Why is CranioSacral Therapy so Important?

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a light-touch approach that can create dramatic improvements in your life.  It releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance.

Few body structures have more influence over your health and well-being than your central nervous system.  And few body systems have more impact on your central nervous system than the craniosacral system – the soft tissues and fluid that protect your brain and spinal cord.

You endure stresses and strains and your body absorbs them.  But your body can only handle so much tension before the tissues begin to tighten and potentially affect the brain and spinal cord.  Unfortunately, this can compromise the function of the central nervous system and nearly every other system in your body.

CST releases those tensions to allow the entire body to relax and self-correct.  Using a gentle touch – starting with about the weight of a nickel – practitioners evaluate your internal environment.  Then they use distinctive light-touch techniques to release any restrictions they find.

By freeing the central nervous system to perform at its best, CST naturally eliminates pain and stress, strengthens your resistance to disease, and enhances your health and well-being.

And because it is so gentle, CST can be effective for all ages, from newborns to elders.

How Did CranioSacral Therapy Begin?

CST was pioneered and developed by osteopathic physician John E. Upledger.  Dr. Upledger served from 1975-1983 as a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at the College of Osterpathic Medicine at Michigan State University.  It was durning those years that his team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists and bioengineers were tasked with performing the experiments testing the existence and influence of the craniosacral system.

The results of those scientific studies explained the function of the craniosacral system, and its use in evaluating and treating poorly understood malfunctions of the brain and spinal cord.  Dr. Upledger went on to develop CranioSacral Therapy and other complementary modalities that are now taught worldwide to healthcare professionals through Upledger Institute International’s educational programs.

What Can I Expect From a Session?

A typical CranioSacral Therapy session takes place in a quiet, private setting.  You remain fully clothed as you relax on a comfortable, padded table. Your therapist begins by gently touching various parts of your body to monitor the rhythm of the fluid that is flowing around your central nervous system.

By carefully listening with the hands to locate areas of weak fluid flow or tissue motion, your practitioner can trace those areas of weakness through the body to the original source of dysfunction. Delicate manual techniques are then used to release those problem areas and improve the form and function of your central nervous system.

A CranioSacral Therapy session can last up to an hour or more.  It can be used alone or integrated with other therapies to create powerful effects. What you experience from your own session is highly individual.  The sessions are generally deeply relaxing, creating feelings of warmth or gentle pulsing in the areas the therapist is working on.

The Body is a Self-Correcting Mechanism

There is an innate ability of the human body to heal itself.  Some practitioners refer to this part as the Inner Physician (IP).  When the skin is lacerated, this self-correcting mechanism responds with an elaborate process to close the skin.  Immune responses and inflammatory responses are also indicative of the body’s self healing abilities.  CranioSacral Therapy involves facilitating or enhancing the body’s own natural capacity when traumatic or disease processes become overwhelming for the system.

What Conditions Can CST Help?

CranioSacral Therapy improves your body’s ability to take better care of you.  It has been shown to help a full spectrum of pain, illness and dysfunction, including:

• Migraines and Headaches
• Chronic Neck and Back Pain
• Stress and Tension-Related Disorders
• Motor-Coordination Impairments
• Infant and Childhood Disorders
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Post-Concussion Symptoms
• Chronic Fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• TMJ Syndrome
• Scoliosis
• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Learning Disabilities
• ADD/ADHD
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Orthopedic Problems
• And Many Other Conditions

“People have a belief that life is difficult and healing is painful.  CranioSacral Therapy helps them let go of that belief.  The healing process can be much more gentle and subtle.” – S.H., Abbeville, LA

“Our son was diagnosed with torticollis at 2 months of age.  We are happy to report that he is responding quite well to the treatment!  Not only is his head straighter, but he is a much happier, calmer baby than he was just five short weeks ago.  We learned that his colic was related to the torticollis.  Since getting CranioSacral Therapy, his symptoms have almost completely gone away.”

“I have had extraordinary results from the CranioSacral Therapy.  I have suffered from clogged ears, and extreme pressure and tightness in my upper abdomen for almost two years.  My jaw and neck muscles would occasionally spasm and my throat would tighten.  I was short of breath most of the time- miserable and desperate.  For the first time in almost 2 years, I slept the whole night without a pill, and woke up without tremors and that dreadful body pressure.  I am a 38 year old woman and for the first time in almost two years, I have lived one day as a normal human being.  That is a quantum leap for me.”