Upledger CranioSacral Therapy
Upledger CranioSacral Therapy 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.
Upledger CranioSacral Therapy enhances the body’s natural healing processes and has been effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:
- Stress and tension related problems
- Migraine headaches
- Chronic neck and back pain
- Central nervous system disorders
- Emotional difficulties
- Motor-coordination impairments
- Orthopedic problems
- Temporomandibular Joint dysfunction (TMJ)
- Scoliosis
- Chronic fatigue
- Infantile disorders
- Neurovascular or immune disorders
- Colic
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Autism
- Post-surgical dysfunction
- Learning difficulties
- Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries
What you may experience during an Upledger CranioSacral session
An Upledger CranioSacral session usually takes place in a quiet, private setting for an hour. I recommend that you wear loose, comfortable clothing. You remain fully clothed with your shoes off. You will be reclining on a massage or treatment table while I stand or sit, positioned at various times throughout the session at your head, middle, torso or feet.
Experiences during an Upledger CranioSacral session are as individual as the clients themselves. They may also differ from session to session. At times, you may deeply relax or even fall asleep; at other times, you may talk a great deal, recalling memories or expressing emotions. You may remain still during the entire session, hardly noticing my evaluation and treatment, or you may experience sensations within the body as the process is carried out.
At various times throughout the session, I may support your limb or spine while facilitating release of accumulated tension. This process is called energy cyst release or tissue release. During this release, you might recall circumstances surrounding a past shock, trauma or injury. This is known as SomatoEmotional Release. Releasing and re-experiencing past hurts assists the body in reversing dysfunction and restoring previous levels of mobility.
What you may experience following an Upledger CranioSacral session
Just as individuals experience Upledger CranioSacral sessions differently, the immediate results can be diverse as well. This relaxed state may elicit the desire to sleep for many hours after a session. Or you may experience an increase in energy. Reduction of pain or an increase in function may occur immediately after the session, or it may develop gradually over the next few days.
Since Upledger CranioSacral Therapy helps the body resume its natural healing processes, it is common for the improvement to continue weeks after the session. You may also go through a reorganization phase as the body adapts to the releases of previously held patterns.
Upledger CranioSacral and our immune response
Our immune system is a sophisticated system of checks and balances to combat the threat of viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, allergens and our own cells when they run rampant and develop tumours.
Sometimes, however, this complicated system becomes overwhelmed or compromised and its lines of communication break down resulting in dysfunction. This can cause malignant and/or autoimmune diseases. The body may become hypersensitive to air borne particles in the respiratory tract resulting in hay fever or asthma; or to food or chemicals in the digestive tracts such as coeliac or eczema. Inflammation is part of the innate stage of the immune response but unsuppressed it may become rampant as in arthritis. In auto-immune diseases and organ transplants the body is unable to recognise self cells and so starts to attack them. Self cells can mutate and proliferate unsuppressed so that the immune response is confused as with cancer and Aids. It is also known that the body’s emotional state can affect the efficiency of the immune response.
Upledger CranioSacral Therapy can be used to dialogue with the Immune System on a visceral, cellular and /or molecular level to uncover the issues that are resulting in the dysfunctions and to help the body improve its lines of communications so that it is able to come to a resolution on the issues.
Cancer Patient Support
Upledger CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle, non-invasive manipulative technique that uses the craniosacral system to palpate the body and facilitate the body’s own healing by releasing physical and emotional restrictions. The therapy is complementary to hospital treatments for cancer.
Using Upledger CranioSacral Therapy it is possible for you to identify the probable reason for the presence of the cancer. This may be because of external sources such as toxins or radiation or it may be from an emotional conflict within your body.
In a quiet, supportive environment Upledger CranioSacral Therapy is used to help you explore some possibilities for physical or emotional changes required through dialogue with your body’s immune system and your Inner Wisdom.
During hospital treatments, Upledger CranioSacral Therapy and Reiki sessions are also offered; to balance and re-energise you; to help with pain and nausea; and provide emotional support.
Guided meditation is also taught for relaxation and grounding.
Upledger CranioSacral Therapy for Paediatrics
Upledger CranioSacral Therapy (CST) assists the natural healing processes and homeostatic mechanisms in the central nervous system. It strengthens overall good health, motor coordination, sensory perception, range of motion and neuromuscular function. As such this is a gentle, non-invasive, hands-on approach to helping babies and children.
Early treatments are beneficial to prevent further dysfunctions and in the case of newborns, it can remove trauma caused by the birthing process.
CST helps babies to re enact their birthing process to help them resolve any physical dysfunctions that may now be presenting such as colic, difficulty in feeding, discomfort in being in a certain position, or the shape of their cranium. CST techniques also facilitate any musculoskeletal and neuromuscular adjustments that are causing dysfunctions in the child.
If there has been a developmental “glitch” while the baby is in the uterus this may then result in a sensory integration dysfunction. Sensory integration is the ability to organize sensory information (touch, vision, proprioception, vestibular, auditory) for use in learning and adaptive functions. This dysfunction may present itself as colic; modulation disorders; sensory defensiveness; learning difficulties; ADHD; or autism. This “glitch is in the central nervous system so the brain is unable to analyze, organize and integrate sensory messages. CST works well with dysfunctions in the central nervous system.
Primitive reflexes ideally begin to function in a particular order and are integrated in a specific sequence. If they are retained out of sequence, they disturb the development and integration of subsequent reflexes. If they are retained beyond their normal age of integration, they can disturb some or all of the functions of higher centres, which include behaviour, learning, the integration of gross and fine movements and more. Basically, the perception of our inner and outer environment and our response to it may be disturbed.
The presence of foreign molecules that may have traversed the placenta barrier while in utero or during the birthing process may also be a problem to the child. These foreign molecules may range from viruses; mother’s prescribed medication, to labour anaesthetics to name but a few. CST can encourage the body to disperse these foreign molecules.
As CST works with the central nervous system it also has had results with Cerebral Palsy; Transient brain ischemia; capillary bleeds; seizures; strabismus; hydrocephalus and shunts; Down’s Syndrome; chronic ear infections; autoimmune disorders; arthrogryposis; craniosynostosis; plagiocephaly; torticollis; and a cleft palate.
Treating parents and siblings either on their own or with the child is beneficial as the parents may also be stressed, or have feelings of anger, guilt, frustration, resentment, fatigue, exhaustion or desperation which may inadvertently be affecting the child.
When visiting with a baby or infant it is often beneficial to bring along a snack for them, a favourite toy and or book, or any music they enjoy. This will help to keep the child calm and make them feel comfortable. It is helpful if parents hold or play with the child while evaluation and treatment is taking place. There are also techniques that parents and siblings can learn to continue working with the child between sessions.
