Cranial Sacral Therapy
What is Cranial Sacral Therapy?
Cranial Sacral is a trademarked and popularized term that was created by Dr. John Upledger, D.O. It is usually used to describe a simplified therapeutic method derived from elements of Cranial Osteopathy. With gentle techniques and utilizing the Cranial Rhythmic Impulse, the Therapist seeks to promote a state of balance and deep relaxation in the patient in order to help their body more fully utilize it's own inherent healing processes.
What is Cranial Osteopathy?
The main concepts that comprise Cranial Osteopathy were discovered by Dr.William Garner Sutherland (an American Osteopath) during the period prior to WW II. Fascinated by the construction of the human skull, he conceived the main concepts and theories of Cranial motion and lesion patterning by experimenting on himself. This was done by means of a device he designed that he could wear on his head and use to introduce controlled pressures into specific Cranial bones in effect creating a lesion pattern.
With this appliance he would put minute pressures on various cranial bones and then observe the effects it would have on him, he would then try to understand why and how such tiny pressures could cause results which were sometimes very debilitating and disturbing in nature. When the pressures were alleviated the symptoms receded. The Cranial concept pioneered by Dr. Sutherland has been expanded upon by many other Osteopaths over the years.
Both Cranial Osteopathy and Cranial Sacral Therapy are modes that are directed toward facilitating and balancing the inherent motion patterns of the cranial and facial bones of the skull and the membranes that surround the brain and the spinal cord . These membranes form a continuous tissue sheath from the Brain to the Sacrum.
This Therapeutic method is done with extremely gentle techniques and a very light touch utilizing the Cranial Rhythmic Impulse (aka, Cranial Sacral Rhythm) which is the inherent motion pattern of 6 to 11 cycles per minute that operates inside the semi-closed hydraulic system that is formed by the cerebrospinal fluid and the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. The motion of this rhythm is palpable to trained hands and is used for both assessment and treatment purposes.
This therapy mode is gentle, non invasive and has shown some remarkable results in treatment for headaches, whiplash, TMJ and various traumas as well as stress related conditions.