There are many theories as to how and why the cranial sacral system functions as it does. In fetal development, it earns its label as the "primary respiratory mechanism", as the neural tube is the first recognizable system to be seen with ultra sound and noted in countless books on Embryology.
When the division and growth of the fertilized egg begins, it might occur to cranial sacral students that the internal and external contractions and expansions are the directions of movement we know as internal and external rotation. Concurrently, the directions of motion or movement that we agree are extension and flexion, are simply the built-in life force, which causes the fetus to lengthen and grow or shorten and rest.
Consider this most amazing beginning. The egg is fertilized and, at that time, all the programs are in the computer and ready to go. RNA, DNA, skin color, texture of hair, shape of nose, body temperature, TMJ dysfunction, scoliosis, shape of eyes, hands and feet, one short leg and one longer leg. Unless there is a glitch or two in the development and growth, the fetus will be born "normal".
"Normal" might mean that a new child born to a particular gene pool, in fact, does resemble Grandpa or Aunt Sue. Ten fingers, ten toes, Uncle John's eyes, Daddy's smile, Mom's hair, all of these important visual aids allow us to see the child as "normal". Often our eyes can be trained to see the "normal" cranial sacral patterns that the child is, also, born with.
Cranial-sacrally, "Normal" is obvious as one side of our newborn is a bit more internally rotated, when compared to its almost matching other or right side. "Normal" includes a twist in the body causing every joint, muscle and ligament to respond with results that include scoliosis, a tipped occiput and resulting tilted sacrum. Ankles, knees, ribs, shoulders, necks, individual muscle groups and muscle strands all have the same pattern, which is based on an anterior/posterior axis of rotation.
"Normal" means that our little blessing will present with the left side of his/her body rotated anteriorly around a vertical axis of rotation. Which means the right side, of that same body might be uncomfortably rotated posteriorly or feel most comfortable rotated posteriorly. Either way, the pattern is in place.
"Normal" is what allows most areas of the body to bend more easily to the left as opposed to bending comfortably to the right. Being born with a flexion lesion pattern is "Normal". This simply means, that the human enters with the body being held in the flexion or shortening pattern and is not able to move as freely in the lengthening or extension phase of Cranial sacral motion.
"Normal" is what allows most areas of the body to bend more easily to the left as opposed to bending comfortably to the right. Being born with a flexion lesion pattern is "Normal". This simply means, that the human enters with the body being held in the flexion or shortening pattern and is not able to move as freely in the lengthening or extension phase of Cranial sacral motion.
We recognize that when an infant is having difficulty, with the restrictive properties of one or more patterns, or a glitch in development, they will often be head bangers or foot kickers.
Perhaps, they are operating on their survival mechanism. A survival mechanism that includes a free moving cranial sacral system. The cranium can be freed up in more comfortable ways than banging one's head on a floor or crib, but convincing that small child of this fact can be difficult.
A child crawling into furniture, learning to walk, falling from heights, sitting down hard, landing on their face or back of head, or side of head and shoulder is adding trauma to its original distortions.
Layer after layer. Trauma on trauma. We are aware that, by the time a child reaches adulthood, trauma has been experienced almost everywhere in the body. Most of us have stubbed a toe, bumped our nose on a glass, bit our tongues, hit our heads, shouldered a door frame, fell off our bikes, skinned our hands and knees, slipped on ice or water or slime, shut our finger in a door, hit or threw a ball too hard, sprained or strained our ankle, knee or low back adding trauma to our original restrictive patterns.
With Tri-Release Therapy, each of the patterns, in spite of their often-exaggerated proportions, are addressed in a specific routine that is easy to learn. The technique is always the same, although the site or application areas of need may differ. The number of sessions needed by a client depends entirely on types of restrictions and length of time since the original trauma occurred. Sessions involving whiplash are not the same as the complications, for an example, of cerebral palsy.
For the therapist, it can be much more fun to introduce a special needs child to therapy than to deal with someone who has understandably lost their sense of humor to a car accident. However, both have needs that can be answered with Tri-Release Therapy.
True, there are many other proponents involved with the health and development of an infant to adulthood. Nutrition is a prime factor. Emotional health is also of prime importance. Spiritual growth can add to one's health. Social activities are a must for healthy beings. However, a free moving cranial sacral system allows a person to stand on two feet comfortably, become more flexible as range of movement increases, and become healthier as body fluids move more freely. The body patterns related to health, development and free movement are addressed with Tri-Release Therapy. It can be an answer to some of the more perplexing problems, which clients present to all bodyworkers everywhere.
More perplexing problems may include the temporal mandibular joint dysfunction, hip rotations, carpal tunnel syndrome or uneven foot placement. Daily, we are faced with clients that experience painful discomfort of temporal mandibular joint problems. The combination of Tri-Release Therapy to the cranium and to the muscles that control the temporal mandibular joint movement is helpful for relieving the pain and frustration of this condition. The irritation to the hip joints, wrists or feet, as caused by a malfunction both in the joint and the musculature, can begin very early in life.
Carpel tunnel syndrome is easily traced to the use of one's neck, shoulders, hands and arms.
The application of Tri-Release Therapy can relieve the tingling-to-pain sensations experienced by a client with this complaint. As a client is treated with this generally gentle technique, the muscles respond well, because the client can remain in a relaxed state. Pain is responsive to the gentle Tri-Release Therapy because the gentle technique actually allows the muscle or jointed area to return to its natural position, without force or irritation.
Instead of force, each of the patterns are held steadily, but gently, at their barriers, until such a time as the body is willing to allow the release to occur. Naturally an infant or small child, without years of trauma, may be more responsive than an adult. An exception maybe the autistic child or "body bangers." Tri-Release Therapy is a welcome addition to the skills of bodyworkers when scoliosis is addressed. If a client has one or two knees that are going through a painful growth spurt, or have so many years of pressure on their knees that the meniscus no longer has enough space or fluid to function well, you might Tri-Release the knee for a happier functioning joint.
Almost every area, joint and muscle of the body is found to function in the same patterns as the cranial sacral system, which is the core of the body. The cranial sacral system is responsible for the flexion and extension and the simultaneous reaction of external and internal motions of all the paired bones of the body. Releasing only the cranium seems to be the choice of treatment of many cranial sacral therapists. Most often the cranium is where the therapist begins Tri-Release Therapy. Depending on the need, the therapy might begin with fingers, toes, hands, feet, shoulders, sacrum, knees or neck. Or all of the above, at one session or another, as the whole body benefits when and where the technique is applied.
Some of the benefits of Tri-Release Therapy, for the therapist, might include an increase in clientele. Happy clients tell others of their experience. If your practice includes children, they can be more comfortable with their therapy sessions, as they recognize that the gentleness of the therapy is also freeing their bodies. Nothing can compare to the experience of relieving an aching neck or low back and hearing those treasured words as a client expresses their gratitude for your touch and techniques.
Each human is born with its own rhythms of heartbeat, lymph flow, peristaltic action, breath flow, gland and organ fluctuations and cranial sacral movements. Any functioning system of the human body can run relatively smoothly or develop a malfunction. Malfunction brings discomfort. Discomfort can turn into comfort as the cranial sacral rhythm is restored all throughout the body and the "primary respiratory system" functions as smoothly and freely as is humanly possible. All of the related systems of the body can join in, as fluids exchange more easily and range of motion increases, the Tri-Released body moves more comfortably through life.