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For Immediate Release

Can CranioSacral Therapy Improve Symptoms of Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Among Football Players?

Contact: Kathryn Ryan
914-740-2250
kryan@liebertpub.com

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot Street
New Rochelle, NY 10801
(914) 740-2100 or (800) M-LIEBERT
Fax (914) 740-2101
www.liebertpub.com

New Rochelle, NY, January 9, 2018-- This invited commentary references a preliminary study in which the integrative medicine technique known as CranioSacral Therapy (CST) was tested on a group of ex-National Football League (NFL) players who showed significant improvement in range of motion, pain, sleep, and cognitive function. The need for more clinical research data to better understand the potential effectiveness of CST in post-concussive syndrome, mild and more severe traumatic brain injury, and even perhaps chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is emphasized in the article published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM), a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on JACM website until February 9, 2018.

Eric Leskowitz, MD, Integrative Medicine Task Force, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA describes the technique involved in CST in his commentary entitled "CranioSacral Therapy, Brain Injury, and American Football: Time for a Convergence." The therapy involves applying gentle pressure on specific sites on the skull to release restrictions believed to have been caused by head trauma. These restrictions are thought to impair brain function and neuronal repair by altering the rhythmic pulsation and circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid. Dr. Leskowitz highlights the growing need for new treatments for TBI increasingly recognized in football players and among military personnel experiencing blast injuries, and for post-concussive syndrome and the rapidly emerging problem of CTE among professional football players.

“We recognize that these data cited by Dr. Leskowitz are quite preliminary, and at the same time we are all aware since the 2015 movie ‘Concussion’ of the magnitude of the problem in football,” says JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA. He adds: “The situation supports drawing attention to the potential – as this commentary does – so that researchers may more quickly be called to examine this treatment option more thoroughly." 
 
About the Journal
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal published online with open access options and in print. Led by John Weeks (johnweeks-integrator.com), the Co-founder and past Executive Director of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, JACM provides observational, clinical, and scientific reports and commentary intended to help healthcare professionals, delivery organization leaders, and scientists evaluate and integrate therapies into patient care protocols and research strategies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on JACM website.
 
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot Street
New Rochelle, NY 10801
(914) 740-2100 or (800) M-LIEBERT
Fax (914) 740-2101
www.liebertpub.com