Cranial Sacral Therapy (massage) and Cranial Electrical Stimulation offered at Shangri La BioSpa & Resort  stimulate frequencies in specific parts of the brain that are responsible for healthy states of mind such as alpha, (healthy) beta, and theta ranges. In instances of addiction and withdrawal, these brain waves are significantly reduced with fewer occurrences when the dominant sympathetic nervous system expresses higher beta brain waves responsible for many of the symptoms that cause people to seek legal and illegal drug-based medications. In today’s over-stimulating, neurotoxic environment. it is more common for the patient to require alpha and theta stimulation and reduce elevated beta waves than it is to induce higher beta waves.

Below is a synopsis of the frequency patterns and pros and cons of each of the four major categories of brain frequencies. The good news about these therapies is that the brain can actually be trained to produce healthy waves on its own. At a certain point in therapy, the brain will consistently produce healthy frequencies responsible for tranquility, peaceful alertness, emotional well-being, focus, creative thinking and many other favorable states of mind.

At Shangri La BioSpa & Resort you will also benefit from the diet and lifestyle changes focused on eliminating the many neurotoxic and over-stimulating influences that caused the brain waves to produce  the unhealthy frequencies. This will become your foundation that maintains the success achieved at our Resort and makes our treatment model a curative approach—you don’t have to submit to treatment for the rest of your life, just as long as it takes to sustain the healthy states of mind you seek.

Cranial Sacral Therapy
A Clinical Report

We began this series of experiments by applying electrodes on the midline of each patient’s anterior thigh, three inches above the superior border of the patella. The grounding electrodes were placed upon the dorsum of each foot on the anterior midline over the tarso-metatarsal junctions. We also monitored cardiac activity through a V-2-placed electrode, and we tracked pulmonary/respiratory activity by placing sensitive strain-gauge and band apparatuses around the thoracic cage at the level of the juncture of the manubrium sterni with the xiphoid bone. Circumferential variations in thoracic-cage volume reflected breathing activity. These four measuring devices were then plugged into a polygraph that recorded the heart rhythm, breathing activity, and total-body millivoltage changes.

Dr. Karni monitored the readings on polygraph paper. Initially I told him what was happening as I initiated treatment techniques or patient changes occurred, and he noted the comments on the polygraph paper at appropriate locations. After a while, he was making accurate patient observations by simply monitoring changes in the polygraph recordings. We treated more than 150 patients this way and collected what seemed like miles of data. By demonstrating correlations in total-body electrical potential, we again confirmed the activity of what we called the craniosacral system.

As all of these laboratory studies were taking place, my colleagues and I conducted two clinical inter-rater reliability studies on children. I developed a 19-parameter evaluation protocol used to rate the level of mobility for various bones of the skull and sacrum. The first study was carried out on 25 nursery-school children examined by myself, one of two other cranial osteopaths, and a student assistant. The four of us evaluated the children independently, and reported our findings on each parameter to an independent research assistant. No one had any knowledge of the other’s findings until after an independent statistician completed the statistical analysis. The percentage of agreement between the examiners varied from 72 percent to 92 percent, with the allowed variance of 0-0.5 percent. Once again, these findings supported the existence of a craniosacral system and sutural movement.

Still not satisfied, I went on to use the same examination protocol on 203 grade-school children. I personally evaluated the children with no knowledge of their histories. I then reported my findings to a research assistant who faithfully recorded them. An independent statistician then collected information from each child’s school file, along with historical data from parent interviews. He correlated my findings with the data he recovered, and reported a very high level of agreement between the craniosacral examination findings and learning behavior; seizure problems; head injuries; hearing problems; and even obstetrical problems.
The study, because of its scientific design, obviated the possibility of random agreement. The results showed that standardized, quantifiable craniosacral system examinations represent a practical approach to the study of relationships between craniosacral system dysfunctions and a variety of health, behavior and performance problems. Other researchers have performed similar studies related to psychiatric disorders and symptomatology in newborns. Again, most of this work has been published. This is but a small portion of the research that has been done to prove the efficacy of therapy upon the craniosacral system.
Today, there are close to 100,000 CranioSacral Therapists around the world – and even more reports of patients helped by its noninvasive techniques. I find it odd that this information counts for nothing in the eyes of some skeptics who continue to proclaim the craniosacral system a fantasy. In any case, the craniosacral system will continue to exist and be used therapeutically with essentially no risk.

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CranioSacral Therapy
Celebrate the Healing Power of a Gentle Touch

Mr. Thomas Bianco, M.S.P.T.
Physical Therapist
CranioSacral Therapy
East Longmeadow, MA

Sometimes all the body needs to activate the healing process is a light touch by a skilled hand. CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle approach that works to alleviate a range of sensory, motor or neurological disorders.

It’s no secret that among the keys to good health are proper nutrition, exercise, a stress-free life (to the extent that’s possible) and steering clear of harmful habits. But what about that aspect of health that originates from inside, within our internal self-healing system? We know that the body is designed to defend us from disease and assist in healing, as evidenced every time we “fight off” a cold or a cut heals. What we may not be aware of are the innovative hands-on techniques available to facilitate that process.

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a light-touch manual approach that enhances the body’s natural healing capabilities. For nearly 30 years is has been shown to be effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and loss of function. CST is useful as both a primary treatment method and combined with other traditional or complementary techniques.

How CST Works

The CranioSacral Therapy practitioner works with the patient to assist the body’s self-correcting mechanisms. Generally using about five grams of pressure, or about the weight of a nickel, the practitioner evaluates the body’s craniosacral system. This system plays a vital role of maintaining the environment in which the central nervous system functions. It consists of the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord as well as the attached bones – including the skull, face and mouth, which make up the cranium, and the tailbone area, or sacrum. Since the brain and spinal cord are contained within the central nervous system, it is easy to see that the craniosacral system has powerful influence over a wide variety of bodily functions.
The CranioSacral Therapy practitioner essentially helps the body release restrictions – which it has been unable to overcome on its own – that inhibit the body’s normal, self-correcting tendencies. Rather than deciding how these changes should be made, the therapist follows cues from the body on how to proceed. When the therapist follows this gentle approach, the method is extremely safe and effective. The few contraindications to CST are aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, and other conditions where altering intracranial fluid is not recommended.

Benefits of CranioSacral Therapy

CST has been shown to alleviate a wide range of conditions, including traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, motor-coordination impairments, chronic neck and back pain, scoliosis, central nervous system disorders, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), stress and tension-related problems, and orthopedic problems. While the focus of CST is to uncover the source of the problem, symptom relief also is achieved. The length of time and number of sessions needed is extremely variable and depends, among other factors, on the complex layers of injury and trauma that may mask the original cause of the problem as well as the body’s defense mechanisms. Due to its gentleness and effectiveness, many people include CST as a component in their personal wellness programs. They report having more energy, sleeping better and being sick less often.

The Foundations of CranioSacral Therapy

In the early part of this century, osteopathic physician William Sutherland put forth the original concepts for what is now known as the craniosacral system. Dr. Sutherland’s studies culminated in a system of treatment known as Cranial Osteopathy. Another osteopath, John Upledger, is credited with developing CranioSacral Therapy. While assisting during a surgery in 1970, Dr. Upledger observed a rhythmic movement of the dura mater, the membrane that encompasses the brain and spinal cord. Neither his colleagues nor medical texts could explain his observation. Dr. Upledger’s curiosity led him to the work of Dr. Sutherland, and later to develop his own scientific studies to confirm the existence of the craniosacral system. This work went on from 1975 to 1983, while he served as a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University. The findings of the research team he supervised first established the scientific basis for the craniosacral system.
Dr. Upledger’s continued work resulted in his development of CST. He formed The Upledger Institute in 1985 to educate the public and healthcare practitioners about the benefits of CST. To date, the Institute has trained more than 40,00 healthcare practitioners worldwide in the use of CST. Practitioners include osteopathic physicians, medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic, doctors of Oriental Medicine, naturopathic physicians, psychiatric specialists, psychologists, dentists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, acupuncturists, and massage therapists.
With a growing number of practitioners, CST provides a new healthcare option – one that uses a gentle approach working with the body. By following the body’s lead, the CST practitioner often can uncover the source of pain or dysfunction that can open the path to wellness.

Further Information

Your Inner Physician and You by John Upledger, D.O. (North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA, and UI Enterprises, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 1997) describes CranioSacral Therapy in greater detail and offers a number of case histories.