So What Is Craniosacral Therapy, Really?

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on therapy that helps your body do what it already wants to do—heal. We use a super light touch (less than the weight of a nickel) to work with the natural rhythm and movement of the body, especially in the head (cranium) and tailbone (sacrum). But here’s the thing—it’s not just about the head and sacrum. Because of how everything’s connected in the body, CST is a whole-body approach.

A Little Backstory...

CST has its roots in osteopathic medicine, which started with a doctor named Andrew Taylor Still in the 1800s. He saw that the medical practices of his time weren’t helping—and in some cases, were harmful—so he focused on how the body could heal itself if given the right support. His approach, osteopathy, was all about understanding how structure and function work together in the body.

One of his students, Dr. William Sutherland, got curious about the bones in the skull. Everyone at the time believed those bones were fused solid, but he noticed they had a shape that looked like they were meant to move—kind of like fish gills. Turns out, he was onto something. Over time, people started finding that these bones do move slightly, and that movement is part of a rhythm happening throughout the whole body, which we now call the craniosacral rhythm.

But Wait, The Skull Moves?

Yes, a teeny bit! Researchers in the U.S. and Russia (yep, even during the space race) discovered these tiny movements in the bones of the skull that are connected to how our cerebrospinal fluid flows—the fluid that cushions your brain and spine and helps deliver nutrients. That movement has a rhythm all its own, and when it’s off, it can throw things out of balance.

The Fascia Connection

Here’s where it gets even cooler. The system we work with in CST is lined with a special connective tissue called fascia. Fascia is like a big, body-wide web that holds everything in place. The part we focus on, the dura mater, lines your skull, protects your brain and spinal cord, and connects all the way down to your tailbone. Because fascia is continuous, a restriction in one area—like your knee—can eventually show up somewhere else—like your head. That’s why CST can be so effective, even when the symptoms and the root cause don’t seem related.

There’s a great story in this article about an Olympic diver who had vertigo that no one could figure out. She tried CST and, surprisingly, the therapist found restrictions in her knee. Once that area released, the vertigo improved. Turned out she had a fall as a kid that left a lasting imprint on her body—even though she didn’t remember it at first.

So How Does CST Help?

CST helps locate and gently release tension or restrictions in the body, whether they’re in the head, spine, or somewhere seemingly random. It’s especially helpful for people who’ve had injuries, chronic pain, or stress that their body hasn’t quite bounced back from. And because it works with the nervous system, it can also help with anxiety, sleep, and emotional release.

And no, it’s not like chiropractic work. We're not cracking anything. CST is super gentle, and your body leads the way.

Final Thoughts

If your body’s been through something—an injury, surgery, stress, birth trauma—it might be holding onto that story in ways you can’t see. CST gives your body a chance to unwind that tension and find its way back to balance.

If you’ve tried all the typical things and nothing quite helped, CST might be the missing piece. It’s not a magic fix, but it works with your body’s own wisdom—because you’re built to heal, and sometimes all you need is the right kind of nudge.