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Cranio-Sacral Therapy (“CST“)
Source: Donovan Hean RCST (Registered Cranio-Sacral Therapist) 031-701 5527 /
082 928 5692

Cranio-Sacral Therapy is a relatively young therapy in South Africa, but is one that is very popular in the UK and Australia where it has been available for over 20 years. In fact, in the UK more children see Cranio-Sacral Therapists than Paediatricians currently.

CST is a very effective means of treating a wide variety of childhood (as well as adult) problems and disorders such as ENT (Ear, nose and throat) problems, sinusitis, chest ailments, anxiety, boosting immunity, bronchitis, eyesight disorders, sleep disturbances, colic, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, ADD, temper tantrums, emotional difficulties, skin disorders, stress, trauma and shock to mention but a few of its successful applications.

This is a very gentle therapy which gets to the cause of the problem or disorder without medical intervention or medication and allows for the body to heal from within. For example, we are constantly reminded in the press and on TV, the overprescribing of antibiotics has brought about the emergence of “superbugs” that are immune to antibiotics and there is now a trend to move back to more holistic ways of treating childhood ailments which are proving more effective than the route of antibiotics.

That is not to say that conventional medicine does not have its place in our lives, but we as parents need to find other ways to ensure that our children have strong, healthy immune systems and are able to manage ailments and illnesses in a more positive way that leaves more and not less of our natural immunity to bacterial infections.


Appointments are approximately an hour in length (with breaks for children), and require a full medical history of ailments and medication.

This therapy is not purely for children, adults will also benefit immensely from it. For more information on CST you can visit the SA website on www.cranial.co.za or the Australian site http://www.cranio.com.au or the UK site http://www.craniosacral.co.uk .

Craniosacral Therapy – a therapy for the WHOLE family

One of a parents biggest worries is about what to do if your child becomes ill and what is the best way to address health issues when they do arise. There is also the dilemma many pregnant woman face as to what is the safest choice of treatment for their unborn child if they have health issues and pre- and post- birth concerns.

CST is a non-invasive and gentle way to treat a wide range of adult, baby and childhood ailments and dysfunctional syndromes, which include (in babies) diverse, early onset symptoms such as poor latching in breastfeeding, colic and other childhood ear, nose and throat infections. Practitioners are able to boost the body’s immune system to assist children in coping better with the common ailments that children are exposed to. These same techniques are also applied in adults and for women who are pregnant, can alleviate a great many pre- and post-pregnancy discomforts and complaints that plague the body in varying degrees, which are both physical and emotional. Pregnancy and becoming a Mum are one of the biggest body adjustments a woman’s body endures, and CST effectively assists and alleviates headaches, backache, scar tissue adhesions (post-caesarian births), and post natal depression. It is also incredibly effective in preparing the body for a natural birth as the techniques used help prepare the body and positioning of the child to allow a natural vaginal delivery which more and more woman are opting for, as they realise it is the best thing for themselves and their child.

CST practitioners believe that most children carry residual problems in their bodies related to their birth experience, especially when the birth has been a traumatic one where invasive methods have been applied (usually out of necessity) e.g. caesarean, forceps or suction delivery, or the use of pain alleviation medication (epidurals or injections), or babies who were in utero subjected to maternal illness and toxicity.

Central to CST is the premise that a healthy vaginal birth acts as a baby’s fundamental and natural craniosacral treatment incorporating stimulations of the spine, myoneural and sensory systems, and it is the natural birthing process that serves prepare the infant for the rapid transition from inside the womb to the outside world.

CST is a gentle, hands on method of reviewing and improving the function of the Craniosacral System. It is non-invasive and the practitioner uses a very light touch on body when assessing the CSR’s strength and quality in various areas, usually the ankles, pelvis, lower back, neck and head. When problems are identified, the therapist works gently to help the body resolve the motility and mobility of the craniosacral systems fluid and related soft tissues. Using this gentle method the clients body is coaxed into loosening up and this allows the therapist to enter into a participatory relationship with the body. Unlike adults, children are not reserved about expressing their feelings and often babies and young children who have experienced traumatic deliveries or events, release the event by wriggling and squirming, and if necessary, crying in an uninhibited manner during a session and can simulate movements that resemble themselves pushing their way through a birth canal.

Practitioners believe that a disharmonious body reflects externally (in both adults and children). The Craniosacral System is made up of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that forms the fluid filled sac around the core of the nervous system, it’s function is to surround, nourish and protect the brain and spinal cord. As in the heart, the Craniosacral System has a Craniosacral Rhythm that spreads through our entire body and can be felt anywhere on our body. The rhythm is circulated via our muscular, nervous and connective tissue systems and their hormones. It is the governing system of the body, and is a system that is vulnerable to changes on an emotional, chemical and physical level.

A CST practitioners ability to listen to the Craniosacral Rhythm enables them to assess and analyse what support is required to allow the body to use its innate ability to restore itself to a healthy state, in a drug-free and non-invasive manner. Our bodies are able to heal themselves, an example is that if you cut your finger, the body’s healing system initiates many processes that result in the cut healing without any intervention on our part, and CST recognises that true health, at any age, arises from within and is not based on a quick diagnosis or prescribed remedy. When the body is empowered and supported to heal itself, the patient experiences feeling better on every level, mentally, emotionally and physically.