Introduction to Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy
by Michael Kern,
DO., R.C.S.T., M.I.Cr.A., N.D.
Life and motion
DO., R.C.S.T., M.I.Cr.A., N.D.
Life and motion
Life expresses itself as motion. At a deep level of our physiological functioning all healthy, living tissues subtly "breathe" with the motion of life - a phenomenon that produces rhythmic impulses which can be palpated by sensitive hands. The presence of these subtle rhythms in the body was discovered by osteopath Dr William Sutherland over 100 years ago, after he had a remarkable insight while examining the specialized articulations of cranial bones. Contrary to popular belief Dr Sutherland realized that cranial sutures were, in fact, designed to express small degrees of motion. He undertook many years of research during which he demonstrated the existence of this motion and eventually concluded it is essentially produced by the body's inherent life force, which he referred to as the "Breath of Life." Furthermore, Dr Sutherland discovered that the motion of cranial bones he first discovered is closely connected to subtle movements that 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 surround the central nervous system and the sacrum.
The "Breath of Life"
The Breath of Life produces a series of subtle rhythms that may be palpated in the body and which make up an integrated physiological system. At least three subtle rhythms have been identified in this "primary respiratory system", each having a different rate and producing rhythms within rhythms. These three "tides" are referred to as:
- the cranial rhythmic impulse; a more superficial rhythm expressed at an average rate of 8-12 cycles per minute,
- the mid-tide; a tidal rhythm that carries ordering forces into the body expressed at a slower rate of approximately 2.5 cycles per minute and
- the long tide; a deep and slow rhythmic impulse expressed about once every 100 seconds. The long tide is considered to be the first stirring of life and motion as the Breath of Life emerges from a deeper ground of stillness at the center of our being.
Essential ordering principle
In the biodynamic approach of craniosacral work the subtle rhythms produced by the Breath of Life are regarded as expressions of health that carry an essential ordering principle for both body and mind. Dr Sutherland realized the important role played by the fluids in the body (particularly cerebrospinal fluid) in helping to disseminate these ordering forces throughout the body.
The essential ordering principle carried in the rhythms of the Breath of Life acts as a blueprint for health which is present from the time of our early embryological development and is the fundamental factor that maintains balance in our form and function. Thus, the ability of cells and tissues to express their primary respiratory motion is a critical factor in determining our state of health - when these rhythms are expressed in fullness and balance, health and well-being naturally follow.
Inertial patterning
During the course of our lives our bodies become patterned, shaped and conditioned according to how we¹re able to deal with any stresses or traumas. If stresses or traumas are overwhelming, they become locked in the body as sites of inertia - until such a time as we are able to access resources that allow them to be processed and released. These sites of inertia effect the natural rhythmical movements of the Breath of Life and so hinder the ability of our essential blueprint for health to manifest at a cellular level.
Common causes of inertia are physical injuries, emotional and psychological stresses, birth trauma and toxicity. Due to an accumulation of these stresses, tissues can become imprinted with the memory of unresolved experiences and so act like video tape which may keep replaying whenever stimulated.
A gentle facilitation
The emphasis in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is to help resolve the trapped forces that underlie and govern patterns of disease and fragmentation in both body and mind. This involves the practitioner "listening through the hands" to the body's subtle rhythms and any patterns of inertia or congestion. Through the development of subtle palpatory skills the practitioner can read the story of the body, identify places where issues are held and then follow the natural priorities for healing as directed by the patient¹s own physiology.
The intention of treatment is to facilitate the expression of the Breath of Life and so enhance the body's own self-healing and self-regulating capabilities. This is done in a non-invasive way as the practitioner subtly and gently encourages the conditions that allow for the reemergence of primary respiratory motion. Furthermore, the practitioner's deep and clear quality of presence can become a reflective mirror for the patient and an invaluable cue for their potential for change.
A holistic approach
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy takes a whole-person approach to healing and the inter-connections of mind, body and spirit are deeply acknowledged. It is an effective form of treatment for a wide range of illnesses helping to create the optimal conditions for health, encouraging vitality and facilitating a sense of well-being. It is suitable for people of all ages including babies, children and the elderly, and can be effective in acute or chronic cases.
"Worms will not eat living wood where the vital sap is flowing; rust will not hinder the opening of a gate when the hinges are used each day.
Movement gives health and life.
Stagnation brings disease and death."
- proverb in traditional Chinese Medicine
The Potential Impact of Orthodontia on Whole-Body Health
By John Upledger, DO, OMM
While the craniosacral system is comprised of the membranes and fluid that surround the brain and spinal cord, its numerous osseous relations can impact the body in far-reaching ways. For instance, I was a professor of biomechanics at Michigan State University in 1976, when I first witnessed the effects of orthodontia on the spinal alignment of the vertebral bones.
The patient was a 16-year-old girl who had begun to develop scoliosis about two years earlier.
Her father, an English professor at the university, told me her orthopedic surgeon wanted to implant corrective rods for the scoliosis, which had been measured at 38 degrees in the thoracic curve. At his request, I began to see his daughter weekly.
Over a period of six weeks, we were able to reduce the curve to 18 degrees using a combination of CranioSacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, osteopathic spinal manipulation and Therapeutic Imagery. At that point, I continued to try to help improve her condition. After four or five unsuccessful attempts, however, I realized that each time I balanced her occipital bone it was off balance the following week.
Clearly, I had not located the underlying cause of the occipital bone problem. The occipital bone had to be relieved of its abnormal transverse tilt and its restriction to motion, which were both compromising craniosacral system function. The sphenoid bone remained transversely tilted in the opposite direction from the occiput.
Ultimately, I discovered the hard palate was preventing the sphenoid bone from maintaining the corrections. Could it be that the orthodontic braces the patient had been wearing for about three years were contributing to her scoliosis? The answer proved to be "yes." At my request, the orthodontist removed the braces from the patient's mouth. Subsequently, her scoliotic curve was able to correct to less than five degrees and there was no recurrence of scoliosis over the next five years. I continued to see her every six months or so until she married and left home.
Please allow me to explain the biomechanics of how such an event could occur in a 16-year-old girl. The paired maxillary bones are influenced via the pterygoid wings of the sphenoid bone with which they articulate bilaterally. The maxillary bones move in concert with the sphenoid bone via these articulations. Actually, the distance between the second upper molars on each side fluctuates about two millimeters at a rate of 8-12 cycles per minute in accordance with the craniosacral rhythm. The sphenoid bone is one of the prime movers of the craniosacral system. When the bone's mobility is restricted, the craniosacral system tries very hard to compensate for the dysfunction, but it's seldom fully successful.
When an orthodontic appliance is put on the upper teeth and it crosses the midline between the two anteromedially located incisors, the motion of the maxillary bones induced by the sphenoid bone is inhibited and sometimes totally restricted. When they are first applied, the braces also might entrap one of the maxilla in an external position and the other in an internal position. In CranioSacral Therapy, the motions of the maxillae in response to the sphenoid bone are called internal and external rotations, because the maxillae appear to rotate about individual axes generally directed in anterior-posterior directions.
The distance across the hard palate is measured using the biting surfaces of the second molars as reference points. The usual mean distance variation between these teeth in response to internal and external rotations of the maxillae is two millimeters. In the case of my scoliosis patient, the braces locked the left maxilla in external rotation while locking the right maxilla in internal rotation. The abnormal positional locking of the maxillae caused the sphenoid bone to eventually yield to these abnormal forces after attempting to correct the problem and then adapt to it. Having ultimately failed in these attempts, the sphenoid was forced into a transversely oriented tilt, with its left side tilted in a superior direction and its right side in an inferior direction.
Next, the occiput had to compensate for the sphenoid tilt. In order to do this, the occiput had to tilt in the opposite direction, right side superior and left side inferior. This occipital tilt placed an increased traction on the right side of the dural tube as it ran through the sinal/vertebral canal. It also allowed less tension or increased slack on the left side of the dural tube.
We have found over and over again that the sacrum mimics the occiput unless there is a significant restriction of the dural tube somewhere between the occiput and the sacrum. In the case of our patient, the sacrum was mimicking the occiput. The right upper pole of the sacrum was higher; the left was abnormally lower. Hence, the sacral base, which is the upper transverse boundary of the sacrum, presented a tilted foundation for the spinal column to rest upon. Because of this un-level sacral base with the right side high and the left side low, the 5th lumbar vertebra had to angle off to the left, creating a "leaning-tower" dynamic. In order to correct this, the remaining lumbar vertebrae formed a scoliotic curve so the thoracolumbar junction crossed the midline center of gravity.
Now we had the upper lumbar coming diagonally across the midline center of gravity from the left, thus sending the lower thoracic vertebra off diagonally to the right. This curve needed to come back to the midline center of gravity at about the cervico-thoracic juncture in order to maintain body balance. The compensatory lumbar and thoracic spinal curves form the classic "S" curve of scoliosis. In the neck, we also might have a compensatory curve that involves most of the cervical spinal vertebrae. Clearly, the balance for the neck is skewed as the upper thoracic vertebral column comes to the midline center of gravity.
Sometimes this whole compensation in the neck occurs from a sharp displacement of the two lower cervical vertebrae atop the 1st thoracic vertebrae. This acute compensation at the lower cervical vertebrae often is painful and frequently results in brachialgia or dysfunction of the arms and hands, all due to nerve-root compression. It seems reasonable to me that the powerful nerve reflexes that strive to keep the eyes horizontal with the horizon might require this compensation at the cervicothoracic junction.
This is but one example of how orthodontia can affect the craniosacral-neuromusculoskeletal relationship to impact the whole body. To learn more, read "Surviving Orthodontics: A Bodyworker's Exploration into Orthodontics and CranioSacral Therapy," by Nancy Burke, CMT, CST.
Considering CranioSacral Therapy in Difficult Situations
Carol Brussel, BA, IBCLC
Denver CO USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 37 No. 4, August-September 2001, pp. 82-83.
When a baby is unable to nurse or nurses so poorly that he causes pain to his mother, he presents a true challenge. A mother who experiences pain or who perceives that her baby is not breastfeeding effectively is a mother who is at risk of prematurely weaning this baby (Riordan and Auerbach 1999).
After working through all of the usual avenues of information and resources that can help in this kind of situation, some Leaders have found a new therapy, called CranioSacral Therapy (CST), can be helpful. CST is a light-touch manual therapy used to encourage the body's self-correcting mechanisms. Generally using about five grams of pressure, or about the weight of a small coin, the practitioner evaluates the body's craniosacral system. This system plays a vital role in maintaining the environment in which the central nervous system functions. It consists of the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord as well as the attached bones-including the skull, face, and jaw, which make up the cranium, and the tailbone area, or sacrum.
Since the brain and spinal cord are contained within the central nervous system, the craniosacral system has powerful influence over a wide variety of bodily functions (The Upledger Institute 2001). The extremely light touch used in this therapy means that at no time should CST treatment cause damage.
Doctors of osteopathy, chiropractors, and others are trained in cranial osteopathy. There are many different types of health care professionals who have taken CST courses including medical doctors, nurses, doctors of oriental medicine, osteopaths, psychologists, massage therapists, dentists, physical therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, and some lactation consultants.
Babies who seem unable or unwilling to nurse at birth and babies who are unable to nurse properly may benefit from CST. A thorough evaluation by a health care professional should be done to determine possible causes of the problem. These may include birth injuries, congenital or neurological problems, illness, or the lingering effects of drugs used before the baby's birth. The history may reveal that a baby was deeply suctioned, fed artificially (with tubes or artificial nipples), or experienced other interventions that could cause oral aversion (Healow and Hugh 2000). It is crucial to investigate all aspects of the infant's health when determining the cause of breastfeeding problems.
If none of these factors seems to be the cause of the problem, then circumstances surrounding the birth may be the cause. Even a normal birth can cause trauma to the baby's head or spine. If the birth history includes a precipitate (very fast) birth, a cesarean birth, the use of a vacuum extractor or forceps, an unusual presentation, or a baby with a large head, this may indicate that birth trauma has occurred. These kinds of events during the birth can result in undue pressure placed upon cranial nerves, particularly those that control the mouth. The three nerves of the cranium that affect breastfeeding are the glossopharyngeal nerve (which controls the muscles of the pharynx), the vagus nerve (which controls the muscles of the soft palate), and the hypoglossal nerve (which controls the tongue muscle). Compression of any or all of these nerves can cause dysfunctional nursing (Hewitt 1999).
Craniosacral Therapy can also be beneficial for babies who do not open their mouths widely enough to latch on effectively, and for babies described as "arching or hypertonic." These types of babies are difficult to nurse. They cause pain or trauma to the mother, and often grow poorly due to inadequate milk transfer at the breast. When babies do not open their mouth widely to latch-on, it is often possible to remedy the situation by assisting the mother with proper positioning and latch-on (Eastman 2000). If the use of proper techniques does not help, a Leader may want to suggest that the mother consider looking into CST.
Arching or hypertonic babies are considered "tight." The behavior seems to be a temporary condition that improves over time rather than permanent neurological impairment. The breastfeeding relationship often suffers or is ended early due to the difficulty of nursing these babies. The behavior is considered by some to be a sign of difficulties with the nervous system, possibly caused by pressure on the nerves that occurred during the birth. CST is often dramatically effective in reducing the hypertonic behavior and encouraging the baby to nurse more efficiently by relieving pressure on nerves caused by the malposition of the cranial bones (Hewitt 1999).
The routine use of epidurals, mothers birthing in a supine position, the use of vacuum extraction and forceps, and the high rate of cesarean birth, may cause babies to be at risk for craniosacral problems. Of course, it's necessary for babies' skulls to mold, enabling them to pass through the birth canal. The skulls do correct themselves after the birth, although many can use assistance in achieving a well-balanced, optimal shape. A CST practitioner will gently examine the baby's head for overlapping cranial sutures, unevenness (one side of the head not matching the other), and "missing" or unusually large or small "soft spots." The techniques used in CST to encourage the body to correct itself are also evaluative techniques that inform and guide the practitioner (The Upledger Institute 2001).
CranioSacral Therapy is an option when traditional techniques for correcting latch-on problems are not completely successful. It is common for babies to need continued treatments over a period of weeks, even when the initial CST work greatly improves the situation. If basic issues such as positioning, latch-on, and milk supply have not been properly addressed, adjunct treatments like CST are unlikely to help. It is important to remember that even after CST treatments, mothers and babies may need additional breastfeeding help.