A brief history of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy

  

Craniosacral therapy was founded by Dr William Sutherland (1870-1954), an American medical doctor and osteopath.  Dr Sutherland’s many years of research revealed underlying the more obvious bodily rhythms such as respiration and heart beat, lay more subtle rhythmic motions which involve a network of interrelated tissues and fluids at the core of the body; including cerebrospinal fluid (the 'sap in the tree'), the central nervous system, the membranes that surrounds the central nervous system and the sacrum.  Dr Sutherland concluded these subtle rhythmic motions reveal an expression of life at a cellular level and crucially, are fundamental to the healthy functioning of the body.  Disruption of these rhythms occur when the body experiences physical injuries, prolonged periods of emotional and psychological stresses, trauma and toxicity.  Notwithstanding this, it was further discovered that the body is fully able to counteract this disruption, and reconnect using a specific treatment without the use of any external mechanical force; Alternatively,  the innate intelligence within the body is trusted to carry out the healing processes under the sensitive hands of a trained Craniosacral practitioner.  

  

Dr Sutherland studied the cranial system for over 50 years and during the last 21years of his life he trained many skilled osteopathic clinicians. In the 1970’s Dr John Upledger was the first person to teach craniosacral therapy to non-osteopaths or medical staff. He had become interested in exploring the Primary Respiration after an incident that occurred while he was assisting a spinal surgical operation. Whilst holding part of the dural membrane system that enfolds the spine, it kept rhythmically moving under his fingers. This discovery led Dr Upledger to set out on his own path of clinical research and it has carried on evolving with Franklyn Sills and the Karuna Institute teaching team developing the biodynamic craniosacral model. Their work has created a number of other schools in the UK , USA , Spain , Switzerland , Germany , India , Japan , and more recently New Zealand and Australia .

  

The development of this therapy continues as more understanding is gained and new approaches and perspectives are adopted.

  

 

  

"Find the health. Anyone can find disease." -- Dr. Andrew Taylor Still