More About CranioSacral Therapy

Image of a woman's head with hands cradling the skull

It all started when…

Pioneered and developed by osteopathic physician Dr. John E. Upledger, CranioSacral Therapy was created out of years of research and scientific studies around malfunctions of the brain and spinal cord. Based on this extensive research he has developed a system which bodyworkers, healthcare professionals and even laypersons could learn in order to treat a variety of conditions naturally and harmlessly.

 
 
 
 
  • The Body is a Self-Correcting Mechanism

    There is an innate ability of the human body to heal itself. Some practitioners refer to this as the Inner Physician. 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 to heal when trauma or disease processes become overwhelming for the system.

  • CranioSacral Therapy 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. This can compromise the function of the central nervous system and nearly every other system in your body.

    Using a gentle touch practitioners evaluate you for strain patterns. Then light-touch techniques are used to release any found restrictions.

  • A typical CranioSacral Therapy session takes place in a quiet, private setting. You remain fully clothed and relax on a comfortable massage table.

    Your therapist begins by gently touching various parts of your head and 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 or tissue motion, the practitioner can trace those areas of weakness through the body to the original source of dysfunction (which may or may not be located at the specific area where you are experiencing the dysfunction!)

    Delicate manual techniques are then used to release those problem areas and improve the form and function of your central nervous system.

    A basic session usually lasts no less than one hour, and can be performed for longer if offered by the practitioner.

    What you will experience during and after your session is highly individual. The sessions are generally deeply relaxing, creating feelings of warmth or gentle pulsing at the focus areas. The final results also vary from person to person, and sometimes you may experience benefits other than those that you’ve specifically come in to have treated. The benefits may be felt immediately or some time after the session has ended, and, while complete relief may sometimes require more than one session for acute problems, the benefits are usually longer-lasting as the CST techniques help the total body to recalibrate.

    The sessions are gentle enough to be effective for all ages, from newborns to elders.

  • Visit the Upledger Institute at https://www.upledger.com/therapies