Migraine and Tinnitus Relief With Cranial Sacral Therapy

Learn a simple and safe technique derived from manual cranial therapy to decompress temporal bone tension that is known to cause unpleasant symptoms like migraine headaches and tinnitus.

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Migraine headaches and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can occur when bones of the skull or their associated fascia are under tension. Cranial sacral therapy may be an option for relief.

There are twenty-two cranial bones in the human skull. Two temporal bones hug the brain on the right and left sides, and tension in this temporal area is an area of focus for manual therapists when addressing complaints of tinnitus and migraines. Gentle pressure applied to the cranial bones and connecting tissues may help ease temporal tension and provide relief of tinnitus and migraines.

What Is Cranial Sacral Therapy?

Cranial sacral therapy is a non-invasive treatment combining massage and osteopathic techniques. Light fascial-release maneuvers are utilized to reduce sympathetic arousal (activation of the sympathetic nervous system) and treat the bones and tissues of the cranium.

Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System With Cranial Sacral Therapy

Secondary pressure reaching the dura membrane (one of the layers of connective tissue around the brain) through the surrounding skull is thought to affect the rhythmic flow of the cranial system and subsequently activate a therapeutic effect by employing the famous parasympathetic rescue response.

Migraines and tinnitus are two conditions that are related to the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, either as a cause or a consequence of the parasympathetic nervous response becoming overpowered by the sympathetic response.

Looking at cranial sacral therapy from an autonomic nervous system perspective, we know that overactive sympathetic nerve activity means physiological and psychological stress and inflammation that, if prolonged, could result in pain and other maladies.

Body systems affected by the parasympathetic activation of the central nervous system can contribute to chronic pain. These systems include the musculoskeletal, vascular, lymphatic, endocrine, and respiratory systems.

The nervous system can get stuck in a high-alert state due to physical or chemical trauma. A sympathetic system left running is one common suspect in many mysterious chronic pain cases.

The good news is, release of tissue tension triggers the opposing, parasympathetic nerve activity, dampening the sympathetic response. This is one of the many benefits of manual massage therapy. Cranial sacral therapy is designed to adjust and balance autonomic rhythms and to promote a healthy nervous response in order to minimize pain and other reactive physiological symptoms.

Migraine Headache

Migraine is classified as a neurologic disorder with a complex network that recruits multiple brain regions. The commonality of headaches tends to minimize perception of their severity, with headache pain being the most often reported type of pain in the United States.

Serious head pain is a serious matter. Beyond headache, migraine is a collection of cognitive, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and vestibular disturbances. It is no wonder that individuals who experience frequent migraine attacks are seen to have more than double the rates of depression and anxiety than the average population.

One factor that has been seen to govern migraine onset is stress. This brings us back to the explanation of the autonomic nervous system and the resulting consequences of a dominant sympathetic arousal response which causes muscle tension and inflammation of all body systems.

Cranial Sacral Therapy for Migraine Headache

Studies have suggested the effectiveness of manual techniques in individuals with migraine, specifically on pain intensity and duration of the migraine episodes, but how does manual therapy help with a nervous system disorder?

Migraine can be a case of referred pain, and most often manifests in conjunction with some musculoskeletal dysfunction of the head, shoulder, and neck regions that trigger migraine through tension.

Cranial sacral therapy for the treatment of migraine consists of an intervention of non-invasive fascial techniques performed between the skull and the sacrum to relax the muscle tissues around the skull to effectively minimize sympathetic nerve reaction and to bring about that parasympathetic nerve activation discussed above.

The brain organ does not feel pain, but pain sensations are registered by the nervous system. Cranial sacral therapy can work on the neck and facial muscles that cause headaches. One area of focus is the temporal region, the bones above the ears, which have an association with the nerves often implicated in migraine pain. Relieving tightness in the skull and cranial tissues could explain the reported experiences of migraine symptom relief following cranial sacral treatment.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the experience of ringing or other sounds heard in one or both ears. These sounds are not generated externally but heard only by the person affected by tinnitus. Currently, there is no known cure. Two possible causes of tinnitus are physical trauma to the ear or misfiring of the brain circuitry in the processing of sound. One explanation for tinnitus is a situation in which the autonomic nervous system becomes overly activated. At this point, one might become extremely sensitive to sounds, or even begin to perceive phantom sounds that do not exist.

With improved circulation in the cranium, tinnitus may lessen or improve as nerve function is brought back to a balanced state.

Cranial Sacral Therapy for Tinnitus

Cranial sacral therapy aims to enhance blood flow and circulation in the head, thereby aiding normal nerve function. A study designed to assess the effect of cranial bone treatment to reduce somatic tinnitus showed an improvement in participants who received the therapy. Manual therapy was utilized to realign the cranial bones, including temporal bones, along with a muscle tension release technique. The two patients who received the treatment both reported a reduction in their persistent tinnitus. These results suggest that cranial sacral therapy could be a promising treatment for the manifestation of tinnitus.

Science Behind Cranial Sacral Therapy

The main purpose of the cranial sacral therapy technique is to bring the bones of the skull into an optimized functional position. Physical correction of cranial alignment will, in this theory, decrease the tension, stress, pressure, and inflammation in the head and face. A positive effect on the cranial system will also lead to positive changes in sensory sensitivities directly impacted by the autonomic nervous system.

Cranial sacral therapy has been adopted by many professionals who recognize that addressing the skull bones can lead to pain relief for those suffering from headaches and associated symptoms. Though clinical trials have yet to fully explain the exact science of many alternative methods, including massage therapy and cranial sacral therapy, practice is currently based on positive patient-reported outcomes that include claims of decreased chronic head pain following a diagnosis-specific cranial sacral therapy protocol.

Get Ahead of Head Pain

Cranial sacral therapy not only seems from reports to be effective in treating pain and ringing in the ears, but is also regarded as safe when performed appropriately, gently, as directed, and by a trained professional.

Cranial sacral therapy is offered by certified massage therapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, and other trained specialized health care practitioners. It is a complementary treatment because it is an approach recommended in addition and conjunction with other therapies.

As a reminder, any pain in the head or face always warrants extra caution, as it can be a warning sign of a more serious health concern. If pain is severe, sudden, or comes on with more alarming symptoms than the average headache, it is best to seek immediate medical care.

Based on the reported effects of cranial sacral therapy on the autonomic nervous system and the muscles and bones of the skull, it seems to be a promising complementary treatment for both migraine and tinnitus. If you need an excuse to get a professional head massage, here it is!