How Did CranioSacral Therapy Begin?

 

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.  Yet none of his colleagues nor medical texts could explain the phenomenon.

 

Two years later, Dr. Upledger attended a short course on cranial osteopathy developed by Dr. William Sutherland.  The course focused on the bones of the skull and the fact - surprising at the time - that they weren't fused as doctors had been taught in medical school.  Instead, Sutherland's material demonstrated that skull bones continue to move throughout a person's life.

 

Putting this new information together with the odd pulsing rhythm he'd observed years before, Dr. Upledger theorized that a hydraulic system of sorts was functioning inside the craniosacral system.  He then set out to confirm his theories.

 

In 1975 he joined the Osteopathic College at 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.  For the first time 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. Upledger went on to establish The Upledger Institute to teach the public and healthcare practitioners about the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy.  To date, The Upledger Institute has trained more than 80,000 healthcare practitioners worldwide in the use of CranioSacral Therapy.