CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the function of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system--comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.
CST enhances the body's natural healing processes, and has been effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including: migraine headaches, chronic neck and back pain, motor-coordination impairments, central nervous system disorders, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, infantile disorders, colic, autism, and post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia and other connective-tissue disroders.
CST works by helping the body's natural healing mechanisms dissipate the negative effects of stress on the central nervous system. This is accomplished through utilizing the craniosacral system. The role of this system in the development and performance of the brain and spinal cord is so vital that an imbalance or dysfunction in it can cause sensory, motor, and/or neurological disorders.
CST was developed by osteopathic physician John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M., in the 1970's. It's based on the theories of William Sutherland, D.O. (an osteopath from the early 1900s); Dr. Upledger's research at Michigan State University (1975-83); and extensive clinical application. Research conducted by the Upledger Foundation and the Veterans Administration on the Treatment of Post-traumatic stress disorder on Vietnam veterans indicated a statistically sound representation of how CST helped ease the often devastating systems of PTSD.
Case studies on the effectiveness of CST on multiple sclerosis symptoms concluded that CST was effective in relieving symptoms and left the participants with a sense of well-being. In another case study of a 5-month old infant with severe athrogymphosis (severe contracture of the limbs) treating physicians recommended at least 7 different corrective surgeries. Instead, the infant received ongoing CST. After a few months, the physicians no longer suggested surgery. By age two, the child was able to climb a ladder and use scissors.
Because of its influence on the functioning of the central nervous system, CST can benefit the body in a number of ways - form bolstering overall health and resistance to disease to alleviating a wide range of specific medical conditions.
