A 2012-2013 randomized controlled clinical trial with a parallel-group design and 3 months of follow-up observation of 54 blinded patients were randomized into either 8 weekly units of CST or light-touch sham treatment to assess the effectiveness of craniosacral therapy in treating chronic neck pain. Findings: “CST was shown to be specifically effective and safe in reducing neck pain intensity and may improve the functional disability and the quality of life up to 3 months after the intervention. Particularly in chronic and recurrent neck pain, CST may be a worthwhile treatment option in addition to standard medical care. Further studies with rigorous methodological designs and long-term follow ups are needed to confirm CST efficacy in neck pain treatment.”
References:
Research: Heidemarie Haller, Romy Lauche, w Holger Cramer, Thomas Rampp, Felix J. Saha, Thomas Ostermann, z and Gustav Dobos. “Craniosacral Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain A Randomized Sham-controlled Trial.” Clin J Pain 32.5 (2016): 441-449.
Samantha Lotti is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac.), a certified and registered Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist (BCST, RCST®), holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, and is a board-certified herbalist.