Recovery from surgery

Regardless of the issue which caused the treatment all surgery is a huge load on the body system, without worrying about the cause. General anaesthetics, stress in preparation, feelings around sharing a ward and the general worry of being in hospital and away from home are all a big issue in themselves.

Craniosacral therapy can offer an extra level of support for the body system to help respond to surgery. As a core element of craniosacral therapy is working with a body system to restore the individuals personal Health levels this can boost healing and ensure an early recovery. Health is referred to by craniosacral therapists as something specific to each person. We are all born with our own relationship to our state of Health and as a therapist you work with the innate knowing within each body system to encourage a strong realtionship between the body and its Health. This will result in quicker healing times and a much greater sense of well being.

Personally, I always make sure I have a session the week before any surgery and then at least one after depending on what I am having done. I had my wisdom teeth removed a while ago and am terrified of dentists. Having a session beforehand meant I was calmer going in and better rested.

I regularly do work on friends who have had surgery and find that the increased sense of well being alone helps in healing and recovery. One friend with a broken ankle found that he accessed some emotional issues which had impacted to extend his recovery period and he found that by usin therapy he could resolve a wide range of issues which had brought him to this particular injury.

I am currently recovering from an operation which affected both feet to repair my bunions. Whilst I can't practice on myself, I had a session last week which meant I was relaxed and at ease prior to the operation and can't wait for the enxt session which should have a postive effect to get over the general anaesthetic and the effect of the mountains of painkillers I am on.

But what is Craniosacral Therapy????

The first question most people ask me when I say what I do is, "What the devil is it?" Frequently I find it quite hard to answer as I am still quite new to working as a therapist.

Sometimes I talk about the history. How it was formed as an off-shoot from osteopathy by William Garner Sutherland when he noticed that skull sutures looked as though they facilitated movement rather than being fixed and solid. Osteopathy has changed a lot since then, although there is can be considerable overlap between the practise of craniosacral therapy (CST) and cranial osteopathy. Talking about history and differences does not seem to actually clarify the process though.

Sometimes I talk about working with fluid rhythms in the body and bone movements and how these support a system to move towards health. Fluid rhythms exist in cerebrospinal fluid, and on a cellular level every aspect of the body moves to its own tidal flow. Working with a body system to move towards its its own correct range of health is a primary function of CST.

Another explanation is around how a therapist works with a client and that each relationship is unique and drives the session. The biodynamic working model is based on a non Western model of health so explaining how it works does not fall within notions of testable repeatable patterns.

The best explanation I have found is that it is unlikely to hurt, but some sensations will arise, and to try it to find out for yourself.