UpClose & Personal - Dr. John Upledger

In 1975 I was tapped by Michigan State University to lead a team of clinicians and researchers to document the influence of the craniosacral system on the body. In so doing, I developed a gentle method of releasing restrictions around the brain and spinal cord.

3Decades later this “new” therapy — called CranioSacral Therapy — has proven to be a lifelong endeavor for me. Yet my goal remains simple: to teach every practitioner willing to learn how to apply these light-touch techniques to allow their clients to heal in the most natural and dignified way possible.

Like many manual therapies, CranioSacral Therapy (CST) consists of a series of techniques that together comprise the body of therapy. For practitioners just starting to use CST, one of the most useful approaches has proven to be the 10-Step Protocol. It consists of a series of basic steps used in sequence to provide a general enhancement of function in the person who receives it. Each step acts as both evaluation and correction, with the techniques being so gentle and noninvasive as to be virtually risk-free.

I originally designed the 10-Step Protocol to help identify clients who would be candidates for more intensive CranioSacral Therapy. What we found over the years has been even more promising. Not only is the protocol a great training tool, it is often the only approach needed to eliminate a client’s underlying complaint.

The steps for the 10-Step Protocol are generally broken down as follows:

1. Still Point
2. Diaphragms: pelvic, respiratory, thoracic inlet, thyroid, occipital cranial base
3. L5-S1 Decompression, Iliac Gap, Dural Tube Traction
4. Dural Tube Rock/Glide
5. Frontal Lift
6. Parietal Lift
7. Sphenobasilar Compression-Decompression
8. Temporal Techniques: temporal wobble, finger in ear, ear pull
9. TMJ Compression and Decompression
10. CV-4/Still Point Technique

As practitioners become skilled in these 10 basic steps of craniosacral evaluation and correction, they often begin to alter the order to better suit their professional styles. It is not the exact order that is important but the exact procedures and their applications. Once you understand precisely what you are doing with the techniques and why, you can let the creativity of your spirit and hands guide you successfully through the process.

Learn more about CranioSacral Therapy and the 10-Step Protocol, and how it can help your practice. Call The Upledger Institute toll-free: 1-800-233-5880, ext. 92015, or visit www.upledger.com.

Send e-mail to sharon@upledger.com

Coming Up: The Still Point.