January 2003 [Volume 2, Issue 1]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• What Is CranioSacral Therapy?
• Massage, Other Alternative Therapies on the Rise
• This Month's Massage Q & A

What Is CranioSacral Therapy?

CranioSacral Therapy involves massaging the bones of the skull and the spine. Proponents of this type of therapy claim that massage can loosen or release restrictions or "blockages" in the body that can contribute to pain and dysfunction.

CranioSacral Therapy was developed by Dr. John Upledger, who heads the Upledger Institute in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. According to the institute, CranioSacral Therapy is a light-touch manual therapy that addresses restrictions in the craniosacral system the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. This system extends from the bones of the skull, face, and mouth, which make up the cranium, down to the sacrum, or tailbone area.

The CranioSacral Therapy practitioner uses a light touch (generally no more than the weight of a nickel) to evaluate possible restrictions in the craniosacral system. This is done by monitoring the rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid as it flows through the system and is translated to the entire body.

The positive effects of CranioSacral Therapy rely to a large extent on your body's natural self-corrective activities. The therapist's light, hands-on approach simply assists the hydraulic forces inherent in the craniosacral system to improve your body's internal environment and strengthen its ability to heal itself.

Because of its influence on the functioning of the central nervous system, CranioSacral Therapy can benefit the body in a number of ways, from bolstering overall health and resistance to disease to alleviating a wide range of specific medical conditions. CST is beneficial to those with head, neck or back injuries resulting from an accident. CST is also a safe approach for children, infants and newborns with early trauma, including birth trauma. Another area of principal effectiveness is with stress-related dysfunctions, such as insomnia, fatigue, headaches, poor digestion, anxiety and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

To learn about other forms of massage therapy, go to www.massagetoday.com/aboutmt. To locate a massage therapist in your area who can provide you with more information on neuromuscular therapy and other massage techniques, go to www.massagetoday.com/locator.

Massage, Other Alternative Therapies on the Rise

With each passing day, massage and other forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) become more grounded in the fabric of the health care system. This increasing popularity and acceptance takes many forms, not the least of which are steady gains in public utilization and professional organization.

A perfect example of the growing power of CAM is the recent announcement by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the federal government's leading agency for scientific research on alternative medicine. The center is set to launch a $1 million, two-year study on the implications of CAM use by the American public. The study, co-sponsored by 16 federal offices and agencies, will be conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and is intended to answer questions regarding issues of regulation, coverage, and policy for CAM disciplines.

The Institute of Medicine is a component of the National Academies, a private, nonprofit, nongovernmental institution created by an act of Congress to supply the nation with objective information on matters of science and technology. The IOM's role, as it relates to the National Academies, is to examine policy matters regarding public health, and to provide timely, authoritative health information and advice to government, corporations and the public.

Why conduct such a study, and why put it in the IOM's hands? According to NCCAM Director Dr. Stephen Straus, because IOM is a nongovernmental organization, it was judged to be best suited to consider questions of CAM policy and research critically, yet impartially. "Americans use CAM therapies in record numbers," Dr. Strauss elaborated. "The IOM's report will give us a clearer understanding of the scope of CAM use by Americans, as well as CAM's public health impact, and scientific and policy issues that will better inform our research decisions."

So, what's this all mean? Interest in massage and other alternative health care is continuing to grow, no doubt because more and more people are realizing the powerful health benefits these therapies provide.

Reference: Institute of Medicine to study CAM use in the U.S. Massage Today, Volume 3, Number 1, pg1. (www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/01/03.html)

This Month's Massage Q & A

Question: How long does it take to go through school and become a massage therapist?

Answer: To get the minimal required training generally takes six months full-time, or one year part-time. Requirements seem to be steadily increasing in many states, so you'll want to contact the massage board or oher regulatory agency in your area to be sure. Also, make sure the school you choose is accredited and meets state requirements for massage training.

Question: What can you do to eliminate frozen shoulder syndrome? (a condition in which the shoulder joint progressively stiffens due to swelling and the subsequent formation of scar tissue within the joint capsule)

Answer: Clinical massage therapy is actually the treatment of choice for this complaint. A good clinical massage therapist should be able to resolve this problem in a few sessions.

Note: Information provided in the Massage Q & A section is drawn from comments posted on the "Ask a Massage Therapist" forum, where massage therapist James (Doc) Clay fields questions on the profession. The forum is located at https://www.massagetoday.com/ask/.

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