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