Stress is an unacknowledged medical condition which people often neglect to treat, but it leads to many of the chronic illness. Feeling overstressed leads to calling work to take the day off. Also, there are certain clinical conditions like trauma, pain, and fibromyalgia which generate stress.

So, reducing overall levels is always a good idea for increasing and maintaining health and wellness. There are also many different holistic and natural treatments that can be beneficial for managing and lowering stress levels.

One such therapy is Craniosacral Therapy (CST). In this article, we are going to explore stress statistics, how stress affects the body, how it works for stress, effectiveness, and benefits of CST, the recommended number of sessions, and cost.

Stress Statistics

According to the overall global data of 2013-14, the stress and anxiety related loss of working days were approximately 11.3 million.

That staggering amount yielded an average loss of 23 working days per person.

This value indicates a gradual increase in the number of people under stress, which further impacts their quality of life.

Before we dive in to know about the mechanism of action for craniosacral therapy, it is important to know how stress affects the human body.

How Stress Affects the Body

Stress is related to the release of chemicals from the body which activates inflammatory symptoms. Our body has its own ability to face the challenges and maintain the homeostasis of internal and external stimuli. The stress burden, be it internal or external, leads to the failure of maintaining the physiological homeostasis.

Does Craniosacral Therapy Work for Stress?

Craniosacral therapy provides a great stress-relieving technique by using multiple relaxing effects.

Application of CST helps to control and improve habitual stress responses and reduce the body's reaction to stress

Craniosacral therapy encourages a flexible, more synchronized, appropriate response by establishing mental, physical and emotional synchronization. A well synchronized body-mind system is an integral necessity of the body. The body needs to repair and to resist increasing stress. Avoiding the build-up of stress-related symptoms is critical.

Is Craniosacral Therapy an Effective Option for Stress?

Stress is an outcome of the accumulation of physical, mental and emotional strain that builds up gradually. Our physiological alert system constantly stimulates our inner health to deplete the stress level. But, constant alertness downregulates its capacity to balance itself. When you choose craniosacral therapy as a treatment option for relieving stress, it helps to maintain the rational system of the body to preserve the body's own rehabilitation and revival power.

So, craniosacral therapy can be very effective for stress. Why? Because CST has the ability to provide neurological balance and equilibrium in the cerebrospinal fluid pressure, effectively relieving stress.

This therapy is not only effective in releasing mental stress, but also in reducing physical stress by decreasing musculoskeletal pain and strains.

11 Benefits of Craniosacral Therapy for Stress Reduction

Craniosacral therapy provides vitality, and vitality is a key component to counteracting stress. Stress-related symptoms which are also addressed by applying craniosacral therapy include:

  1. Reduction of chronic pain
  2. Reduction of chronic fatigue
  3. Reduction of anxiety
  4. Reduction in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder
  5. Decrease in muscular tension
  6. Improvement in sleep quality
  7. Reduction of sleep apnea
  8. Decrease in the number of migraines/headaches
  9. Improvement of overall health balance
  10. Reduction of agitation triggered by dementia attack in elderly patients
  11. Decrease in the number of gastrointestinal disorders

How Many Sessions are Recommended for Stress?

At the initial phase of craniosacral therapy, practitioners often recommend six weekly sessions for both acute and chronic, stress-related conditions. After that, the practitioner will adjust the treatment plan depending upon the patient's condition and treatment goals.

In most cases, 3-10 sessions are the average number of sessions for any condition. However, after talking to their craniosacral therapy practitioner, some people may end up going to more or fewer sessions based on their health needs.

Maintenance sessions are also often suggested. Why? Because continuing a regular monthly session of craniosacral therapy for maintenance purposes can help to achieve and maintain overall well-being.

What will it Cost?

The average price per session in the United States is $70-$170. If you take into consideration that the average recommended a number of 10 sessions, you can expect to pay $700 on the low end of the spectrum and $1,700 on the high end of the spectrum. This is not taking into account any packages or discounts a craniosacral therapy practitioner may offer. So, be sure to ask before your first session. For more information, read: How Much Does Craniosacral Therapy Cost?

References

Modell, H., Cliff, W., Michael, J., McFarland, J., Wenderoth, M. P., & Wright, A. (2015, December). A physiologist's view of homeostasis. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4669363

Stress & CST (2018). Craniosacral Therapy Association. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://www.craniosacral.co.uk/blog/stress-cst/

WORKPLACE STRESS RESEARCH: LITIGATION RELATING TO ... (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://www.westeastinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Graeme-Lockwood.pdf