CranioSacral Therapy in Walnut Creek

Elon Bartlett performs Craniosacral Therapy in Walnut Creek, CA. For babies, or adults who prefer subtle treatments, Craniosacral Therapy relieves restrictions from your connective tissue, gently bringing ease and comfort to your body. The goal of Craniosacral Therapy is to relieve tension from the nervous system which promotes a feeling of well-being by eliminating pain and boosting health and immunity. Acorn Wellness Center serves the East Bay with locations in Walnut Creek & Oakland.

What Is Craniosacral Therapy?

Craniosacral therapy session in Walnut Creek, CA​CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of the craniosacral system, which is comprised of the connective tissue and fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord.

Using a soft touch, generally no greater than the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system. This leads to improved health in all other areas of the body.

Complementing the body’s natural healing processes, Craniosacral Therapy is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and is effective for a wide range of problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:

  • Colic
  • Infantile Disorders
  • Motor-Coordination Impairments
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Central Nervous System Disorders
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Emotional Difficulties such as Anxiety
  • Migraine Headaches
  • Stress and Tension-Related Problems
  • Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders
  • Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
  • Neurovascular or Immune Disorders
  • Trauma/Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injuries
  • Tinnitus

Benefits of CranioSacral Therapy For Babies in Walnut Creek

craniosacral session for a baby in Walnut Creek, CA
Birth can be traumatic for babies, especially if there is the use of forceps delivery, vacuum extraction, or Cesarean surgery. Some early medical treatments can be impactful to the baby, such as vaccination, or circumcision or other surgery. Babies may respond by displaying difficulty with breastfeeding, having digestive issues, and displaying poor sleep patterns. Craniosacral Therapy for babies can relieve stress from the Craniosacral system, helping to provide comfort and ease at this critical time.
  • Colic
  • Torticollis
  • Difficulty nursing (diminished suck reflex)
  • Breastfeeding Problems
  • Seizures
  • Irritable Infant Syndrome
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
  • Ear Infections
  • Anxiety
  • Attention issues, such as ADD or ADHD
  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Special needs

FAQs about Craniosacral Therapy

What Can I Expect From A Craniosacral Therapy Session?

A typical Craniosacral Therapy session lasts about 20 min for infants and about an hour for adults, and takes place in a quiet, private setting. Adults lie on the treatment table fully clothed, while infants are either in a parent’s lap, my lap, or on a blanket on the treatment table. For adults, I sit positioned at various points around the table to make gentle contact with your head, torso and limbs. At times I may also support your limbs and spine while helping your body release accumulated tension.

What you experience during a Craniosacral Therapy session is highly individual. Some people say they feel deeply relaxed, while others describe feeling unwinding sensations as the body releases tension. You may even recall circumstances surrounding a past trauma or injury that caused you stress. While it doesn’t occur in every session, this aspect of the process– called SomatoEmotional Release®– is perfectly normal, and helps the body reverse dysfunction and restore optimal levels of mobility.

Because each individual response to Craniosacral Therapy is unique, the number of sessions needed to resolve any particular condition varies widely. While one session may give you the relief you need, your situation may require more therapy before it’s completely alleviated.

I didn’t feel much during CST, why not?

The body tends to easily accept very light pressure but reacts against strong force/pressure as a protective mechanism. CranioSacral Therapy (CST) uses very light, subtle contact in order to affect positive changes that allow the body to rebalance to a healthier, more harmonious status. For this reason you may not “feel” very much in terms of physical contact during a session, however, profound effects may be noticed during or after a session as changes occur and the body resettles itself into a more balanced state.

What Will I Experience After a CranioSacral Session?

Just as each individual experiences Craniosacral Therapy sessions differently, the results can be diverse as well. You may leave in such a relaxed state that you feel like sleeping for hours. Or you may leave full of energy and ready to take on the world. You may feel a decrease in pain or an increase in function immediately after the session, or the effects may develop gradually over the next few days.

Since Craniosacral Therapy helps the body resume its natural healing processes, it’s common for your improvements to continue weeks after the session. You may also experience a “reorganization” phase as your body releases previously held patterns and adapts to a new state of wellness.

How Does Craniosacral Therapy Work?

Few structures have as much influence over the body’s ability to function properly as the brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system. And few systems have as much impact on the central nervous system as the craniosacral system – the membranes and fluid that surround, protect and nourish the brain and spinal cord. Every day your body endures stresses and strains, and your structures work to compensate for them. Unfortunately, these changes often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system, which can then cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord. The result is a barrier to the healthy performance of the central nervous system, and potentially every other system it interacts with.

Fortunately, such restrictions can be detected and corrected using simple methods of touch. Generally using about 5 grams of pressure– roughly the weight of a nickel– the Craniosacral Therapy practitioner uses their hands to evaluate the craniosacral system by gently feeling various locations of the body to evaluate the ease of motion and rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid pulsing around the brain and spinal cord. Soft-touch techniques are then used to release restrictions in any tissues influencing the craniosacral system.

By normalizing the environment around the brain and spinal cord and enhancing the body’s ability to self-correct, Craniosacral Therapy is able to alleviate a wide variety of dysfunctions, from chronic pain and sports injuries to anxiety and neurological impairment.

Who Can Benefit From Craniosacral Therapy in Walnut Creek?

Almost anyone can benefit from a session, from newborns to elders. CranioSacral Therapy for babies is one of the more common uses of this treatment, but it can help adults who respond best to more subtle work. For more pressing concerns, Craniosacral Therapy has proven especially effective on puzzling cases that have not responded well to other approaches. It’s particularly helpful to those with head, neck or back injuries resulting from an accident.

The extremely light touch also makes CranioSacral Therapy a safe approach for children and infants who have experienced early stress, including birth trauma. By releasing restrictions around the central nervous system early, you may help prevent future difficulties such as learning disabilities or hyperactivity.

I originally contacted Dr. Bartlett because he was certified to perform the Webster Technique for my breech baby. After several visits during pregnancy I brought my newborn daughter in for craniosacral treatments and saw how she melted in his hands. Most recently I have visited for hip pain, neck discomfort, and general alignment and Dr. Bartlett has made me feel so much better each time.

 
Milcah G.

Walnut Creek, CA

I first came to see Dr. Bartlett when I was pregnant with my second daughter. I found him online and was reassured to read that he specializes in prenatal care. My 5 year old daughter was in the car with me when a car accident happened, so I brought her in to see him as well. I’ve also brought in my baby girl to get CranioSacral Therapy right after she was born, so almost my whole family has seen him.

Michelle K.

Oakland, CA

Dr. Elon Bartlett of Acorn Wellness Center is surely the best prenatal and postnatal chiropractor in the area. I sought out a prenatal chiropractor because I was experiencing pain in my pelvic area relating to my pregnancy. During our appointments, he has taught me many things regarding the design and alignment of the body, pregnancy, childbirth, and options regarding caring for an infant. I have even trusted him to do craniosacral therapy on my one-month-old son.

Kerianne S.

San Leandro, CA