CST is a "hands-on" therapy.... You will usually lie on a table, fully clothed, and a very light pressure is applied to the bones of the head, or to various structures in the body, such as the shoulders or pelvis.

The session is "body-led", because your body knows exactly what it wants to repair, and in what order it wants to do it in. The job of the CST practitioner is to release any restrictions which may be limiting the effectiveness of the self- repair mechanisms, and to work with your body (rather than imposing an external "fixit" agenda).

Despite the above, there are certain techniqies which are deliberately aimed at improving the mobility of the cranial bones and spine. This helps to release the power of the self-repair systems of the body. It also reduces any local pressure on nerves and neural tissue, and assists the natural movement of neurotransmitters in the fluid within the brain and spinal cord. This has a huge impact on (and is capable of substantially reducing) many different kinds of pain.

CST originated with the pioneering Cranial Osteopathic work of WG Sutherland in the 1930's. It was extended to the whole body and developed as a therapy in its own right by Dr John Upledger after he led a biophysics research programme at Michigan State University in the 1970's.