Educational Content

CranioSacral Therapy is a bodywork modality that was created by Dr. John Upledger, then subsequently continued to develop in myriad ways under various other osteopaths. The fundamental approach was intended to optimize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and its distribution to various neural structures; the benefit being that a body which can communicate with itself will be able to heal properly. This was focused primarily on correcting compression sites between cranial bones, as well as spinal and sacral sources of restriction. It has since expanded to include whole body treatments. Osteopaths noted that when using light touch and reflecting back what the body was signaling, the patient would tend to make their own subtle or involuntary movements (Unwinding), and align the various structures needed to improve the function of their central nervous system and connective tissue. One way to understand this mechanism is that you don't have to consciously tell your body how to heal from a wound (send antibodies, lay collagen fibers, etc), it just knows how to do it using our original blueprint for health. The body’s natural ability to feel, heal and self-correct is often compromised due to overwork, injuries, strain, dissociation from pain, emotional or physical stress and trauma. When we allow our bodies to sense and assess their own issues via somatic practices, they tend to know how to improve the situation. This can appear as anything from deep dream state relaxation, to subtle twitches, emotional release, or even Tai Chi-like larger expressions of movement. Unwinding is not exclusive to Craniosacral by any means, and has been discovered by and integrated with many healing practices and conscious movement all over the world.