Craniosacral Therapy- Molding the Mind

           It was my wife’s reaction to reading about craniosacral therapy in Andrew Weil’s book that spurred me to begin my exploration of alternative medicine.  Beth had read to me the account of a craniosacral practitioner feeling the movement of the skull bones to diagnoses and treat problems. I was in disbelief, “the movements of the skull bones?!”   Beth on the other hand thought the explanation was reasonable.  Despite my skepticism, who was I to contradict the author’s testimony.  Even though I was a physician I had never tried craniosacral therapy myself, nor did I have any proof that it didn’t work.  It just sounded kooky.  This led me to thinking about alternative medicine as a whole.  My western training told me it was all kooky, but I realized my opinion was based on biases formed in my training in traditional western medicine.  Rather than disparage alternative medicine while being uninformed I was going give it a try and develop my own educated opinion.  So it here I am five years into my alternative education and finally I will be giving craniosacral therapy a try.  I am certainly much more open minded, but I still have a hard time imaging my free floating skull bones.

I had assumed finding a craniosacral therapist would be difficult, but once again Asheville’s deep well of alternative medicine practitioners comes through.  In fact, the craniosacral therapy business appears to be booming- I have multiple options to choose from.   Craniosacral therapy is performed by massage therapists, practitioners of holistic healing, chiropractors, and others; although the massage therapists seem to be the most numerous.  I choose a husband –wife combination who are both licensed massage therapists.  In addition to craniosacral therapy they offer reflexology and more traditional forms of massage.  The craniosacral system is defined as consisting of the protective membranes surrounding the brain, the lining of the cranium, and the covering of the spinal column and the cerebrospinal fluid which ebbs and flows at a rate of 8-12 seconds per cycle. It represents the body’s hydraulic system as well as supporting the entire nervous system. Events ranging from a traumatic birth to other physical and emotional traumas occurring later in life can upset these rhythms.  

Craniosacral therapy follows a gentle, light-pressure protocol, to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal, improve brain and spinal cord function, and restore immune system response.  According to the website some of the maladies which craniosacral therapy claims to heal are: migraine headaches, TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint pain), chronic neck and shoulder pain, fibromyalgia, emotional difficulties, learning disabilities, and joint and muscle pain.  This seems perfect for me; despite my recent rolfing experience I still have lower back pain, and I am prone to frequent headaches. 

My alternative medicine bible reiterates the claimed benefits of craniosacral therapy touted by the website.  In fact, it expands the range of problems that can be addressed to include respiratory conditions, digestive disorders, and even Downs syndrome.  A cranial therapist is trained to feel the motion of the craniosacral system and locate critical points of restriction which can then be manipulated to re-establish a normal rhythm.  There are three primary approaches to CST: the sutural approach, the meningeal approach, and the reflex approach.  The pioneers of craniosacral therapy were Dr. William Sutherland in the early 20^th century and later Dr. John Upledger in the 1970’s, both osteopathic physicians.  Sutherland popularized the sutural approach in which he manipulated the sutures (where the cranial bones meet) to increase the mobility of the cranial bones. An interesting description, but one of which I am instantly skeptical. I was taught early in my medical training to palpate the cranium of infants for their fontanelles or “soft spots” during the first year of life as a possible indication of their volume status (level of hydration).  There are two main soft spots, one at the front of the skull and one near the back.  When an infant is dehydrate or sick the fontanelles may be sunken in.  These spots represent the areas where the cranial sutures have yet to fuse.  Early on the cranial bones remain unfused to allow the brain room to grow.  By 12-18 months of age the cranial bones have fused- the lines of fusion are suture lines.  Once the cranial bones have fused I would doubt much movement could be appreciated.  When I remember back to my first year of medical school and dissecting a cadaver I remember palpating these very same suture lines and the appearance of the skull as a single fused structure.    Dr. Upledger built upon Sutherland’s approach and pioneered   the meningeal approach was which he claimed was very successful for treating chronic, severe headaches.  His approach, which happens to be the approach followed by the massage therapist I will be seeing, works on releasing the restrictions of the cranial tissues and underlying membranes while monitoring the rhythmic movement of the craniosacral system via changes in cerebrospinal fluid pressure. He reported an 85% success rate in curing headaches.  My headaches are feeling better already.  I book a visit for the following week.

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