CranioSacral Therapy, a gentle, clothes-on, touch therapy, utilizes the body’s own natural healing abilities to enhance well being and improve resistance to disease.   By lightly palpating points within the craniosacral system (the bones of the skull, face and sacrum, along with their connective membranes and cerebrospinal fluid), restrictions in the motion of the system can be detected and corrected and the body’s natural balance restored. A CranioSacral Therapy session can last from 15 minutes to more than an hour, and it can be used alone or in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities.

Since the craniosacral system influences the development and performance of the brain and spinal cord, an imbalance or restriction in it could potentially cause any number of sensory, motor or neurological disabilities.  These problems could include chronic pain, eye difficulties, scoliosis, motor-coordination impairments, learning disabilities and other health challenges.

CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle method of detection and correction that encourages your own natural healing mechanisms to dissipate the negative effects of stress on your central nervous system.  You also benefit from better overall health and resistance to disease. CranioSacral Therapy strengthens your body’s ability to take better care of you.  It helps alleviate a range of illness, pain and dysfunction, including:

• Migraines and Headaches
• Chronic Neck and Back Pain
• Motor-Coordination Impairments
• Stress and Tension-Related Problems
• Infantile Disorders
• Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord injuries
• Chronic Fatigue
• Scoliosis
• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Emotional Difficulties
• Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
• Learning Disabilities
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
• Orthopedic Problems
• And Many other Conditions

CranioSacral Therapy dates back to 1970 when osteopathic physician John E.Upledger first witnessed the rhythmic movement of the craniosacral system during a spinal surgery. In 1975 Dr. Upledger joined the Osteopathic College of Michigan State University as a clinical researcher and professor of biomechanics.  There he led a team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists and bioengineers to test and document the influence of therapy on the craniosacral system. They were able to explain the function of the craniosacral system and demonstrate how light-touch therapy could be used to evaluate and treat malfunctions involving the brain and spinal cord. In 1985, Dr. Upldeger established The Upledger Institute to teach the public and health care practitioners about the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy.

( text primarily excerpted from www.upledger.com )