What is Upledger CranioSacral Therapy?
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on method of whole-body evaluation and treatment, which may have a positive impact on every system of the body. The evaluation leads the therapist to areas of restriction, which can be treated with a range of techniques.
Every client is unique
One person’s migraine headaches will be caused by something different from someone else’s. Upledger CST treats the individual and by working with gentle techniques on areas indicated by the evaluation, the underlying problem often shows.
This is a different approach from many healthcare treatments. We do not just treat symptoms. We are likely to be getting in touch with the source of those symptoms.
cra·ni·o·sa·cral the·ra·py
Pronounced cray - nee - oh - say - cral
The CranioSacral System was scientifically defined only relatively recently, which is why it can seem an unfamiliar name. It is a core body system, extending from our head to our tailbone. This system is far-reaching as it contains our brain, spinal cord and all related structures. Our ability to see, smell, sense, chew our food and digest it, speak, breathe, in fact all of those and many more functions are influenced by our CranioSacral System.
The importance of blood, lymph and other fluids are quite familiar to us. CST takes us to a focus on another vital fluid, which is cerebrospinal fluid. The production and re-absorption of this fluid creates a subtle movement we refer to as the CranioSacral Rhythm (CSR), and we can palpate it anywhere on the body. Your therapist will palpate this movement on various parts of your clothed body when they evaluate for restrictions.
Everything is connected
It is often forgotten that restrictions anywhere in the body can affect other structures - even those at a distance. Just imagine for a moment the way we adapt to tensions and strains, such as what happens when we strain an ankle. We limp, but we also hold our body differently; even our shoulders and jaw adapt. That ankle strain is communicated through our connective tissues.
Sometimes in a CranioSacral Therapy treatment, the release of those tensions can be accompanied by a realisation or awareness of something about a situation that had been long forgotten. Where physical injuries might be slow to heal, the therapist may help the client as they recognise the associated emotion or other factors at the time of an accident or injury.
A CranioSacral Therapist develops the skills of listening with their hands while maintaining a safe and neutral environment for the client
As a therapist progresses through this training they develop skills of holding a therapeutic conversation or dialogue, enabling them to help their client through deeper processes. Even the conversation or dialogue is linked to subtle changes in the client’s body, so at all stages the client is in charge and their inner intelligence, sometimes referred to as their Inner Physician or Inner Wisdom, is leading the session, and guiding the therapist.
The therapist develops skills of listening with their hands while maintaining a safe and neutral environment for the client. The training to be able to do this, to hold this therapeutic space, is challenging and inspiring. Working with clients, for whom we are often a ‘last resort’ also has its challenges. Chronic issues are often brought to the therapist, who, using the evaluation already described might just be able to locate and treat the root of the problem. To the client it can seem like a miracle, but the therapist learns ways of explaining the way Upledger CST works so that the client is able to own the process.
"Every treatment protocol should be dictated by the wisdom of the patient's own body."
Dr John Upledger
The Practitioner's Journey
The CSS gives an Upledger trained therapist a valuable resource, through Study Group leaders, experienced colleagues and the Board Members themselves who are available to guide and support them gently along their journey through the work. We understand the unique nature of this therapy, and the specific needs of therapists as they progress through their training and professional life.
Throughout the training, the student moves from learning a great deal about the body, to practising the work and gaining understanding, and through receiving treatment themselves, to embodying it.
Research and Case Studies
Many studies have been published worldwide which demonstrate the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy.