In my last post (CranioSacral Therapy – A History Lesson) I gave a brief overview of how CranioSacral Therapy is rooted in Osteopathic work. However, a question I often hear is “So how does CranioSacral Therapy differ from Cranial Osteopathy?”

Dr. Sutherland’s work in Cranial Osteopathy was focused on the bones and sutures of the cranium and the sacrum. He spent a lot of time studying the various sutures of the cranium and the movement of the cranial bones. Dr. Sutherland manufactured special helmets with screws that he could put on his head and tighten the screw(s) to prevent motion of one or more cranial bones. He would then monitor how he felt and any changes that occurred in his body. At the same time his wife would record any changes she would notice including personality changes. Based on these trials Dr. Sutherland developed a very specific and effective system for evaluating and treating cranial bone restrictions.

Dr. Upledger’s contribution was the finding and studying of the craniosacral system and development of CranioSacral Therapy based on this research. His work in this field began in a surgical procedure in 1970. During this procedure the back part of the cervical vertebrae were removed to expose the dural tube (which was left intact for this procedure). Dr. Upledger’s ‘job’ in this procedure was to hold the dural tube steady so that a calcification could be scraped off by another surgeon. However, he was unable to hold the dural tube still. He, and others in the room, witnessed a rhythmic rise and fall of the dural tube at a rate that did not match any of the monitors in the room. No one could explain it and no text could be found to describe this movement.

Soon after this procedure Dr Upledger attended class that explained Dr. Sutherland’s ideas about cranial bone movement, examination and treatment. He believed that it was this rhythmic movement witness during the surgery that was connected to the movement of the cranial bones and sacrum. He theorized that there was some hydraulic-like system within the dural tube that drove this motion. He began practicing Cranial Osteopathy and refining Dr. Sutherland’s techniques based on this new theory.

Then in 1975, Dr. Upledger was asked to go to Michigan State to prove or dis-prove Dr. Sutherland’s theory about cranial bone motion. He led a team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists, neurophysiologists, and bioengineers as they studied the craniosacral system and the possible effects of therapy on this system.

This is where the two approaches, Cranial Osteopathy and CranioSacral Therapy, differ. Cranial Osteopathy focuses on the bones of the skull and their movement for good overall health. In CranioSacral Therapy the focus is on the membranes (like the dural tube) and the cerebrospinal fluid that surround the central nervous system. CranioSacral Therapists are taught to evaluate the craniosacral rhythm and detect restrictions and/or imbalances and using gentle techniques, release these restrictions.

The desired outcome of CranioSacral Therapy is to remove restrictions that may be impairing the nervous system causing sensory, motor, or neurological dysfunction so that your body’s ability to self-correct is enhanced.