Cranial osteopathy, otherwise known as craniosacral therapy, is a type of osteopathy that involves “manipulation” of the bones of the skull to promote mental and emotional health. It was invented by William Sutherland, an osteopath working in the 1930’s.
It is based on the idea that the human brain and hence the cerebro spinal fluid surrounding it pulses rythmically in a way unrelated to heart-rate, that these pulses can be felt with the fingertips, and that illness can be caused by restricting the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid.
Practitioners claim to be able to gently manipulate the bones in the skull in order to relieve flow blockages and cure or alleviate the symptoms of disease. Because the treatment is so gentle, it is promoted as being especially suited to babies and young children.
The Craniosacral Therapy Association of the UK claims that one of the causes of problems in babies and children is “displacement of things in their bodies” caused by compression of the skull during birth. This can lead to all sorts of problems, including behavioural difficulties. Fortunately, most of these problems respond very well to craniosacral therapy, which it describes as “a subtle and profound healing form which assists the body’s natural capacity for self-repair.”
Stephen Barrett, of the Quackwatch website, says that craniosacral therapy has no therapeutic value. This is for two reasons. One, the underlying theory is demonstrably false: the brain does pulsate, but this is solely for cardiovascular reasons, and no connection has ever been demonstrated between brain pulsation and general health. Two, tests done on practitioners of craniosacral therapy revealed that their examinations of the same twelve patients revealed very different rates of brain pulsation, which Barrett notes are exactly the outcomes one would expect from people trying to measure a non-existent phenomenon.
What does this mean for a mother who is worried about her child’s behavioural problems? If craniosacral therapy is as gentle as its proponents claim, there is little harm to be done to the child, only to the mother’s pocket. More serious is the possibility that there is something genuinely wrong with the child that your average craniosacral therapist wouldn’t spot. Stephen Barrett comments that most such therapists have such poor judgement that they should be delicensed. This is in the USA of course. In the UK, a person working as a craniosacral therapist needs no qualifications at all.
September 24, 2008 at 5:13 pm |
Interesting article. However, be careful with using cranial osteopathy and cranial-sacral therapy interchangeably. There are NOT the same. An osteopath has to complete a five year university course and can then study cranial osteopathy as a post graduate. They are deemed as a Primary HealthCare Practitioner as they have a detailed understanding of signs and symptoms of pathological disease – so can spot potential serious problems. They are regulated by the state registered General Osteopathic Council. Cranial-Sacral therapist do not undergo this training.
Osteopathy is very misunderstood and the public and other health care practitioners require more educating on Osteopathy. http://www.osteopathsguide.com has some interesting articles of explanation.