Effect of Craniosacral Therapy on students' symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Objectives: Complementary and alternative medicine methods (CAM) are now used for a wide range of disorders. Craniosacral therapy (CST) is one of CAM methods in which manual maneuvers with light forces are used for different aspects of health. In the present research, the effects of CST were studied for reducing symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Twenty-four children with ADHD were recruited as an available sample from Roshd Occupational Therapy Center and divided randomly into control and experimental groups. Before and after intervention, the Conner’s Parents Rating Scale as well as child's symptom inventory-4th was filled out by parents. Both groups participated in occupational therapy programs as a routine intervention, while the experimental group received an additional CST for 15 sessions, twice a week. The collected data were analyzed as the covariance method by SPSS16. Results: CST showed significant effects on increasing attention, reducing hyperactivity, oppositional defiant, conduct disorder, anxiety and embarrassment, social problems and psychosomatic problems of the participants. Discussion: CST as a type of biomechanical correction can facilitate improvement in children with symptoms of ADHD.