Cranial Sacral Therapy (CST)

What is Cranial Sacral Therapy?

An overview

The spinal cord is the core of the central nervous system. If the spinal cord is stiff and inflexible, the body is in pain, full of tension, physically and emotionally stressed.

CST lengthens the spinal cord, turning off the fight or flight response in the nervous system. This is accomplished by manipulating the fluid around the spinal cord, allowing the brain to shift from a low grade anxiety state, into a meditative state. The entire mind and body profoundly relax into the state called The Still Point.

CST is used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:

  • Migraine Headaches

  • Chronic Neck and Back Pain

  • Motor-Coordination Impairments

  • Colic

  • Autism

  • Central Nervous System Disorders

  • Orthopedic Problems

  • Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries

  • Scoliosis

  • Infantile Disorders

  • Learning Disabilities

  • Trauma and PTSD

  • Stress

  • Anxiety

  • Neck, jaw and shoulder pain

  • Chronic lower-back pain

  • Headaches and migraines

  • Chronic Fatigue

  • Emotional Difficulties

  • Stress and Tension-Related Problems

  • Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders

  • Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)

  • Neurovascular or Immune Disorders

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Post-Surgical Dysfunction

  • Insomnia and sleep difficulties

  • Depression

  • Fatigue

  • Post-Concussive Syndrome

  • Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) issues

Cranial Sacral Therapy offers relief for stress, pain, trauma, and related issues.

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Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

New research shows that traumatic experiences remain stored in the tissues of the body long after the event has passed. The sensations a person experiences as a result can include emotional and physical numbness, sleeplessness, hyper-vigilance, irritability, agitation, social isolation, and chronic physical pain. Somatic Emotional Release (SER) is a therapeutic process that guides the nervous system to recover and release emotional material held in the tissues of the body.

Annie integrates Cranial Sacral Therapy with SER to quiet the adrenal system, lowering the fight-or-flight response. Individuals with post-traumatic stress who receive regular Cranial Sacral therapy sessions report feeling less reactivity, experiencing less disrupted sleep, and enjoying a greater sense of calm.

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Chronic Pain

Chronic pain alters brain function, mood, personality, and energy levels. And over the years, chronic pain leads to memory loss and decreased cognitive function and accelerates aging.

By removing restrictions around the spinal cord to promote The Still Point in the nervous system, Cranial Sacral Therapy releases pain in the muscles and relieves stress and tension in the body and mind.

Stress Reduction

Many of us function with constant, high levels of anxiety in our lives. Our complex, fast-paced world means our nervous systems are permanently set in fight-or-flight mode. This kind of stress has been recognized by the medical community as being linked to both physical and mental disease.

Cranial Sacral Therapy acts as a reset button, releasing tension in the muscles and relieving our nervous systems of the stress we constantly carry.

Therapy for Pregnancy

Cranial Sacral Therapy assists a pregnant woman's journey into mothering by releasing restrictions in the body and pelvis, helping to resolve pain and tension in the back and hips and to promote optimal fetal positioning. This helps prepare for a healthy labor and a more easeful birthing experience for both mother and child.

Testimonials

  • “It gives me great pleasure to recommend Annie King as a massage therapist, craniosacral therapist, and yoga teacher. My wife, Susan, and I have known and worked with Annie since 1998. We both now experience more mobility and vitality and are confident that others can reap similar benefits. Annie is a person of great integrity and dependability as well as an insightful and sensitive therapist with abilities way beyond those of a technician.”

    — James A. Baker, III Houston, TX

  • “Annie King has magic healing hands. For years I had lived with occasional pain as a result of neck compression caused by a rear-end collision. Pain increased as I focused on my work and pushed to complete projects. I couldn’t hold my arms straight above my head without great effort. My right hand was getting weaker, and the pain in my neck, arm, elbow and hand was keeping me awake at night. I am a pianist and piano teacher, and I was losing skills. Medical doctors told me surgeries might help me. Annie’s body work has saved me. I am now generally pain free, and move my arms and shoulders freely. With craniosacral body work, I feel improvement from the top of my head to the tips of my toes (literally). Each treatment is totally different, because Annie knows where to go to target my pain and tension. Thank you, Angel Annie. Not ready to retire from life just yet!”

    — Joyce Wall, Mother of 9, Grandmother of 27, Bountiful, UT

  • “Annie King is an accomplished, professional therapist who treated me while I was going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer. Through her practice of Lymph Drainage Therapy, she was able to eliminate a post-op seroma in one session without having to have it drained. Coming to Annie for craniosacral therapy lowered my anxiety and helped me go through this difficult ordeal with a greater sense of calm and equanimity. I would highly recommend her to anyone who has lymphedema or is going through cancer treatment.”

    — Dr. Leslie Cooper, MD, Salt Lake City, UT

  • “It has been my great privilege to experience body work at the hands of many individuals throughout the country and the world over the last 30 years. Annie King stands out as a true healer, not just of the body, but of the mind and spirit as well.”

    — Elizabeth Winston Jones, Menninger Foundation, Houston, TX

  • “Annie managed to do for me something I would think highly improbable, which was to help me get through chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer with a smile on my face and a calm, strong, body and mind. Her combination of craniosacral and Lymphatic Drainage kept my whole system supported while my cancer cells were under the assault of the allopathic treatments. After seeing her, I could feel the effects for days afterwards, and I came to appreciate her great intuition and talent for assessing the changing physical needs of her clients, which she beautifully articulates through touch. Having experienced such great serenity on her table, I would highly recommend her services for anyone experiencing a health journey or to those who simply want to enjoy more robust holistic health.”

    — Hilary Wheeler, Nonprofit Fund Raiser, Seattle, WA

  • “As a long-distance runner training 80/100 miles a week, I have been fortunate to work with Annie King whose remarkable talents for healing through yoga, massage, craniosacral therapy and lymph drainage therapy have enabled me to reach a level of fitness which would have been much more difficult without her help. The professional and calming demeanor she presents is much needed in these tense and stressful times.”

    — Creighton King, Distance Runner/Teacher, Tacoma, WA

  • “Even though I’m young and athletic, I’ve endured years of back pain and spent years looking for answers from every type of doctor, chiropractor, and massage therapist I could find. No one could ever pinpoint the root cause. Eventually, I was in so much discomfort that I wasn’t able to hike or run anymore. I felt weak and depressed. Within the first ten minutes I spent with Annie, she honed in on a simple, accurate diagnosis no one else had come up with before. She gave me a craniosacral treatment, which brought my pain and stress levels down immediately. She sent me to get x-rays from the chiropractor she works with, and he confirmed her observations and explained everything to me in detail. I finally had a clear understanding of what my body was doing, and it was such a relief. After months of regular sessions with Annie and the team she works with, I was completely straightened out and pain-free. I felt strong again. I can’t thank Annie enough for her calming influence, wise intuition, and patience. She now gives me regular tune-ups to help me keep stress and muscular tension at bay. She is an exceptional lady and a true healer.”

    — Beth Lopez, Writer, Salt Lake City, UT

  • “Having sustained a significant neck injury in the 1980s, I became frustrated with the conventional approaches to treating my pain and discomfort. Annie’s ability to read my body and to apply her skills of massage and cranial sacral therapies has changed not only my life, but that of many of my patients who are failed by the traditional approaches to joint, neck, and back pain. I frequently refer patients to Annie, and many find her body work to be very beneficial for stress, chronic fatigue, and as a proactive therapy for overall general health and well-being.”

    — Leslie Rozier, Registered Nurse, Pinedale, WY

  • “I have been going to see Annie King for craniosacral therapy for over two years to deal with stress management. It has become part of my routine to stay more balanced, sleep better and react in a calmer way to the fast-paced world around me. It is the only body work I have found that leaves me both refreshed and relaxed at the same time.”

    — Amanda Hatton, Media Specialist, Salt Lake City, UT

  • “Several years ago I had a serious horse accident with head trauma and I have suffered from multiple problems since then. I thought I was going to have to retire from my veterinary practice due to chronic fatigue, neurological problems, and constant pain. Now I have a new lease on life thanks to Annie King. Receiving craniosacral therapy from her has been a life altering experience. I can think more clearly and function much better now that I am not in constant pain. Annie is unique in her ability to communicate what a person needs to do to stay out of pain and lead an active life.”

    — Susan Blaha, Veterinarian, Boulder, WY