I recently ran into an old friend of mine. She has been suffering for a while with chronic neck and back pain for many years so when she told me she had been receiving a new treatment that had been making serious inroads into alleviating the condition i was instantly all ears. It turns out that it is a form of massage that i had never come across. Called CranioSacral Therapy she told me it was the most gentle massage that she had ever received but somehow it was giving her more relief than anything she had ever tried.

I have no chronic issues myself, but after years of injuries from martial arts and various sporting endeavours my body has its share of maladies. On top of all that, i am always open to a good massage, so i grabbed the number of her masseuse. When i got there I was informed by the practitioner, Miriam, that it was indeed a very gentle massage but also incredibly powerful. The treatment goes for about an hour and a half and covers much of the body.

Miriam has does a variety of massage style’s but she informed me that the CranioSacral Therapy treatment is her specialty. She has treated people with vertigo, chronic pain, migraines, even younger children with Autism. She asked me a few questions before the treatment began and informed me that there was no need to remove any articles of clothing except for those items that would impede my relaxation. I lay on my back and she started.

It’s hard to describe how light the touch was, seriously. Like any good massage, the room lights go down, the music comes on and you start to feel what they are doing. I was amazed though, as to how long it took before i felt what she was doing. Starting at my hips it really felt like i was being gently held and that was it. As i began to relax though, i could feel some of what she was doing. The movements are so light and gentle, but the muscles really seemed to respond. (The pressure used, Miriam informed me afterwards, is about the equivalent of what would be required to push a twenty cent piece across a table top.)

The first big muscular release came, for me, as Miriam worked on my lower back. A large portion of my lower back muscles released themselves and the relief was amazing. Until the muscles let go, i wasn’t totally conscious of how much tension they were actually holding. The more relaxed i got the more i was conscious of the work that she was doing. The treatment progressed up the spine, and as i went, i could feel muscles releasing, especially in places where the tension had been a while. I am sure i drifted in and out as she continued the treatment, the movements so gentle i couldn’t help but feel relaxed and comfortable.

The next most astounding part for me came when she started working on the neck region. My neck, whilst not having any pain issues does suffer from a lack of rotation and i tend to hold a fair amount of tension, like most people i guess, in my shoulders. Miriam, cradled my head in her hands and proceeded to work on the neck region. Again with the same delicate touch, it mostly felt like just having her hold my head still, Miriam’s fingers resting on my neck.

Then it happened. One of the big muscles in my neck released, my head and neck regaining a flexibility that, to be honest, i had forgotten i had ever had. The tension released, it seemed to have a flow on effect to the rest of my body. The shoulders seemed more free and all the way down my spine, it felt like the circulation had improved from that single release.

When the treatment had come to an end i took a little while for me to come back to earth. Like a very deep relaxing sleep i felt very much refreshed. Miriam suggested that over the next few days I would likely feel a flow on effect from the treatment, the releasing of so much chronic tension might make my stomach feel a bit queasy and that i should drink lots of water. Also, that it was not uncommon for the body to continue to make, over the next few days, subtle adjustments to the changes that had taken place in the treatment.

I was surprised at for such a gentle technique, how much tension it was able to release in my body and for those people who are sensitive and not really into being poked and prodded, i highly recommend it. For everyone else, especially those who seem to hold onto their tension, try a treatment, certainly i found it especially good for those aches that i had thought would be with me for the rest of my life.