Craniosacral therapy

• In the early 1900s, the osteopathic doctor William Sutherand developed a theory that the relationships and motions of the bones of the skull (cranium), the fluid that flows through the brain and spinal column (cerebrospinal fluid), the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meninges), and the bones of the lower back (sacrum) lie at the core of the body's functioning and vital energy.
• A series of techniques grew out of these concepts, which were further developed in the 1970s by John Upledger, also an osteopathic doctor. Dr. Upledger coined the term craniosacral therapy, which refers to a form of therapeutic manipulation that is oriented to tissue, fluid, membranes, and energy.
• Cranial manipulation has reportedly been practiced in India for centuries. In the 18th Century, a philosopher and scientist named Emmanuel Swedenborg claimed that the brain moves with regular cycles of expansion and contraction.
• Craniosacral therapy has been suggested as a treatment for various conditions, including asthma, cerebral palsy in children, headache, labor and delivery, low back pain, and torticollis in infants. However, there is a lack of scientific data on the safety and effectiveness of the therapy.
• Skeptics have raised various criticisms about craniosacral therapy. For example, some argue that scientific evidence does not support the theories for cranial bone movement since the cranial bones fuse during adolescence. Others argue that the cerebrospinal fluid pulsation is caused by the functioning of the cardiovascular system and not by the craniosacral system.