I have found it to be an interesting quest to learn about how CranioSacral Therapy is perceived and spoken about on the internet. Frankly, I’m disappointed in the majority of the content, as few people are really taking the time to inform the public properly about the efficacy and effectiveness of this unusual approach to bodywork.

First, I want to clarify that how I think about and practice CranioSacral Therapy is in alignment with the original Cranial Osteopathic model developed by William Garner Sutherland, D.O.. The modern evolution of this early 1800s era approach to treating head conditions is the BIoDynamic CranioSacral and Upledger Institute, founded by John Upledger, D.O. models of CranioSacral work.

One of the interesting misconceptions I have noticed on the internet is whether CranioSacral Therapy “adjusts” the cranial bones. When I hear adjusting cranial bones, I have visions of bones popping, lots of pressure, and a wild-eyed practitioner inviting me lay on his magic table … and most uncomfortably, I think of pain!

Perhaps the general public has a different vision, but I want to make sure CranioSacral Therapy does not get similarly misperceived.

Note: In the coming days I will be writing a page that goes into detail about bone development, so keep on eye on my blog for its posting. At my heart I’m a body-nerd who loves the intricate and beautiful details of our anatomy and physiology.



In the meantime, I’m going to cut through some of the juicy details to the point: bone is born from and made up of the same tissue that bone is meant to support. Our muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and other connective tissue give birth to bone and are intricately interwoven into its formation. What this means is that bone is embedded in our tissue and therefore an adjustment only occurs at the points of relationship with other bones … the joints.

There is no space between our bone and the surrounding muscles, fascia, skin, etc. A bone doesn’t adjust its position relative to other tissues (unless it was broken or tissue was torn). An adjustment, in the chiropractic sense, is shifting the actual position of the bone at the joints between bones. Whether its our knees, hips, shoulders, neck, knuckles, jaw, or vertebrae, the change in position happens in their relationship with other nearby bones.

When a bone becomes misaligned its change in position places pressure on the nearby tissue, adding strain on distant tissue, and potentially shifting the whole balance of the skeletal frame. The result of a bone out of position can range from immediate and debilitating pain to a barely noticeable shift in the range of motion resulting in long term problems, like stiffness, soreness, imbalance, posture changes, bunyons, different leg lengths, inflammation (arthritis), pain, and more.

There is no doubt that proper alignment of the bones is necessary to maintain optimum health and feeling good in one’s body. Thank you doctors of Chiropractic!

We took a look at bone’s affect on tissue; the other end of the spectrum is the tissue’s effect on bone. Because the bone is a mix of hard mineral components (calcium, phosphorus, and more) and flexible connective tissue, its relationship with the surrounding tissue is complex. When the bone is first formed, during gestation, it is encapsulated in a sea of connective tissue. For most bones, a thin layer of membrane forms to separate the connective tissue from the cells laying down cartilage. This membranes also houses the developing nerves and blood vessels that will provide the living matrix of bone and connective tissue with its nutritional supply.

Later, in utero and following birth, the first-stage cartilage (the flexible, “plastic” bone present now in your ears, knee joint, nose, and ribs) is transformed and hardened into second-stage bone. The minerals that form the structure of our bone is laid in pockets of connective tissue that form the layers of scaffolding for bone. This mix of hard minerals and flexible tissue give the bone a very powerful ability to withstand compressive force (from the weight of our body under gravity) and a hardness that gives us the strength to pole vault our body over a hurdle 10 feet in the air.

What this means to CranioSacral Therapy is that the actual pressure utilized by a practitioner is very minimal and can be described as light, gentle, and soft. The force a CranioSacral therapist is applying cannot “adjust” the bones in a chiropractic fashion. In fact the force does not need to be heavy, because this work instead seeks to connect with the bones AND their relationship with the tissues. We are not pushing against bone to change the structure of the tissue (like a deep tissue massage), but instead nudging the bone within the sea of tissue it lives. The bone and the tissue responds by melting and gliding into a new position. The actual change in bone position is relatively minimal, but the effect of relieving misaligned bone pressure upon nerves, blood vessels, and nearby connective tissue is immediate and beneficial.

I want to highlight that this is only part of the picture. Because bone is embedded in our muscles and other connective tissue, these tissues deeply affect the position (and even shape) of the bone. The pull of connective tissue can pull bones out of place (at the joints). In some cases of chiropractic treatment, if chronic muscle tension is the culprit for consistant need of adjustment and NOT addressed, than the patient will continue to need the services of a chiropractor indefinitely. This is one key reason that I recommend getting massage and bodywork along with any chiropractic treatment being received.

In conclusion: because the relationship of bone and connective tissue is tightly intertwined, both a heavy or soft manipulation can have an effect on their proper positioning and alignment. Don’t underestimate the power of a gentle and well-trained CranioSacral touch and don’t overestimate its ability to reposition bones relative to techniques that use substantially more force.

Future blog posts will cover other areas of CranioSacral Therapy. I welcome any questions you may have and would be happy to tailor blog posts to meet your interest.