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.

Chiropractic is by far the most common form of alternative medicine in the United States today, but its fascinating origins stretch back to the battles between science and religion in the nineteenth century. At the center of the story are chiropractic's colorful founders, D. D. Palmer and his son, B. J. Palmer, of Davenport, Iowa, where in 1897 they established the Palmer College of Chiropractic. Holly Folk shows how the Palmers' system depicted chiropractic as a conduit for both material and spiritualized versions of a ""vital principle,"" reflecting popular contemporary therapies and nineteenth-century metaphysical beliefs, including the idea that the spine was home to occult forces. The creation of chiropractic, and other Progressive-era versions of alternative medicine, happened at a time when the relationship between science and religion took on an urgent, increasingly competitive tinge. Many remarkable people, including the Palmers, undertook highly personal reinterpretations of their physical and spiritual worlds. In this context, Folk reframes alternative medicine and spirituality as a type of populist intellectual culture in which ideologies about the body comprise a highly appealing form of cultural resistance.

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.