In 1939, William Garner Sutherland, D.O., a student of Dr. A. T. Still, M.D., invented Cranial Osteopathy. While attending medical school, he noticed that a Beauchenne disarticulated human skull showed architectural features, which would allow for motion similar to the motion of the gill’s of a fish, between the cranial bones. (Interestingly, we retain most of the sutures or joints in the human skull through out our life-time, unless there has been birth trauma, a genetic anomaly or a head injury- if there was no motion, the joints would fuse.) Medical research has only recently recognized that there is some inherent cranial motion as Sutherland claimed.
He spent the better part of his lifetime trying to disprove that momentary inspirational observation. Unwilling to experiment on anyone else, he began his research by carefully studying all of human anatomy and in particular the anatomy of disarticulated skull bones and their potential for motion. He then created certain strain patterns on his own cranium and had to learn how to undo them in a safe and physiologic way. During these efforts he began to understand the close relationship between the positions of the various cranial elements and their capacity to function normally with respect to one another and the whole body. His 30 years of research led to a unique and intricate approach to relieving a variety of health problems for his patients, when there was no other treatment available. He then carefully began to teach other physicians, requiring that they had extensive knowledge of medical anatomy, physiology, mechanics and palpatory skills to study the Cranial Concept of Osteopathy.
Sutherland created a mechanical model to communicate his findings about the human Cranium. As he continued to study, he modified his model to reflect the findings he discovered over time. Basically Dr. Sutherland found that there is an important physiologic motion between the Cranial bones which is inherent and important for the Health and function of the viscera (organs) and contents of the skull as well as the entire body.
He discovered that this motion had a cyclical or respiratory characteristic and since he thought it was more fundamental in terms of the physiology of the body, he named it Primary Respiration. He then looked at the other aspects of the cranium and discovered a pattern to the movement of the cranial membranes (or dura), which he thought acted like a Reciprocal Tension Mechanism (in other words that tension in one area of the membranes would be balanced by other areas of the membranes). The Brain (CNS) structures and fluid motion of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was also included in his early model of Cranial Osteopathy. All of these characteristic features of healthy function are palpable to the Osteopathically trained physician and often assessed to determine the level of health or compensation in the system as a whole.
Later on in his scientific exploration, he began to correlate the neurological, and visceral cranial problems with anatomical findings he was able to diagnose. He found that very minute alteration of the skull’s normal 3 dimensional arrangement could result in difficulty with coordination, swallowing, colic, reflux, certain types of glaucoma, chronic ear infections, sinus issues, nerve dysfunction, depression, developmental delay and many more complex issues.
Trauma impacting the body and head can repress the body’s own healing system, change fluid motion, neuroendocrine communication and organ function. There are a variety of factors which may strongly or mildly reduce the inherent mechanisms of the Cranium and body and lead to immediate or delayed long term difficulties navigating life in the human body. The many benefits of Osteopathic treatment help to reduce a certain amount of trauma and disorganization in the body resulting in improved function and well-being.
