Sutherland devoted nearly 20 years to exploring the concept that the bones of the skull are designed and formed to allow for movement. While Sutherland's theories were dismissed for years by the medical and scientific community, they were revived in the 1970s by osteopathic physician John E. Upledger. With a team of scientists at Michigan State University, Upledger set out to confirm the existence of cranial bone motion. By law, craniosacral therapists are not allowed to make a medical diagnosis, therefore the technique should not be confused with cranial osteopathy, a diagnostic and therapeutic method of treatment that has similar tenets but is practiced by highly trained osteopathic physicians and surgeons, as well as some dentists. Craniosacral therapists believe that the movement of spinal fluid within and around the central nervous system creates a vital body rhythm, no less important to health and well-being than the heartbeat or the breath.
Health problems develop, they contend, when blockages occur.
Traumatic injuries, ligament or joint strains, or dysfunctions in other parts of the body may cause these blockages. Such disturbances then prevent the skull, the spine, and the membranes encasing the brain and the spinal cord from expanding and contracting to accommodate the natural ebb and flow of cerebrospinal fluid. This ebb and flow is called the cranial rhythmic impulse. Practitioners assert that craniosacral therapy reestablishes the normal flow of fluids and thus restores health. What You Can Expect In a typical session, the practitioner will ask the patient, who may be clothed or wearing a gown, to lie face up or down on a specially designed table.