Types of Massage Therapy and Bodywork: CranioSacral Therapy, CST
CranioSacral Therapy
Background: In 1898, William Garner Sutherland (1873 – 1954), “The Father of Cranial Osteopathy” went to The American School of Osteopathy (now Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine) in Kirksville, Missouri to study with Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, “The Father of Osteopathy.” There, Sutherland found his vocation and avocation – the study of cranial osteopathy. Dr. Sutherland’s research led him to the conclusion that the cranial bones do move and that cranial movement has a significant physiological function.
It was Dr. John Upledger, another graduate of Kirksville College, however, who coined the term CranioSacral Therapist in the mid-1970s. He used the term to distinguish the therapeutic approaches he had developed and was teaching to non-osteopaths, from those used by “cranial osteopaths.” In 1985, Dr. Upledger founded the Upledger Institute (UI) in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Upledger Institute has a comprehensive educational program in CranioSacral Therapy, has a research arm which continues to study the range of therapeutic effects of CranioSacral Therapy, and has a clinic which treats a vast array of physiological disorders.
Methods: CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is performed on a fully clothed person. Using a light touch, the massage practitioner monitors the rhythm of the client’s craniosacral system evaluating potential restrictions and imbalances. The massage therapist then employs delicate manual techniques to release those problem areas. The result? A central nervous system free of restrictions. And a body that is able to return to its greatest levels of performance. CST is a gentle method of detection and correction that encourages your own natural healing mechanisms to reduce the negative effects of stress on your central nervous system.
At the introductory level practitioners start with a 10-Step Protocol developed by Dr. Upledger that is both diagnostic and therapeutic. As practitioners gain experience they learn new techniques to address a host of physiological conditions. The Upledger Institute provides a sequential curriculum taking the practitioner from beginner CranioSacral Therapist to Advanced.
Results: CranioSacral Therapy, CST, because of its effect on the central nervous system, is a profound modality that can be used to treat the broadest range of ailments including: migraines and headaches, chronic neck and back pain, stress and tension related problems, central nervous system disorders, chronic fatigue, scoliosis, emotional difficulties, spinal cord injuries, temporomandibular joint syndrome (tmjs), autism, post traumatic stress disorder, ADD/ADHD, and many other conditions. CST optimizes central nervous system function eliminating pain and stress, strengthening resistance to disease, and enhancing health and well-being. CranioSacral Therapy can be effective for people of all ages from newborns to the elderly.
