What is Craniosacral Fascial Therapy?

Craniosacral Fascial Therapy (CFT) was developed by Dr Barry Gillespie (USA).

He has had amazing success treating newborns, babies, children and adults over the past 30 years using his Gillespie Approach – a combination of Craniosacral, Fascial and TMJ (Jaw) Therapy.

This combination therapy effectively treats the entire neural, muscular and skeletal system, as well as positively affecting the digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system and endocrine system.  It also promotes optimal neurological well-being and brain function.

Whilst there are practitioners in South Africa who are trained in Craniosacral Therapy, we are the first practice to provide the Gillespie Approach of Craniosacral Fascial Therapy, since 2011.

Craniosacral Therapy is only one component of the treatment we offer.  

The strong emphasis of therapy is to treat the fascial system.   

Fascia is the connective tissue which surrounds every muscle, bone, joint, ligament, nerve, blood vessel and organ in the body.  It is a 3D web which connects every muscle, bone, joint, ligament, nerve, blood vessel and organ.  If there is strain, injury or tightness anywhere in the fascia (eg from a muscle injury), this strain will eventually pull through the entire 3D web of connective tissue and can start to cause pain or disorder elsewhere in the body.

The other unique component of therapy is to treat the jaw, palate and mouth.  Dr Barry Gillespie is a peridontist who started to develop this therapy approach to help children he was treating who also complained of headaches.  His therapy includes a comprehensive treatment of the jaw, palate and mouth, which may help:

• realign the jaw (and as a result, help realign the sinuses and ear canals promoting optimal drainage, which in turn can help to prevent chronic infections developing) 
  
• improve bite and tooth alignment
  
• help open up the palate 
  
• create more space for teeth to move down (eg children who have no space for their big teeth)
  
• help to improve infant feeding issues such as difficulty latching, weak suck, gagging on dummy / teat / food
  

Dr Barry Gillespie recommends treating children before they start with orthodontics.  Although the treatment doesn’t negate the need for orthodontic work, it can help to minimise the amount of work which will need to be done, reduce the time your child will need to wear braces and, in some fortunate cases, it may correct the alignment and spacing without any further intervention required.

The most exciting part of his current work and research is with newborns.  He has developed a screening tool, the Baby Brain Score, to determine if babies need treatment at birth or as newborns.

Research indicates that, by treating babies, especially newborns, there is a wide variety of conditions which may be prevented such as  reflux, colic, feeding issues, scoliosis, headaches, asthma, ADHD, learning disorders, concentration issues, sleep issues...

Just imagine if your headaches, back pain, stomach ailments etc. could have been prevented by treatment in your childhood?  

You can give your child this opportunity...