What is CranioSacral Therapy?
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system – comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.
It can create dramatic improvements in your life by relaxing tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction. Using a very light touch – starting with about the weight of a nickel – practitioners evaluate your internal environment, and use techniques that release restrictions in the soft tissues surrounding the nervous system. The work is done on a massage table, fully clothed, and because of its gentleness can be effective for all ages, from newborns to elders.
By complementing the body’s natural healing processes, CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:
Migraines and Headaches, Sinus & TMJ, Chronic Neck and Back Pain, Stress and Tension-Related Disorders, Motor-Coordination Impairments, Infant and Childhood Disorders, Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Scoliosis, Central Nervous System Disorders, Learning Disabilities, ADD/ADHD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Orthopedic Problems, And Many Other Conditions.
A CranioSacral Therapy session can last up to an hour or more; and can be used alone or integrated with other therapies to create powerful effects. I have several clients who enjoy the combination of CranioSacral with Shiatsu or Swedish & Deep Massage. As each client is unique, so too, will be each session and your experience subsequently. It is not unusual to experience immediate relief, or some increase in discomfort, or re-experience a previous discomfort. These discomforts are usually short term as the tissues shift over the next 12-48 hours. Improvements may last for some time after that.
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) was pioneered and developed by osteopathic physician John E. Upledger following extensive scientific studies from 1975 to 1983 at Michigan State University, where he served as a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics.
For more detailed information on the subject, please visit upledger.com.
The Upledger Institute is the organization that provides training and certification for therapists worldwide.
