CRANIAL OSTEOPATHY

Source: http://www.drreiss.com/

Cranial Osteopathy is a prominent sub-specialty of Traditional Osteopathic medicine, and was discovered, developed and taught by William Garner Sutherland, DO, starting with his own research in the early 1900s and continuing ceaselessly until his passing in 1954. He determined that there is a palpable movement within the body that occurs in conjunction with the motion of the bones of the head. This is a rhythmic alternating expansion and contraction motion in the cranium, independent of the rhythms of heart beat or breathing, which is part of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism (PRM). This motion exists in every cell of the body and can be felt and worked with in any part of the body by a trained physician. The aim is to free up restrictions in the PRM and allow the subtle natural rhythms of the central nervous system to express themselves in a balanced fashion.

Cranial Osteopathy is uniquely suited to treat problems related to the skull and brain, yet it can potentially affect any situation arising from disease or trauma in the body. Even an almost imperceptible alteration of the skull's natural configuration and movement in infants can lead to such disorders as colic, the inability of the baby to swallow, or frequent spitting up or delayed development. Trauma affecting this mechanism can lead in adults to low back problems, headaches, breathing and digestive disorders, joint pains, menstrual disorders and repetitive stress injuries such as tendinitis.


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With the heightened awareness of cranial manipulation, it is vital to understand the distinctions between "Cranial Osteopathy" (also known as Osteopathy in the Cranial Field) and "craniosacral therapy." Only DOs, MDs, DDSs or DMDs have the comprehensive education to fully diagnose and treat patients - and to practice Cranial Osteopathy. In fact, Dr. Sutherland always emphasized that the cranial concept was only an extension of, not separate from, Dr. Still's science of Osteopathy.

Physicians with training in Cranial Osteopathy recognize that the PRM impacts every cell of the body, interfaces and guides the physiology of the entire body and is not restricted to the cranium, spinal cord, dura and sacrum. Osteopathic physicians do not separate the body into a somatic portion and a cranial portion but instead treat the body as a whole. When working on any one part, the physician is in contact with all parts. Therefore medical and scientific knowledge is essential when treating with Cranial Osteopathy and in-depth knowledge is acquired only with a comprehensive medical education.

Some of Dr. Sutherland's techniques have been isolated and simplified by John Upledger, DO in the 1970s to create what he calls "Craniosacral therapy." Claiming full credit for these techniques, Dr. Upledger states, "The requirements to do craniosacral therapy were dedication, compassion and sensitivity... not organic chemistry, neurology, materia medica or other science courses." The Upledger Institute is open to all licensed health care practitioners, though the majority of practitioners trained in "craniosacral therapy" are massage therapists, chiropractors, and physical and occupational therapists.

A final word on Cranial Osteopathy from it's discoverer, Dr. Sutherland...

"Have you ever had a thought strike you?

I have told many times of the thought that struck me before I graduated from the American School of Osteopathy. [In trying] to prove that motion between cranial bones in the living adult is impossible ... I gained knowledge not only of the articular mobility of the skull but also of the Tide and something within that I call the 'Breath of Life.' I do not consider this contribution of thought mine - I call it a guided thought.

The goal with your patients is to find the way to healthy function within the mechanism that they bring to you. Study the Life principle and come closer to understanding what I mean by the 'Breath of Life.' To the digger who will take time to dream and the dreamer who will wake up and dig, the science of osteopathy will unfold into a magnitude equal to that of the heavens."