ADD and Craniosacral Therapy

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ADD and Craniosacral Therapy

Children who suffer from ADD/ADHD live life so very differently than normal children. They struggle daily with focus issues, impulse control, and dealing with social pressures. For these children, being viewed as normal as they struggle internally can be a daily torture. There are many various types of therapy recommended to parents of these special children including drugs, behavioral therapy, and a little known massage therapy craniosacral therapy.

Craniosacral refers to the whole spine from the cranium to the sacrum at the base of the spine. A series of three membranes surround the spinal cord and connect to the bones of the head. The circulation of cerebrospinal fluid within this system creates a pulsing rhythm. The membrane system holds and transfers tension throughout the body. This flow is normal and natural, however for children who suffer all along the spectrum of autism and learning disabilities such as ADD, ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia, theirs flows in a more jagged, backed up way.

A child's brain with ADD or ADHD catalogs things quickly, processing at warp speed, which makes it difficult to know what they're supposed to do or think, keeping them at a high level of stress and tension. Imagine clicking a ton of buttons on your computer expecting it to keep up, and it stops responding; there's too much going on and it doesn't know what to do first. This is what the brain of a child with ADD or ADHD experiences. Craniosacral therapy eases this tension and allows the brain to relax.

The practitioner gently applies pressure to the sutures and skull in an effort to alter the flow of cerebral spinal fluid to the brain and influence the central nervous system.

Craniosacral therapy can also be used successfully with children who suffer from migraines, head injuries, autism, infantile disorders, motor-coordination problems and more.

Massage alone will not be the cure all for your child. There's no one thing that works to cure ADD or ADHD. Changing a child's diet to mostly healthy foods free of additives may not be scientifically proven to relieve ADD and ADHD symptoms, but it's not going to hurt the child to make healthier decisions. A combination of a few different types of therapy and healthy eating habits will help your child.