Integrating CranioSacral with Sensory Processing Disorders

 

How CranioSacral Therapy & Sensory Integration Disorders work

What is Sensory Integration

Sensory Integration is the child's or adult's ability to feel, understand and organize sensory information from the body and his environment in order for the brain to locate, register and modulate it cognitively. For example, the brain works to order somewhat as a policeman directing cars moving on a busy traffic light intersection. Such information is received through the sensory systems which include vision, touch, smell, taste, hearing, as well as other systems for knowing about gravity, low-frequency vibrations, eyes movements coordination, neuromuscular control coordination and response, position of body parts in space, and the sequence, repetition of those body parts in movement and acceleration of it, integration of reflexes and the ability to control body parts independently, ect. For most children sensory integration develops through the ages and during ordinary activities. Motor planning ability is a natural outcome of the process, as is the ability to adapt to incoming sensations according to their environment. But, for some children, sensory integration does not develop efficiently due to many external and internal factors that soon or later will compromise their neurodevelopment stages. We will mention some of those factors later.

What is Sensory integrative Dysfunction?

Since some of the 12 pair cranial nerves located inside the brain serve as a bridge between those sensory systems outside and inside the brain, cranial nerves that either exit or enter the brain are responsible for some sensory-motor information. The Central Nervous System depends on the accuracy and efficiency of that information that is distributed by any of those cranial nerves via spinal nerves connections with the organs and different body parts. When a glitch occurs in the central nervous system, the brain cannot register, identify, organize and connect at the neural level the sensory messages, see diagram 1 below to understand it. The result is Sensory Integrative Dysfunction or "Sensory Processing Disorder" (SPD).
 
Somewhere in the brain's high cortical circuitry of the sensory-motor neurons in conjunction with other parts of the brain, there is a "short." What may occur is: 1) inefficient sensory intake, 2) neurological disorganization, and 3) inefficient motor language or emotional output. Therefore, the child will not respond in an ordinary way to ordinary sensations. Repetitive patterns and self-stimulatory behaviors are very obvious in order for the cognitive part of the brain organize what is going on while too much sensory input stresses the various systems mentioned before, so this overload creates chaos and disorganization where nothing makes sense. Imagine just for a few minutes how it might feel to be trapped on your body and mind without the ability to express to someone what you are feeling and needing to stop that overload of sensory information.?

Diagram # 1-. Look at this diagram that represents the motor and sensory area where we process our sensations cognitively.

Click Here to see a larger picture

What is the core intent during CranioSacral therapy?

Helping the cranial sacral system, which is a self-corrective mechanism, the therapist facilitates the adaptation ability of this system by:

  • 1- Creating space between the sutures of the skull; therefore, intracranial membrane system can function with less effort and ultimately we can reduced the restrictions and pressure that intracranial membrane system ( meninges ) is producing over the parts of the brain.
  • 2- Helps to release the restrictions around those sensory nerves and sensory organs, such as inner ear, vestibular system, endolymphatic sac located inside inner ear, proprioception, and audition, visual, tactile and kinesthetic sense
  • 3- Helps to release the compression over some of the cranial nerves, trigeminal, fascial, glossopharyngeal, vestibulocochlear, oculomotor, trochlear, abducens, optic, olfactory, Hypoglossal and vagus.
  • 4- Helps to release the restrictions of spinal segments and transverse rings wrapping spinal cord's outer layer ( Dura Matter )of it to have more space in between them
  • 5- Helps nerve roots to have less pressure from muscle spasm, inter-vertebral discs, connective tissue, fascia alignments, body fluids, efficient communication between brain parts, organs or any of the 22 bones of the head including those structures of the mouth and movement of the organs.
  • 6- As a result, it will be easier for the body's sensory system to connect more efficiently with the brain's sensory-motor cortex.
  • 7- The core intent during CranioSacral therapy is to help the cranial sacral system, which is a self-corrective mechanism, to facilitate the adaptation ability by creating space between the sutures of the skull or any of the 22 bones of the head and mouth, connective tissues, brain membranes (meninges) or brain parts, body fluids to flow better, facial system, movement of the organs, etcetera.
  • 8- Helps the body to eliminate the excess of metabolic waste as well as toxic chemicals and metals from different organs especially the brain and so forth. Read article titled Autism and Immune system, Cranial Pumping by Doctor John Upledger and Autism and Mercury on our web site under articles.
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    How can you get any treatment done using such a light touch?

    As mentioned before, in CranioSacral Therapy we respect the body's self correcting mechanism, so the patient's body to make the correction. We are trained by Doctor John Upledger and his highly trained instructors, whose knowledge and expertise are taught on seminars, assist the natural corrective tendency of the person's body. When you use more than a little force, you may recruit the patient's bodily defense against your intrusion. What makes Cranio-Sacral Therapy is so safe and so useable by non doctors, such as massage therapist, nurses or any one having an understanding about anatomy and physiology. When the person's body begins to defend itself against the therapist, the tissues of the person's body tighten in an attempt to pre-serve the status quo. When confronted with this situation, the therapist can: (1) apply more force to overcome patient resistance; or (2) lighten up the touch, as we do in CranioSacral Therapy, thus allowing the person's tissues to relax and obtaining a therapeutic release by adding just enough to the person's own self-corrective mechanism to be effective.


    The craniosacral system is intimately related to, influences and is influenced by the nervous, musculoskeletal, vascular, lymphatic, endocrine and respiratory systems. Also, it is (connected with Sympathetic and Parasympathetic division of the Autonomic Nervous System.


    The classic sympathetic fright/fight-or-flight response and its consequences will not allow those sensory systems mentioned before to process properly. More information is always available if you Google, what happens to the whole body when Autonomic Nervous system triggers fright/fight or flight Parasympathetic responses during stressful times. Biography related with Fright, flight or fight responses during stressful moments, by Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, Waking the Tiger by Levine, Molecules of Emotion by Candace Pert, PhD.


    Why it is very important to understand self stimulatory behaviors before, during and after the cranioSacral therapy session?

    During the session we might follow any repetitive patterns or self-stimulatory behaviors are very obvious in order for the cognitive part of the brain organize what is going on while too much or lack of sensory input stresses the various systems mentioned before, so this overload creates chaos and disorganization where nothing makes sense. Imagine just for a few minutes how it might feel to be trapped on your body and mind without the ability to express to someone what you are feeling and needing to stop that overload or the need to have more or less sensory information.?


    Even for the children and adults whose senses and systems are functioning at a so called "normal" level the perception of a single event is rarely integrated in the same way by two people. Our own "world" or conscious awareness is largely dependent upon our perceptions of internal and external stimuli as we as environmental influences. How many times you did try to multitask many things at once and your concentration became scattered or the results were not the desired ones ?

    There are many important factors to take in consideration in order to understand why, what and how we can help any human being living under the pressures and demands of our society.

  • When a child does not look straight at your eyes due to the fact that what they can use is Peripheral vision, (sense of seeing around rather than seeing in front) that is all they have to see the world. Often times they are punished for this need they have.
  • Someone wanting to express love through hugs and kisses, but the child does not feel like been touch because their Tactile disorders (sense of touch) lead her/him to a painful experience
  • When mealtime is a nightmare due to the uncomfortable hypersensitivity inside the mouth that do not allow them to enjoy the food and, as a result of this, improperly chewed food will lead to gastrointestinal problems
  • Doing homework is almost impossible to perform because Muscle tone is not supporting the necessary movements
  • When a child feels insecure while walking, running or going up and down inside the elevator due to the fact that her/his Vestibular system (regulates all movements) do not provide good balance. This system has connections to the cerebellum ( helps on equilibrium ) and influences Autonomic Nervous system ( pertaining to the nervous system) and Dura Mater ( part of the Craniosacral system )
  • When smelling assaulting odors is very difficult to tolerate, then concentration is lost because their hypersensitive Olfactory system (sense of smell) creates a chain of emotional reactions
  • Auditory sensitivity (sense of hearing) is evident if someone tries to feed a child and he/she refuses the food because the inner ear can not dampen extraneous sounds or filter out noise during mastication
  • When Proprioception (sense of body in space) makes a child feels scared after loosing and many more.

    • How come CranioSacral therapy can affect the body?

    In CranioSacral therapy, bones are used to manipulate much more deeply into the system of membranes and fluids. Therefore the bone movement is an enabling objective in CranioSacral therapy. If you want the structure to change, then, help change how you make it function. Any other forms of cranial work are beginning to use the concepts of CranioSacral therapy and are starting to look and work more deeply. Another remarkable aspect about CranioSacral therapy is that applies light touch allowing, the person's internal forces and energies provided what is required for the therapeutic corrections of the CranioSacral system.

    How does the therapist obtain information?

    The therapist monitors the ease of motion and rhythm produced by the cerebral spinal fluid. Valuable information can quickly be obtained by palpating or touching the craniosacral motion (rate, amplitude, symmetry and quality). For example, restrictions or impairments to the body will cause lack of symmetry in the craniosacral system. The normal craniosacral rhythm is approximately about 6 to 12 cycles per minute. It might vary from person to person based on several factors, for instance, physical, physiological or emotional dysfunctions or disorders, in other words, the presence of imbalances in the body in question. NOT forcing the "corrections" upon the person is the most effective way to facilitate the healing process to the craniosacral system or the body, which is a self correcting mechanism. This approach will not allow for more mistakes by the therapist and for more trauma to result from the treatment sessions.