Multipractitioner Upledger CranioSacral Therapy: Descriptive Outcome Study 2007-2008

Objectives: This study describes patients presenting for CranioSacral treatment, the conditions they present with, and the impact of treatment on both their symptoms and lives. Design: The records of 157 patients treated with Upledger CranioSacral Therapy (UCST) were reviewed. Seventy-three (73) patients had been treated by 10 different practitioners working independently and 84 patients were treated by a single practitioner working within the National Health Service. Results: Patients' ages ranged from neonates to 68 years. Seventy-four percent (74%) of patients reported a valuable improvement in their presenting problem. Sixty-seven percent (67%) also reported a valuable improvement in their general well-being and/or a second health problem. Outcome by diagnostic groups suggested that UCST is particularly effective for patients with headaches and migraine, neck and back pain, anxiety and depression, and unsettled babies. Seventy percent (70%) of patients on medication decreased or discontinued it, and patients' average general practitioner consultation rate fell by 60% in the 6 months following treatment. Conclusions: The study suggests that further research into UCST as a treatment modality would be valuable for the abovementioned problems in particular.