The craniosacral system: why you have no energy or resource

This system has many poetic names: a divine spark, fluids, life energy. In reality it is quite anatomical.

The craniosacral system (CSS) is a system of reciprocal-tension membranes of the dura mater covering the brain and the spinal cord. The membrane attaches to the skull bones, exits through the foramen magnum, runs along the whole spinal canal and attaches to the spinal nerve roots and to the sacrum. The skull and the sacrum are its two poles — hence the name.

What it does. A key function of the CSS is the production, circulation and reabsorption of cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid maintains the environment in which the central nervous system develops and works: it supports homeostasis, nourishes and restores nervous tissue, protects it and transports biologically active substances and hormones.

Constant fatigue, low energy, a feeling of having no resource can also be a dysfunction of the craniosacral system. Disruption of its work affects the whole central nervous system and, through it, the regulation of the internal organs and the endocrine system.

Injuries — including birth trauma — are a separate topic. They almost always leave a trace: brain function suffers and nervous dysfunctions appear that can disturb the regulation of internal organs.

How I work. Cranial techniques are the gentlest in osteopathy: this is not manipulation but subtle work with the rhythm and mobility of tissues. That is exactly why the method suits both newborns and elderly people.

When to come: chronic fatigue with no obvious cause, headaches and dizziness, consequences of head injuries and birth trauma, sleep problems, a feeling of brain fog.