CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY SPORTS MEDICINE

as an “unlatching” principle. In order to unlatch a gate, the gate often has to be moved into a tighter closed position first, thus releasing the latch. Ed Wilson conducts a 2-day course during which he explores trigger-point treatment methods (4). Wilson teaches that extremely light touch techniques can be very beneficial in relieving pain and tension in local very tender spots. It was this discovery that led me on the path towards training in craniosacral therapy. However, the approach can be time- consuming: it can take time to identify the presence of trigger points, and when these are resolved, more trigger points – known as latent trigger points – often become active. As I have discovered repeatedly, both clinically and as a result of my training, deeper, hidden dysfunctions may cause symptoms to recur.

RELEVANCE OF CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY TO SPORT

Balance and optimum function are important factors in sports performance, which necessitates dedicated and persistent training and practice of technique. Therefore, the achievement of the body in finding a greater balance overall is bound to benefit the body not least in potentially helping to reduce stresses within the body and subsequently releasing the energy required to overcome those stresses for all aspects of performance of sport or other activity. Traditionally, the athlete seeks to overcome restriction in range of movement and imbalance in function by sheer willpower and effort. However, the body could be holding significant restriction, such as the effects of past accidents or stresses to the body that are not visible or evident during a conventional recall of personal medical history or in particular as a result of objective physical examination and that cannot spontaneously or by self-effort let go of this restriction. This is just the situation that many physiotherapists encounter in a physiotherapy department when some gains have been made, but options for treatment have been exhausted resulting in a reduced outcome and possible fairly rapid return to physiotherapy when symptoms recur. (A similar situation can arise in sport when an individual is unable to return to their sport for many months because of an apparent inability to return to full fitness in spite of diligent training. Worse than this, an attempt may be made to return to full fitness but result in re-injury.) It can be discouraging for both the physiotherapist and the individual with the injury to have to say that no more can be done during that programme of physiotherapy. Many people use craniosacral therapy as a preventive

therapy in order to maintain a good level of bodily health. If you are participating regularly in sporting activities, this is when craniosacral therapy can be very useful – perhaps to reduce factors leading to injury as a result of increased balance in the body.

CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE HELPED BY CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY Box 1 lists many of the conditions that can be helped by craniosacral therapy. It should be noted that although many of the conditions do not fall into the usual categories of sports illness or injury, all of them can affect sportspeople and therefore influence performance.

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HOW DO WE KNOW THAT CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY WORKS? No guarantees can be given concerning whether craniosacral therapy will work for a particular client, but a craniosacral therapist can explain what to expect and what results have been achieved with clients in the past. Elderly people are often precluded from other treatments because of their age, vulnerability or state of health, but for craniosacral therapy there is no prerequisite condition of age, fitness or strength. Many elderly people discover that craniosacral therapy relieves the common symptoms of old age such as aches and pains, headaches, and back, sleep and digestion problems. These are often the problems that prevent

BOX 1: CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE HELPED BY CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY

n Allergies n Asthma

n Back pain

n Bone and joint disorders n Bronchitis

n Chronic fatigue n Depression

n Drug withdrawal

n Emotional problems n Frozen shoulder

n Hormonal imbalances n Impotence n Insomnia

n Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) n Muscular aches and sprains n Post-dental trauma n Sciatica

n Spinal curvatures n Stroke

n Arthritis n Autism

n Birth trauma

n Breathing disorders n Cerebral palsy n Colic

n Digestive problems n Dyslexia

n Exhaustion

n Headaches and migraines n Hyperactivity n Infertility

n Learning difficulties n Menstrual pain

n Nervous disorders n Rheumatism n Sinusitis

n Stress-related conditions n Trigeminal neuralgia

n Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)/ n Visual disturbances jaw disorders