03/02/history-and-origins-of-craniosacral-therapy/#:~:text=Craniosacral%20therapy%20was%20developed%20by,membranes%20surrounding%20the%20spinal%20cord.
5. https://heal.me/articles/craniosacral-therapy-for-headaches