| Craniosacral therapy (CST) was developed about 30 | | | | treatment.Craniosacral therapy is performed with the |
| years ago by John Upledger, DO. Dr. Upledger | | | | client lying on a treatment table while the therapist |
| originally studied the practice of cranial osteopathy, | | | | holds the head and/or the sacrum. The therapist's |
| which was devised by William Sutherland, DO in the | | | | hands then move slightly as they do the needed |
| early twentieth century, but adapted it based on his | | | | adjusting. It may not feel like much is happening |
| own research and personal observation during his | | | | during the treatment; the therapist needs to maintain |
| career as an osteopathic physician.Craniosacral | | | | their concentration, so they don't talk much and the |
| therapy is based on several theories. The first of | | | | client, because they are not moving much |
| these is that the bones of the skull do not fuse | | | | themselves, may fall asleep. The effects are subtle |
| completely in early childhood as is usually believed. | | | | and it can take a lot of sensitivity to notice them at |
| Also, in his early career Dr. Upledger observed, while | | | | first.And what are the effects? To begin with, the |
| assisting during a surgical procedure, that the | | | | client may notice that they are calmer and can |
| membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord - | | | | concentrate more easily. Their posture or |
| the meninges - actually move rhythmically. At first it | | | | coordination may improve and they may have less |
| was thought that this rhythm was due to the | | | | pain; perhaps that nagging headache they've had is |
| heartbeat, but Dr. Upledger discovered that the | | | | now gone. Or maybe they feel more optimistic about |
| rhythm of the meninges is a different pattern from | | | | life in general. The issues in their life that have been a |
| that of the heartbeat.Craniosacral therapists are | | | | source of anxiety no longer seem so challenging - or |
| taught to detect and evaluate the movement of the | | | | hard to get over. (Because it has such a wide range |
| meninges by just holding the head and the base of | | | | of benefits, CST can be used in conjunction with |
| the spine - the sacrum - very still and focusing on | | | | other therapies, including emotional |
| what they feel with their fingers and hand. After the | | | | treatment.)Craniosacral therapy can help people of all |
| evaluation, it is possible to very slowly and gently | | | | ages, from infants to elders. About the only time it is |
| "adjust" the bones of the skull, so that the | | | | definitely not recommended is when there is a |
| cerebrospinal fluid - the fluid lining the brain and spinal | | | | high-risk condition located in or affecting the brain or |
| cord - can flow more naturally.Craniosacral therapy is | | | | spinal cord, like an aneurysm or intracranial |
| used for a wide range of symptoms, including neck | | | | hemorrhage. The craniosacral therapist will obtain a |
| and low back pain, chronic fatigue, temporomandibular | | | | medical history and may consult with a physician or |
| joint syndrome, fibromyalgia and even emotional | | | | other practitioner before doing a |
| issues like depression and anxiety. It is especially | | | | treatment.Craniosacral therapy can be practiced by |
| good for chronic conditions that may have a | | | | massage therapists, but it is not massage. It can be |
| neurological component, like coordination problems, | | | | done by osteopathic physicians, but it's not an |
| hyperactivity and learning disorders. It has even been | | | | osteopathic adjustment. It takes special training to do |
| used to treat autism; Dr. Upledger has found that the | | | | this sort of work. But many people - practitioners and |
| meninges of most autistic children are unusually tight | | | | clients alike - swear by it and would never try |
| and that it is possible to loosen them during a CST | | | | anything else. |