Glaucoma and Cranial Therapy

Posted 11/06/13 by Malcolm Hiort and filed under:

Glaucoma
Question: Can Cranio- Sacral help with border line glaucoma?

 

Thanks for your question.
As the exact mechanisms of CFT treatment are not well understood or integrated into medical science knowledge, any answer to your question is somewhat contentious.
The general goal of many manual therapies, including CFT, is to restore the physical and mechanical aspects of body function to ‘normal’, enabling the proper conditions for health to prevail.

Individual circumstances and responses make it difficult to be precise with an expected outcome and this is especially relevant with glaucoma symptoms.
While glaucoma is not a condition usually associated with CFT in the cranial literature, it is possible that addressing structural and abnormal tension patterns issues may favourably influence the symptoms of glaucoma.

A clue to the possible influence of mechanical, non-optic factors, and therefore the chances of improvement, is gained by reference to other signs and symptoms.
In my experience, the greater the incidence of tight back, stiff and sore neck and other cranial dysfunction (indicating structural compromise) the greater the chance of improvement there is.
If I assess a relatively normal cranial tension pattern influencing the orbit and optic canal, the chances of improvement diminish.
Factors such as unstable blood pressure, ocular hypertension and the circumstances of the optic nerve compromise are also relevant.

The chances of individual improvement cannot be accurately determined without individual assessment and treatment.
I occasionally treat a client who includes CFT as part of a background prevention/support strategy for his glaucoma.
His ocular pressure readings have been safe since treatment began.
I would expect to be able to offer more specific guidance after a treatment session, where answers to these issues should be determined.

Hope the above is of assistance.