Craniosacral therapy for Neurological conditions - Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis

Craniosacral therapy works directly on the central nervous system. As a result, it brings relief from a wide range of neurological disorders. The following is an indicative list.

Parkinson’s disease

The neurotransmitter dopamine is produced in our brains. Dopamine is a chemical messenger to parts of the brain that control our muscle activity and movements. In patients who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, the death of brain cells results in a deficit of dopamine, which impacts their ability to control their movement. Mount Sinai, a leading chain of hospitals in the US recommends Craniosacral therapy as a treatment that can improve brain function and reduce tremors for Parkinson’s patients. Parkinsons Europe, an organisation that advocates for and supports Parkinson’s patients and their care-givers in Europe, recommends Craniosacral therapy to support nervous system function and improve symptoms, as well as for help with accompanying stress-related conditions like anxiety and panic attacks, depression, headaches and sleep disturbances.

Alzheimer’s disease

The development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease is associated with an accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain that can clump into amyloid plaque over time, when there are inflammatory processes within the brain. This indicates a dysfunction of the glymphatic system, which is responsible for removing waste products such as amyloid plaque from the brain. The glymphatic system is made up of glial cells which line the blood vessels in the brain. Metabolic waste products generated within the brain are swept away by the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that circulates through the nervous system. The flow of CSF brings nourishment and nutrients to brain cells and removes toxins from them. The glial cells use a network of channels surrounding blood vessels in the brain to direct the CSF deep into the brain to pick up these waste products. The CSF then transports the waste products into the lymphatic system through the meninges.

What is Alzheimer's disease?

An accumulation of amyloid plaque can block the pathways of the glymphatic system and when CSF doesn’t reach brain cells, they start to die away. Alzheimer’s disease is the resulting dementia that can cause memory loss, language problems, mood swings and loss of bodily functions. Craniosacral therapy boosts the circulation of CSF, which improves the drainage of waste products, which in turn improves brain function. Craniosacral therapy reduces anxiety and improves clarity of thought. It reduces inflammation throughout the body. Alzheimer’s patients’ relatives and care-givers (including nursing staff) have reported that some patients recognise their loved ones more often after receiving Craniosacral therapy, and their speech and daily functionality improves. They reported positive changes relating to memory, agitation, behaviour and cognition.

Multiple Sclerosis

Craniosacral therapy has an established track record when working with multiple sclerosis. It reduces the nerve pain and inflammation associated with this condition. It improves bladder control, brings relief from stiffness and musculoskeletal issues that result from altered gait/ ataxis, reduces anxiety and calms the central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis is an auto-immune disorder and Craniosacral therapy works to support immune function. It is a degenerative condition and while Craniosacral therapy cannot reverse the de-myelination and lesions, it can slow down the continuing degeneration. Ann Mitt Romney has publicly acknowledged how Craniosacral therapy helped with her multiple sclerosis.

Neuron affected by Multiple Sclerosis

Autism, ADHD, learning disorders, involuntary movement and seizure disorders, chronic conditions including chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression

The clinical psychophysiology head at the McLean hospital (a psychiatric teaching hospital at Harvard Medical School), Dr. Paul Swingle participated in a research study that required him to measure brain activity during Craniosacral treatments by taking EEG readings. He noted a marked change in alpha and theta brainwave amplitudes when patients received Craniosacral therapy. Theta deficiency in the occipital region is associated with symptoms such as increased stress, disturbed sleep, racing thoughts, anxiety and a tendency towards substance addiction.

He found that Craniosacral therapy restores this deficit, calms the mind and body and results in a marked and sustained improvement in symptoms. Dr. Swingle reported these findings at medical conferences throughout the US and Canada. He was so impressed that he went on to train in Craniosacral therapy and now uses it with much success to treat patients who suffer from neurological conditions such as ADHD, autism, chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue (which have a neurological cause rather than a mechanical one), stroke, head trauma and concussion, anxiety, depression and involuntary movement and seizure disorders.

I have posted separate articles on my blog about how Craniosacral therapy benefits patients who are on the autism spectrum, those who have ADHD, dyslexia and other neurological conditions like cerebral palsy.

For more information on how Craniosacral therapy treats chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, please see my blog post on the subject.

The testimonial section contains reports of how Craniosacral therapy has benefitted a child who is on the autism spectrum and an adult who suffered from chronic fatigue.