Facilitation vs. Manipulation

Treatment with craniosacral therapy is achieved by means of facilitation, not manipulation.  Unlike other practitioners, who attempt to fix an abnormality themselves by manipulation or other active treatment modalities, the craniosacral therapist acts passively to coax the body itself to take over the healing process.  This is done by facilitating the normal flow of energy from the CRI throughout the body, and the subsequent mobilization of body tissues around the site of injury.  It must be stressed that all the healing that takes place is done by the body, not the therapist.  The therapist acts as a sort of mediator between the site of injury and the Breath of Life.  Once the CRI can flow freely through the injured tissue, the body heals itself.  This facilitation is done through gentle touch.  In fact, the therapist facilitates as the diagnostic touch is applied, so there is really very little practical difference between diagnosis and treatment by means of craniosacral therapy.

Prevention vs. Treatment

Craniosacral therapists encourage heatlhy-seeming individuals to undergo diagnostic evaluation and craniosacral therapy.  This is because small restrictions can be perceived and relieved early, before they eventually progress to overt disease.  It is common for healthy-feeling patients to be treated for injuries of which they were unaware.