Craniosacral Manipulation
Life is in constant motion. Even as we try to sit still movement abounds within our bodies, blood flows in our veins, fluid travels in between all of our cells delivering nutrients and taking away waste, air travels in and out of our lungs providing needed oxygen. There is even movement within the skull and the brain as cerebral spinal fluid baths our nervous system. The motion of the skull was first noticed by Dr. William Garner Sutherland in the late 1920’s. The study of it is known as osteopathy in the cranial field, although, more recently it is commonly referred to as craniosacral therapy.
The skull is made up of 29 cranial and facial bones that are joined together along suture lines. Dr. Sutherland recognized the sutures in the human skull do not fuse completely, allowing an inherent motion within the bones. He published his findings in 1948 in the book titled The Cranial Bowl. Although craniosacral manipulation may be controversial in conventional Western medicine, there is mounting scientific evidence supporting its practice.
During a typical craniosacral office visit the patient lies comfortably on their back while the physician gently cradles the head with his/her hands. The physician feels for the minute pulsating movements of the individual cranial bones. This rhythmic movement, known as the cranial rhythmic impulse (CRI), can be felt in the head and the sacrum located at the base of the spine and furthermore throughout the rest of the body. The quality of the CRI aids in determining muscle, ligament, and fascial restrictions within the body. Each session lasts between 20 to 60 minutes and ends with the patient feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Case studies have found craniosacral manipulation helpful with numerous disorders including: fibromyalgia, headaches, ear infections, seizures, neurological disorders, learning problems, dental ailments, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), stress, anxiety, and pregnancy. Patients often seek craniosacral treatment when conventional medicine has failed or when they want a natural and noninvasive treatment.
There are several studies that have shown improvement of children suffering from ear infections. An infant's head becomes compressed during delivery as it travels through the birth canal. This may result with cranial restrictions that interfere with proper fluid drainage of the inner ear. As the fluid builds up it becomes susceptible to infection. Children who receive craniosacral manipulation have less need for antibiotics, fewer ear tubes, and improved ear drum movement.
Dr Viola Frymann, a pediatric osteopath, has numerous publications on craniosacral manipulation. Her evaluation of over 1,250 newborns found that 88% had identifiable cranial restrictions. She also has demonstrated the benefits of cranial manipulation in children with neurological deficits, learning problems, seizure disorders, and colic.
A common problem of infants is colic. The vagus nerve which exits at the base of the skull supplies the majority of the gut. If the vagus nerve becomes impinged then signals to the digestive organs are hindered causing abdominal pain. Cranial manipulation applied to the base of the skull has been found to release these restrictions and relieve the colic.
There have been many case studies involving dental problems such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunctions. In 1971, Baker demonstrated that cranial manipulation can widen the dental arch up to 0.7 millimeters, and Libin in 1982 found changes up to 3 millimeters.
Craniosacral manipulation may help blood flow in the brain. Huard in 2005 conducted a study on over 100 patients and found, using ultrasound measurements, enhanced blood circulation in the brain.
Two studies support the effect of craniosacral manipulation on the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nerves control many functions such as heart rate, digestion, and blood pressure. This system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The sympathetics are responsible for the "fight or flight" reaction that causes anxiety, increased heart rate, blood pressure and sweaty palms. The parasympathetics slow the heart rate, decrease blood pressure, and activate digestion. Dr. Cutler, in a pilot study, found that cranial manipulation reduced sympathetic nerve activity. Another researcher, Dr. Giles, conducted two studies that also showed alterations within the autonomic nervous system with an increase in heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is a way to measure the health of the autonomic nervous system.
Many in the conventional medical realm erroneously believe that the bones of the skull become completely fused by adulthood and thus deny the existence of the cranial rhythmic impulse. The evidence to support their view is scant and to the contrary there are numerous studies on both human and animals that support cranial bone movement along with correlated sacral bone motion.
Some of these experiments involved placing infrared markers at the tips of acupuncture needles inserted over the various cranial bones. The results published by two independent researchers, Lewandoski and Zanakis, showed definitive evidence of cranial bone movement of approximately 1/4 millimeter. In addition, several other researchers published separate studies of cranial bone movement along with movement of structures within the brain. Oleski demonstrated with X-rays pictures that the cranial bones could be moved with cranial manipulation. Pick used MRI images to demonstrate structures within the brain can be affected by cranial manipulation.
Some of the strongest evidence for cranial bone motility comes from the Russian cosmonaut and the United States astronaut programs. Dr. Moskalenko conducted several studies using X-ray and MRI imaging to demonstrate cranial bone motion. He found that the cranial rhythmic impulses occurred between 6-14 times a minute and there was between 0.38 and 1 millimeter of movement of the bones. NASA, concerned about pressure changes within the brain during space travel, conducted several studies. They released the following statement, "Although the skull is often assumed to be a rigid container with a constant volume, many researchers have demonstrated that the skull moves on the order of a few micrometers in association with changes in intracranial pressure."
It is quite clear that there is inherent cranial bone motion along with the ability to affect the cranial structures with craniosacral manipulation. The current debate is what causes this motion. Hypotheses abound as to the cause. Some believe it is the pulsating pressure created by the cerebral spinal fluid produced within the ventricles of the brain that causes this movement. Others believe it is an intrinsic pulsation of the brain that pumps the cerebral spinal fluid. Because this impulse can be felt everywhere in the body some believe that it is a global pulsation of lymphatic fluid. Convincing evidence comes from the research of Dr. Norton. He speculates that the cranial rhythmic impulse is a combination of the constant rhythmic changes in blood pressure, the beating heart, and breathing. This may be an example of a "harmonic" produced by different rhythms; similar to a harmonic produced by three or more musical notes played on a stringed instrument.
There is sufficient evidence to support both inherent cranial bone motion and the ability to manipulate these bones with craniosacral manipulation. There are also several controlled studies and many case studies that show the effectiveness of craniosacral manipulation in a wide range of disorders. Quite often craniosacral manipulation succeeds with positive clinical results when conventional medical therapies have failed. The potential uses of cranial manipulation are diverse and should be a valid consideration when a gentle, noninvasive, and natural treatment alternative is desired.
