How restrictions in the suture lines of the skull can affect the body and the benefits of releasing them.

 

Dr. William Sutherland, DO suggested cranial sutures allow for subtle micro-movements crucial for maintaining health and function. The idea that these suture lines have any type of movement has been around for years but is only more recently being recognized by medical professionals as necessary for healing the body as a whole.

Licensed Massage Therapists can assess facial cranial tension and restrictions surrounding the cranial sutures, through palpation. Feeling along the suture lines with a gentle touch can identify stiff or tight areas within the fascial network and can indicate restricted movement throughout the body. Each suture line correlates to specific areas of the body and can help identify where the root cause of an issue may originate. 

For example: 

Midline Sagittal Tension:

Tension found here represents fascial restrictions in the lower midline or pelvic floor area. This suture line most influences the autonomic nervous system, influencing the entire spine down to the sacrum. The release of this sagittal suture line can release the spinal fascia, allowing the body to change in movement and posture, leading to an overall improvement in balance. 

Temporal Sphenoid Tension:

Tension found here represents fascial restrictions in the neck and shoulder regions. 

Squamous Tension:

Tension found here represents fascial restrictions in the hips and lower back regions.

Occipital Suture Tension:

Tension found here represents fascial restrictions in the lower back and sacral regions. 

Posterior Sagittal Tension: 

This sagittal suture is a unique part of the human anatomy that has an important role in keeping our lower back healthy and functioning. 

The Posterior Sagittal suture creates what is known as the “sagittal plane,” which helps to stabilize the spine during normal movements such as bending and twisting. This sagittal suture can affect the position of the occiput (back of the skull) and the cervical spine, which, when out of alignment, can have a domino effect on the rest of the spine and leads to tension in the lower back, making it more vulnerable to injury or chronic pain. 

Once tension is identified through palpitation, licensed massage therapists work to alleviate the tension around the suture and encourage movement. This in turn helps release tension in the areas that align or connect facia to the suture line.  They do this through gentle massage, myofascial release work, Craniosacral massage, and with the use of tools like the Dolphin Neurostim micro-current device.

A head massage provides more benefit and does more for our entire body than just relaxing us or relieving a headache. It brings back the movement needed in the suture lines to keep us functioning properly, releasing tension throughout the body, while also calming both the central and peripheral nervous systems. 

Things you can do at home to help keep movement in those suture lines includes tasks as simple as taking time when washing your hair to gently massage the entire scalp. Make little circles throughout your hair or lightly push down and move your fingers back and forth or side to side. Spend dedicated time on this and focus on your breathing to help you relax. 

You can also comb or bush your hair with intention. Lightly brush through your hair making sure to lightly connect the brush with your scalp. Think about all the old movies you have watched where you see women brushing out their hair with 100 brush strokes every night. This ritual helps to keep movement in the suture lines, as well as provides many other benefits for the hair itself. 

The use of an ice cap or a migraine cooling cap can help in many ways. The cold helps to reduce inflammation and once removed will encourage more blood flow to the area. Sinuses that may be affected can also be soothed and relieved of pressure. Once the cap is removed, a light massage over the area will help release the tension throughout the head and skull.

Lightly grasping a handful of hair and wiggling it side to side can also help relieve tension, pain, and increase movement.  

Many people also book 30 minute massages that focus on head, neck, and shoulders as part of their maintenance routine to ensure they are keeping their head and suture lines from getting tight and causing restrictions throughout the body. 

Give some of these things a try and see if you start to notice a difference in your stress or chronic pain levels, a change in brain fog or tension headaches, or just feel a bit more relaxed. 

If you struggle with headaches, brain fog, have issues from a past concussion or traumatic brain injury, Deann would love to talk to you and see how she can further assist you through Craniosacral therapy or her training in traumatic brain injury and concussion protocol through Dolphin Neurostim. 

Deann Czaplewski, LMT, NASM-CPT