This lively book describes the discovery and therapeutic value of the craniosacral system in easy, understandable terms healthcare professionals and laypeople alike can understand. Dr. Upledger's colorful case histories explain the path that led to his discovery of this exciting medical modality. The book contains a play-by-play account of the development of CranioSacral Therapy, SomatoEmotional Release, and other concepts and techniques. It's recommended reading for therapists, patients, caregivers, and anyone interested in understanding how therapy performed on the craniosacral system can improve the quality of life.

Developed by the author, SomatoEmotional Release is a technique for bringing psychotherapeutic elements into CranioSacral therapy. It helps rid the mind and body of the residual effects of trauma by anatomically freeing the central channel of the body. John E. Upledger presents the history, theory, and practice of this subtle form of healing. A result of meaningful, intentioned touch, SomatoEmotional Release allows for identification and removal of energy cysts along with their associated emotions.

In CranioSacral Therapy: Touchstone for Natural Healing, John E. Upledger, DO, OMM, recounts his development of CranioSacral Therapy. He shares poignant case studies of restored health: a five-year-old autistic boy, a man with Erb’s palsy, a woman with a fifteen year history of severe headaches, and numerous others. And he offers simple CranioSacral Therapy techniques you can perform at home on yourself or loved ones.

With the troubling side effects and surging costs of medications and surgery, Americans are increasingly turning to CranioSacral Therapy as an effective, drug-free, and non-invasive therapy. A gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the function of the craniosacral system — the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord — CST boosts the body’s natural healing processes and has proven efficacious for a wide range of medical problems from migraines, learning disabilities, and post-traumatic stress disorder to fibromyalgia, chronic neck and back pain, and TMJ. This book provides a broad introduction to this therapy by way of short pieces written by a number of well-known practitioners or experts. In addition to pioneer John E. Upledger, contributors include Richard Grossinger (Planet Medicine), Don Ash (Lessons from the Sessions), Don Cohen (An Introduction to Craniosacral Therapy), and Bill Gottlieb (Alternative Cures). Each selection covers a different aspect of CST: what it is, what it does, how it heals, what the practitioner does during a CST session, CST’s relationship to cranial osteopathy and other healing therapies, as well as other topics of interest to the beginner.

In this final volume of his best-selling 'Inner' trilogy, Roger Neighbour explores the relationship between a doctor's professional and private selves. He suggests that the mind of every doctor retains an untrained 'ordinary human being' part - their Inner Physician - which makes an important, though often neglected, contribution to medical practice. This 'Inner Physician', which he also describes as the 'amateur within' or the 'expert minus the expertise', plays a major role in diagnosis and treatment, and is the chief source of insight, empathy and clinical acumen. Roger shows that skilled use of the Inner Physician is one thing that distinguishes the generalist from the specialist.

Classically, manipulations of the cranium address the sutures, the membranes and the circulation of cerebral spinal fluid. The proper functioning of these elements requires not only the mechanical harmony of the craniosacral system, but relies also on the exchange of information organized around proprioceptors, baroreceptors and chemoreceptors. These receptors are extremely sensitive. It is the nervous system -cranial nerves and the autonomic nervous system - which transports this intelligence. Neural dysfunctions have, therefore the ability to disturb the fundamental components of the primary respiratory mechanism. Entirely new, original and abundantly illustrated, this book is an essential guide with which to visualize and become familiar with the cranial nerves. It will teach the practitioner manipulations of this delicate neural system as well as new techniques which permit one to have an effect on the most precious part of the cranium: the brain.

John Upledger has never avoided risks, whether performing an appendectomy in the eye of a hurricane, as he did while on Coast Guard duty in the 1950s, or telling the story of his life. In Lessons Out of School, he doesn't spare himself or others, or gloss over unpleasant bits. Raised by an abusive mother, he learned detachment and the ability not to see himself as victim. The proof in these riveting tales of survival at home and on the streets of Detroit negotiating gangs and peer pressure. Along with toughness he learned to follow his curiosity, creative impulses, and love of learning, which eventually led to his pioneering of alternative medical modalities, most notably CranioSacral Therapy. At the core of each of the stories in this powerful blend of autobiography and inspirational guid—and the reason for its inclusion—is the spiritual lesson Upledger found there that he now shares with readers.

This unique first book shows, through pictures and step-by-step instructions, how to give a baby or small child a full craniosacral treatment. The authors approach babies as conscious beings who endure enormous stress during the birth process. They show how CS therapy can help restore the correct alignments in babies' bodies, freeing them to grow and attain their maximum potential without hindrance. The book focuses on what a trained CS therapist can do to remove the blockages that often arise during birth. It addresses both hands-on techniques and awareness of how to interact with a baby and what responses and effects to expect. Based on the authors’ extensive experience, this guide can also be used by parents or caregivers interested in knowing what babies need in order to be whole and healthy, and how to prevent problems — including hyperactivity and ADD — that could become serious and require medication later in life.

In this extensive collection, 145 practitioners from around the world tell how CranioSacral Therapy, a method of using gentle pressure to evaluate and improve the functioning of the central nervous system, has made a difference in their clients' lives. Beginning with a foreword by the treatment's developer, the book is divided into three main sections with stories about children, adults, and animals. Detailed, first-person accounts of actual CranioSacral interventions illustrate the therapy's efficacy and wide range of applications and the degree to which it complements traditional as well as nontraditional treatments. The book holds appeal not only for CranioSacral practitioners, including osteopaths, chiropractors, naturopaths, physical therapists, acupuncturists, and other body workers, but also for anyone interested in alternative ways to reduce pain and enhance the body's functioning.

At the deepest level of our physiology, all living tissues and fluids expand and contract with the 'breath of life'. Through gentle touch, the skilled practitioner can interact with these subtle rhythms to address physical aches and pains, acute or chronic disease, emotional or psychological disturbances, or simply to promote enduring health and vitality. This new and important textbook demystifies the biodynamic approach to craniosacral therapy and shows how and why it can be so effective at bringing about a natural realignment towards optimal health. The authors describe how to 'listen' and respond appropriately to each client's system, how to create a safe space for working with different kinds of trauma, and how to address specific states of imbalance to support deep-felt and lasting change. Throughout the book, experiential exercises encourage the reader to practice their newly-acquired skills, and refine their knowledge of human anatomy and physiology. A final chapter on practice development covers issues pertinent to practitioners trying to set up and maintain a successful practice. This intensely practical textbook will transform the practice of craniosacral therapists, and contains much that bodyworkers of all kinds will find useful.