I have just completed a session of craniosacral therapy (CST). I have been told that as a result of the therapy my cerebrospinal fluid pulsations have returned to normal.
I
get up slowly. I am very relaxed. I should be hurrying out of the office to
pick up Thayer, my youngest son, and take him to his in-line hockey game. Despite my normal Type A’ness, I am too calm
to be rushed. First, I must pay the
bill. The session costs $75 payable by
credit card. As I exit the office I again appreciate how blissfully calm I am. A pretty impressive short-term result: remember, I am a
tiger dad. I conclude I should have a
pretty good next couple of days to weeks now that my CSF rhythms have been
restored to normal. I wonder why my CSF
rhythm was so irregular to begin with. I
give my dad a call. Perhaps he can tell me about the conditions of my
undoubtedly traumatic birth which must have led to my abnormal CSF
pulsations. Ideally my mom, the true
eyewitness, would have related my birth experience to me, but she passed away
four years ago, so my dad will have to do.
He is a retired obstetrician and should be fairly reliable. Contrary to my assumption that my birth was a
difficult one, he says it was fast and easy: no nuchal cord around my neck, no
need to use forceps to extract me from the birth canal, no extended labor. I guess
it must be those lifelong hardships which have thrown me out of whack - exactly
what those hardships are I am not sure.
A
week after the CST session, I assess my general condition. I have a bit of a headache, and my lower back
discomfort is unchanged. Reestablishing
my CSF rhythm seems to have had no measurable impact. Perhaps I need to go back for another
session. Maybe the plumbing of my
cerebral system is out of whack again. I
did watch the Republican debates this week, a traumatic experience or perhaps
more of a comedic one. Could that have
set me askew once again? No, I think I
am done for the time being.
As
I research the published scientific literature about CST, I come upon several
articles regarding the use of CST for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This is a topic which hits home for me. My oldest son has Asperger’s syndrome, more
recently renamed as high functioning autism.
Due to my obvious skepticism of CST, I am surprised to see the Autism
Research Institute, a reputable group, included CST in their list of therapies
to treat autism in 2011.[1] CST is also included in a book on Cutting-edge Therapies for Autism
published in 2010.[2] Wanveer, a certified instructor for The
Upledger Institute, was asked by Dr. John Upledger (yes, the very same founding
father of modern CST), to address the benefits of CST for Autism. Wanveer hypothesized that persons with autism
have increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, neuroglial activation, and
inflammatory changes in their cerebral spinal fluid. The inflamed spinal fluid leads to loss of
flexibility and likely inflammation of the membrane layers surrounding the
brain. These can result in hampering of the brain function. He claims that CST is able to “decrease the
abnormal and often enormous strain the brain has been under” and thereby help
the ASD person “come to newfound levels of tolerance, understanding, and
response within themselves and with the world around them.” [3]
Once
again, I am skeptical. Should my
autistic son really receive CST? Connor
is a brilliant child. He will want to
see proof that CST really works before he gives it a try. I log onto the Autism Research Institute site
to confirm they still recommend CST for the treatment of Autism in 2015.[4] What do I find? Nothing.
All references to CST have been wiped clean from the site. Apparently, they have had a change of
heart. I too am ready to move on.
[1] Zane T. A Review of Craniosacral
Therapy- Science, Fads, and Applied Behavior Analysis. The Current Repertoire, Fall 2011, Newsletter of the Cambridge
Center for Behavioral Studies.
[2] Siri K, Lyons T. Cutting-edge
therapies for autism: 2010-2011. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, 2010.
[3] Wanveer T. Autism spectrum
disorder: How craniosacral therapy can help. Massage Today. 2007; 7(7), 1-4.
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