A 2013-2014 randomized trial with two groups of twenty subjects experiencing cervical pain meant to determine if classical massage, craniosacral therapy and/or the two modalities combined help decrease cervical pain. Findings: “On the basis of conducted research, the following conclusions have been drawn: 1. Classical massage is an effective and valuable method of curing pain ailments of the cervical part of the spine. 2. The craniosacral therapy is an effective, non-invasive method of curing pain ailments of the area of the neck. 3. The craniosacral therapy, with its only 100 years of history, can be used equally well together with the classical massage known and valued for thousands of years to cure pain ailments of the neck. The patients evaluated the applied method positively. They felt better and the pain ailments were lesser. The other group – the research one – the improvement of health was greater. The fact suggests a more effective influence of the cranial-sacral therapy than the classical massage in case of pain ailments of the cervical part of the spine.”
References:
Research: Miszewski Waldemar, Miszewska Agnieszka, Śniegocki Maciej, Siedlecki Zygmunt, Grzyb Sebastian, Siminska Joanna, Pietkun Katarzyna, Głowacka Iwona, Nowacka Krystyna, Hagner Wojciech. The comparison of the therapeutic massage with the craniosacral method in treating the pain syndrome of the cranial part of the spine. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2016;6(4):249-270.
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.