Cranial Sacral Therapy

"A PT Describes CST" from Dr. John

Dear friends,

In the last issue of the E-News, I asked you to submit a 25-word description of CranioSacral Therapy. I am overwhelmed by the number of wonderful responses we received.

I'd like to share the following one with you. While you can see that the description is long, it also uses very nice imagery to explain the concept of CST.

It was accompanied by a kind letter from a therapist who discovered the efficacy of CST after avoiding it for many years ~ something that is not uncommon in the world of manual therapy.

Dear Dr. John,

I was initially trained in CranioSacral Therapy in 1998. As a veteran physical therapist (28 years now) I stayed away from it for years because it was "so weird."

In 1995, I began specializing in treating pelvic-floor dysfunction. After hearing that CST would help my pelvic-pain patients from three different well-respected national speakers, I decided that I owed it to my patients to learn about CST.

Little did I know how it would change my life and the way in which I practice physical therapy!

I am so thankful to you, Dr. Upledger, and to God to have blessed me with the ability to learn this amazing technique and to use it to help heal others.

I have had some incredible experiences with CST and blend it with many other techniques I have learned throughout my career.

When I introduce CST to my patients, this is what I say:

"CST is a gentle, osteopathic technique that balances tension patterns in the body. Fascia is an extensive network of connective tissue that weaves throughout the body. It separates the body cavities, covers all the organs, separates the muscle layers, covers the brain and spinal cord, all the nerves, blood vessels and even the bones.

"Think about when you put a sheet on a bed. You pull on one corner of the sheet and can see tension across to the other side of the mattress.

"Likewise, when you have an injury, surgery, etc. (I customize this to the individual), this creates a tension pattern in the body that can impact tissue far removed from the original injury. CST is a way to release this tension in the body."

I usually also talk about the neural input that CST creates and the impact of this on the body. Then I let them experience the miracle of CST.

Again, thank you for your wonderful gift to all of us.

Sincerely,
Karol A. Andrew, PT

Helpful Links

CranioSacral Therapy Curriculum Created by Modality
Developer John E. Upledger, DO, OMM
http://www.iahe.com/html/therapies/cst.jsp

Healing from the Core Curriculum Created by Modality
Articles, Testimonials and Case Studies by Modality
http://www.upledger.com


The Upledger Institute, Inc.
Your Source for Complementary Care and Education
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Website: http://www.upledger.com

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