Cranial Osteopathy/Cranio-Sacral Therapy

[Physiotherapist]

A colleague of mine was telling me that she is doing a training course in Craniosacral Therapy with the Upledger Institute.

She was raving about it, but does it work or is is just another SCAM similar to homeopathy?

[Donks]

Scam. Link. (http://skepdic.com/craniosacral.html)

[Hydrogen Cyanide]

It' essentially homepathic head massage.


http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cranial.html

[Rolfe]

Scam.

A few years ago I had a very bad stiff neck, with a spasmed muscle. The girl I went to for massage suggested I also see her flat-mate, who did osteopathy. She (the flat-mate) did some stuff to the neck which seemed rational and seemed to help. She then persuaded me to let her do "cranial osteopathy" on my head.

I'd call it homoeopathic massage. She moved her fingers very gently, just barely moving the skin of my head in relation to my skull bones, all the while coming out with a stream of woo about how she was moving the sutures of my skull and so getting the flow of my CSF correct. If she was close to right, washing one's hair would be tantamount to suicide!

When I pointed out that the skull sutures fuse immovably long before the age I was then, she told me about the BSc course she'd done which told her how all this worked. Total pseudo-science. No relationship to actual anatomy at all. And she had the most bizarre ideas about other aspects of cranial anatomy too.

The really distressing thing was that she really did have a BSc in this nonsense, from a UK "university" (former technical college) which was once a reputable establishment.

Rolfe.

[Rolfe]

Originally posted by Hydrogen Cyanide
It' essentially homepathic head massage.Great Minds Think Alike! :D

Rolfe.

[Psiload]

Originally posted by Physiotherapist
A colleague of mine was telling me that she is doing a training course in Craniosacral Therapy with the Upledger Institute.

She was raving about it, but does it work or is is just another SCAM similar to homeopathy? Scam.

Speaking of raving... that "Dr." Upledger is a raving lunatic.

Ample proof of this can be found here:

http://www.massagetoday.com/columnists/upledger/articles.html

My Dolphin Mentor is one of my favorites.

I said aloud, "I'm going to use some dolphin energy here." The therapeutic energy input increased significantly at this time. :cs:

That man is the mayor of Crazytown.

[Jas]

One of my woo-er friends got a new roommate a few months ago. I asked who it was, to which he replied:

"My craniosacral therapist"

Why was she moving in with him? She needed to save money to pay back her student loans, from going to school for TWO YEARS to become a craniosacral therapist.

Not surprisingly, she was a total flake, and he kicked her out.

Although, it's a pretty good scam...give expensive head massages that don't wear out your fingers. I could have charged extra for giving people extra-crappy shampoos when I was a hairstylist.

[Soapy Sam]

I was watching the Shiatsu masseurs at Schipol a week or so back, thinking- here's something which is perfectly legal, extremely pleasant , clearly helps travellers relax and seems to carry no "woo" baggage at all- at least as applied in that place.

I've never actually tried it , as I'm scared they might try to justify it on some daft grounds which would just raise my blood pressure.

Just watching relaxes me.

Inaction at a distance.

[epepke]

At least they named it properly, if you know what a sacrum is.

[materia3]

Originally posted by epepke
At least they named it properly, if you know what a sacrum is.

Isn't that where the testicles are located?

[Soapy Sam]

No. That's a Sacristy.

[epepke]

Originally posted by materia3
Isn't that where the testicles are located?

Near enough, when I get the opportunity.

[Sarah-I]

Do not say that things do not work until you have tried them for yourself.

I have had extremely profound experiences both as a patient and as a practitioner of craniosacral therapy.

Craniosacral therapists DO NOT just work at the head. When I treat someone, I will normally go to the feet first. By going to the feet, I can pick up the twists and pulls and restrictions in various places in the body. It is from here that I will then work out where else I need to go on the body to help release the restrictions that I have found.

During the course of treating a patient I will most definitely go to the sacrum and pelvis, the solar plexus and sometimes the heart area or wherever else is indicated. I will work at the head too and will then end the treatment at the feet to ground the person.

Rolfe,

Cranial osteopathy and craniosacral therapy are different. A lot of cranial osteopaths will work primarily at the head, whereas craniosacral therapists will work with the whole of the body.

I suspect that some fascial unwinding would have helped your neck.

You can find out a lot just by putting your hands on someones body and listening in stillness.

So, don't knock it until you have tried it!!

[Rolfe]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
So, don't knock it until you have tried it!! You have a reading problem? I did. It's nonsense. And the theory behind it is nonsense too, being based on blatant lies about the anatomy of the head.

Rolfe.

[MRC_Hans]

Sarah, I have a little flask of a tincture my grandson made, by mixing whatever he found in our spice rack, plus various things from the fridge, plus a few things I don't wanna know about. It tastes just awful, but it can cure a cold in two hours.

Don't believe me?

Well, have you tried it? No? Then don't knock it, OK?

Hans

[Hydrogen Cyanide]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
Do not say that things do not work until you have tried them for yourself.
...

Other than your lack of reading comprehension... I also know that this is often touted on the listserv I participate on for my son's severe speech disorder.

I know enough about the brain anatomy (from reading several books on the subject and browsing http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/introb.html ), and particularly where his damage is as noted by a CT scan, several EEG's and report from more than one neurologist -- to KNOW that the damage is under the skull near Broca's area. I so not need to try it to know that any massage that is going to effect that area will probably kill him.. and any light touch massage is going to be worthless.

Plus, there have been several messages on the listserv where desperate parents have tried for their kids and found it worthless. Even from the list's resident loony-tune who keeps touting chelation and expensive supplements. Even SHE found it worthless.

But then... you are welcome to explain the science behind and present scientific documentation that the energy fields do exist and waving your hand effects them. You can use the link above to bone up on neurology.

[Dr Adequate]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
Craniosacral therapists DO NOT just work at the head. When I treat someone, I will normally go to the feet first. Then that is not craniosacral therapy.

Oh, and if you give someone a pedicure, that's not a haircut.So, don't knock it until you have tried it!! I can cure all your health problems by driving a stake through your heart... for a mere $500 plus travelling expenses and the cost of the stake. Don't say it doesn't work until you've tried it yourself. That would be narrow-minded.

From Donk's link:Craniosacral therapists claim to be able to detect a craniosacral "rhythm" in the cranium, sacrum, cerebrospinal fluid and the membranes which envelop the craniosacral system. The balance and flow of this rhythm is considered essential to good health. The rhythm is measured by the therapist's hands. Any needed or effected changes in rhythm are also detected only by the therapist's hands... When tested, several therapists were unable to consistently come up with the same measurements of the alleged craniosacral rhythm. They all agree that this rhythm exists, that they can detect it, that they can alter it, and that they should be allowed to charge money for this service. But show several of them the same patient, and ask them to detect this magical "rhythm"...

They're either delusional or just plain con artists.

[anonimouse]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
Do not say that things do not work until you have tried them for yourself.

I have had extremely profound experiences both as a patient and as a practitioner of craniosacral therapy.

...(snipped other stuff)...

You can find out a lot just by putting your hands on someones body and listening in stillness.


Sarah, I can very easily say something doesn't work if basic science and anatomy oppose it, and there's no evidence of said procedure's effiacy. I don't need to try homeopathy, because I know there's no logical or practical way for homeopathy TO work.

Your "profound experiences" are meaningless in that context - I can just as easily say that I had a headache in the afternoon, I drove out to the Indian casino, won $500, and my headache went away on the drive home. Did the Indian casino cure my headache?

As a semi-unrelated aside, I think my hair stylist performs some craniosacral therapy on the sly. I mean, I always feel better after she washes my hair. :)

[Dr. Imago]

Ditto Rolfe, HCN's, and Dr. Adequate's comments regarding craniosacral.

I'm most dismayed that, at least in the U.S., the American Osteopathic Association has not put forth a policy statement - either way - addressing craniosacral therapy, and in not doing so have done what is therefore tantamount to passively endorsing its incorporation into the curriculum of many osteopathic schools.

By the way, the vast majority of osteopaths I know and have come in contact with professionally also believe it's bull****.

Addn'l References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10709302&query_hl=5

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9806622&query_hl=7

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8090842&query_hl=7

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9513867&query_hl=10


-TT

[Jas]

Originally posted by Sarah-I


You can find out a lot just by putting your hands on someones body ...

Most likely.

[Soapy Sam]

You can go to jail , too.

Why can't "masseurs" be proud to be "masseurs" and leave it at that?
Because they're scared people would get the wrong idea and think they are actually craniosacral therapists?

[Sarah-I]

Well, I am a Craniosacral Therapist and I am proud to say that I am and that I practice it.

The Upledger Institute is in Florida and runs courses worldwide, so of course the American Osteopathic Association is not going to do anything about it. Dr John Upledger is a DO afterall.

As well as my training at a college in England, I have done a couple of the Upledger courses her in the UK. They are four day intensive courses for healthcare professionals and are extremely well run. I intend to do more and will also be going out to Florida to work at the Healthplex there to gain more clinical experience.

So all in all, I gain great satisfaction from my work as a craniosacral therapist.

[Psiload]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
Well, I am a Craniosacral Therapist and I am proud to say that I am and that I practice it.

The Upledger Institute is in Florida and runs courses worldwide, so of course the American Osteopathic Association is not going to do anything about it. Dr John Upledger is a DO afterall.

As well as my training at a college in England, I have done a couple of the Upledger courses her in the UK. They are four day intensive courses for healthcare professionals and are extremely well run. I intend to do more and will also be going out to Florida to work at the Healthplex there to gain more clinical experience.

So all in all, I gain great satisfaction from my work as a craniosacral therapist. Do you use dolphin energy? Do you consult with people's inner physicians? Do you carry on conversations with their vital organs and immune cells?


http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/04/10.html
I helped Kayla's body break down all those blocked areas. I don't remember if it was the second or third time I saw her, but it struck me that if I could talk to organs, why couldn't I talk to immune cells? I put my hand or her thymus (a gland in the upper chest and lower throat that's responsible for directing and producing immune cells) and said, "Thymus, will you talk with me?"

I said to Kayla, "Just let the voice of your thymus come through. Don't censor it or change it or feel obligated to answer. Just go with whatever comes." Immediately, "Yes" came through from the thymus.

I said, "Thymus, I think there are viruses hidden around in this body that are so clever, you might need my help to find them. Would you be willing to send a whole bunch of monocytes and macrophages (types of immune cells) to the places where I put my hand?"

"Yes."

[Mojo]

:dl:

[Rolfe]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
I intend to do more and will also be going out to Florida to work at the Healthplex there to gain more clinical experience.

So all in all, I gain great satisfaction from my work as a craniosacral therapist. I'll just bet you do! Jollies to Florida, very nice! And no need to learn anything at all intellectually demanding, like actual anatomy.

Question is, do any of your <strike>marks</strike>, sorry, "patients" get any satisfaction?

Rolfe.

[Mercutio]

One of my first threads here (since culled) was on a news report of craniosacral therapy, done by the health-beat reporter for the local TV station. I emailed her with a critical review, supported by several links to medical studies (some as linked above in this thread)...and got back a very snitty reply.

One of my comments was that CST had never been successfully demonstrated in clinical double-blind trials. The reporter's retort: "but that's exactly what I did for the story!" Now...this was patently untrue. The doctor certainly knew what to expect, the reporter certainly knew what to expect, and when the former worked on the latter...surprise! They found what they expected to find.

Yesterday, in my "paranormal belief" class, I did a nice demonstration of "energy work" on a student. When I "pulled the energy down from her left side", that arm was significantly weaker, and could not resist my pushing down on it. It took my class a little bit of time, but not more than 5-10 minutes, to see why the demonstration was inadequate. Their revised experiment would have blinded the subject (whose expectations could lead her to weaken that arm through suggestion) and the demonstrator (who could consciously or unconsciously be pressing harder on that arm) to which arm had its energy "pulled down". When we deal with subjective reports, it is absolutely crucial to examine any claims in a double-blind fashion.

Sarah--in your training and experience, have you ever participated in a double-blind test of your abilities? If so, could you describe the methodology of that test and its results? If not, would you consider undergoing such a test? It would be the only real way to verify that you can, in fact, help people as you claim you can. Assuming that you genuinely wish to help people (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), you owe it to yourself and to your clients to ascertain whether you are able to actually do what you believe you are doing.

[richardm]

She doesn't need to do any double-blind testing to see if it really works, Merc, because she's had Profound Experiences.

Can't argue with facts like those.

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by richardm
She doesn't need to do any double-blind testing to see if it really works, Merc, because she's had Profound Experiences.

Can't argue with facts like those. Ah, but she's not Iacchus. Some people who have Profound Experiences still wish to test them. I will not dispute that she had a Profound Experience--the question I have is, what is its explanation? Was it a demonstration of the effectiveness of a technique? Or was it a demonstration of the human Belief Engine at work? If she truly wishes to help people (again, I have no reason to believe otherwise at this point), that question is worth asking.

[Jas]

Originally posted by Psiload
Do you use dolphin energy? Do you consult with people's inner physicians? Do you carry on conversations with their vital organs and immune cells?


http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/04/10.html

Wow, that article is....I don't even have words.

And people don't believe me when I say that I can't seem to find a non-crazy masseuse.

How can people buy that?!?

[richardm]

Originally posted by Mercutio
Ah, but she's not Iacchus. Some people who have Profound Experiences still wish to test them. I will not dispute that she had a Profound Experience--the question I have is, what is its explanation? Was it a demonstration of the effectiveness of a technique? Or was it a demonstration of the human Belief Engine at work? If she truly wishes to help people (again, I have no reason to believe otherwise at this point), that question is worth asking.

I'm sure you're right, but I'm feeling uncharitable today ;)

[anonimouse]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
As well as my training at a college in England, I have done a couple of the Upledger courses her in the UK. They are four day intensive courses for healthcare professionals and are extremely well run. I intend to do more and will also be going out to Florida to work at the Healthplex there to gain more clinical experience.


Four days? Forget sending my kids to medical school, I'm going to send them to craniosacral therapy school. Four days of training is a whole lot cheaper and I'd probably make a better return on my investment.

[Sarah-I]

All the Upledger courses are postgraduate courses. They are 4 day intensive courses for people who are already healthcare professionals, so that they have a thorough grasp of anatomy, physiology and pathology before the course. People without these qualifications would flouder otherwise as it is an indepth and intensive course.

I trained at a college in the UK for 2 years and have done the Upledger courses as extras.

Most craniosacral therapy courses in the UK are postgraduate courses. If applicants have never studied A, P and P before, then it is a requirement that they do so either before or at the time of starting the training, as you cannot practice cranioscral therapy effectively without this knowledge. Cranial A and P is also very important too.

Mercutio,

I would be quite happy to try and design and undertake double blind trials in craniosacral therapy, however, if you take a look at the published research that is out there already, I think you will find that Dr John Upledger has done a lot of this research himself with his other scientific colleagues.

[Rolfe]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
if you take a look at the published research that is out there already, I think you will find that Dr John Upledger has done a lot of this research himself with his other scientific colleagues. Why is it that you always want other people to go and find the articles you "think" are out there to support your point of view? If you're studying this stuff, you ought to know where these articles are and be able to cite them. Unless of course they don't exist, and as you said you only "think" they do.

If you're learning so much about anatomy, how about explaining to us about the structure and flexibility of the sutures in the skull?

Rolfe.

[Psiload]

Originally posted by Sarah-I All the Upledger courses are postgraduate courses. They are 4 day intensive courses for people who are already healthcare professionals, so that they have a thorough grasp of anatomy, physiology and pathology before the course. People without these qualifications would flouder otherwise as it is an indepth and intensive course.

I trained at a college in the UK for 2 years and have done the Upledger courses as extras.

Most craniosacral therapy courses in the UK are postgraduate courses. If applicants have never studied A, P and P before, then it is a requirement that they do so either before or at the time of starting the training, as you cannot practice cranioscral therapy effectively without this knowledge. Cranial A and P is also very important too.

Mercutio,

I would be quite happy to try and design and undertake double blind trials in craniosacral therapy, however, if you take a look at the published research that is out there already, I think you will find that Dr John Upledger has done a lot of this research himself with his other scientific colleagues. [/B] You need a thorough grasp of anatomy, physiology and pathology in order to learn SCT? Is that so?

Funny... I see two inexscusable errors of ignorance in this article alone:

http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/04/10.html

1.I said, "Thymus, I think there are viruses hidden around in this body that are so clever, you might need my help to find them. Would you be willing to send a whole bunch of monocytes and macrophages (types of immune cells) to the places where I put my hand?" Monocytes are produced in the bone marrow and circulated in the blood. They are not "sent" anywhere by the thymus... even if you ask, "Pretty please, thymus, with sugar on top." Macrophages are just monocytes that have left the cirulation and entered tissue... they are essentially the same cells, they are not unique cells produced, and/or controlled, by the thymus as "Dr." Upledger seems to believe.

2.Kayla performed did this self-treatment twice a week for several months; she's doing quite well. She also showed a friend whose mother had CMV (cytomegalovirus) how to do it. Normally, the prognosis for that condition is poor. The prognosis for CMV is not poor. This is statement of basic medical ignorance.

http://www.astdhpphe.org/infect/cytomegalo.html

Although CMV infection is usually harmless, it can cause severe disease in persons with weakened immune systems Forget the fact that the man thinks he's carrying on conversations with bodily organs... beyond that we have two blatant examples of basic medical ignorance in one short article. I am not impressed.:nope:

[Psiload]

Originally posted by Rolfe
Why is it that you always want other people to go and find the articles you "think" are out there to support your point of view? If you're studying this stuff, you ought to know where these articles are and be able to cite them. Unless of course they don't exist, and as you said you only "think" they do.

If you're learning so much about anatomy, how about explaining to us about the structure and flexibility of the sutures in the skull?

Rolfe. "Dr." Upledger's research seems to have been either self-published, or published in a single journal, The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. The most recent having been published over twenty years ago:


Upledger, John E., The Reproducibility Of Craniosacral Examination Findings: A Statistical Analysis, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 76:890-9, 1977.

Upledger, John E., Relationship Of Craniosacral Examination Findings In Grade School Children With Developmental Problems, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 77:760-76, 1978.

Upledger, John E., Mechano-Electric Patterns During Craniosacral Osteopathic Diagnosis And Treatment, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 1979.

Upledger, John E. and Jon Vredevoogd, CranioSacral Therapy, Eastland Press, Seattle, Calif., 1983.

Upledger, John E., Craniosacral Therapy II: Beyond The Dura, Eastland Press, Seattle, Calif., 1987.

Upledger, John E., SomatoEmotional Release And Beyond, UI Publishing, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and North Atlantic Press, Berkeley, Calif., 1990.
Woods, J.M., and R.H. Woods, Physical Findings Related To Psychiatric Disorders, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 60:988-93, Aug. 1961. John Upledger, DO, OMM
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida


Some of his research findings(dealing with the reproducibility of CST examination)have been directly contradicted in more recent studies:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...9302&query_hl=5

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...6622&query_hl=7

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...0842&query_hl=7

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...867&query_hl=10

Thank you to ThirdTwin for the references.

edited to add:

I just found this:

http://www.jaoa.org/cgi/search?pubdate_year=&volume=&firstpage=&author1=upledger&author2=&title=&andorexacttitle=and&titleabstract=&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=&andorexactfulltext=and&fmonth=Sep&fyear=1950&tmonth=Mar&tyear=2005&fdatedef=1+September+1950&tdatedef=1+March+2005&flag=&RESULTFORMAT=1&hits=10&hitsbrief=25&sortspec=relevance&sortspecbrief=relevance&sendit=Search

A list of the articles published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association searched using the keyword "Upledger". Check out this one in particluar:

DG McConnell, MC Beal, U Dinnar, JP Goodridge, WL Johnston, Z Karni, JE Upledger, and G Blum

Low agreement of findings in neuromusculoskeletal examinations by a group of osteopathic physicians using their own procedures
J Am Osteopath Assoc, Mar 1980; 79: 441. Hmmmmmm... I wonder why "Dr." Upledger didn't include a reference to this particular study on the list he provided above? :con2:

He musta just plum forgot about that one.

[Hydrogen Cyanide]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
...I would be quite happy to try and design and undertake double blind trials in craniosacral therapy, however, if you take a look at the published research that is out there already, I think you will find that Dr John Upledger has done a lot of this research himself with his other scientific colleagues.

Here is a study that you might try reading:
http://www.chspr.ubc.ca/bcohta/pdf/bco99-01J_cranio.pdf

[Hydrogen Cyanide]

Double trouble, boil and bubble... double post!

[Sarah-I]

Psiload,

The reference that you posted has nothing whatsoever to do with craniosacral therapy as far as I can see. However, it is not possible to view an abstract, so it is impossible to see.

[Psiload]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
Psiload,

The reference that you posted has nothing whatsoever to do with craniosacral therapy as far as I can see. However, it is not possible to view an abstract, so it is impossible to see. True... maybe it concerns one of the host of other fairytale "treatments" that "Dr." Upledger practices... dolphin therapy, past life regression, channeling, SomatoEmotional Release, cellular "dialoging", lymph drainage, etc...

The point, as can be infered from the title of the reference, is that whatever specific "therapy" is involved, "Dr." Upledger can find scant corroboration for his claims... even among his own peers.

While I have your attention, care to comment on this?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556434618/ref=pd_sim_b_1/103-2346956-7789431?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

Cell Talk: Talking to Your Cell(F)


Osteopath and teacher John Upledger -- a pioneer of craniosacral therapy -- believes bodily tissues have individual memory and that traumatic memories can be stored in the body and disrupt bodily function. In Cell Talk, he shows how to treat disease and dysfunction at the cellular level by uncovering these memories and following the healing path they suggest. Anecdotes from Upledger's life and practice support his goal of facilitating self-healing.

[Dr Adequate]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
All the Upledger courses are postgraduate courses. They are 4 day intensive courses for people who are already healthcare professionals, so that they have a thorough grasp of anatomy, physiology and pathology before the course. People without these qualifications would flouder otherwise as it is an indepth and intensive course.

I trained at a college in the UK for 2 years and have done the Upledger courses as extras. I wonder which "college" that would be, what the subject was, and why Sarah only remained two years when a degree course lasts three. I'd also like to know why no-one, not even in this intensive four-day course on craniosacral therapy, taught her that the cranium is not a bone in the foot.

[Sarah-I]

Double post.

[Sarah-I]

I stayed at the college I trained at for 2 years because my course lasted for 2 years. I studied craniosacral therapy at the College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy.

Craniosacral therapy works with the cranium, sacrum, pelvis, feet, diaphragm and other places within the body where restrictions are discovered during the course of treatment. This does not mean at all that it is not craniosacral therapy just because a practitioner chooses to work at places other than the cranium and sacrum. It is a whole person treatment and most practitioners work in this way. You are not restricted to the cranium and sacrum at all.

[Mojo]

http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/04/10.html Consider Kayla, who is 16 years old. She's extremely bright and talented. I first met her while she was still inside her mother's womb.What on earth was Upledger doing in there? :D

[Lisa Simpson]

Originally posted by Mojo
http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/04/10.html What on earth was Upledger doing in there? :D

He was looking for a womb with a view.

[Dr Adequate]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
I stayed at the college I trained at for 2 years because my course lasted for 2 years. I studied craniosacral therapy at the College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy. All becomes painfully, painfully clear.Craniosacral therapy works with the cranium, sacrum, pelvis, feet, diaphragm and other places within the body where restrictions are discovered during the course of treatment. This does not mean at all that it is not craniosacral therapy just because a practitioner chooses to work at places other than the cranium and sacrum. Oh yes it does. Talk about denial. Craniosacral --- to do with the cranium and sacrum, ok? Isn't there enough confusion in New Age speak without having craniosacral therapy which focuses on the feet?

If a therapy is a "whole person treatment", shouldn't it have a name which reflects that? Something like "another of those 'holistic' (TM) junk therapies"? I'm sure you could cut that down a bit and put it into Latin, and it would pull in the marks just as well. C'mon, I'm not asking you to give up your little scam. I'm just asking you to end your motiveless assault on the English language.

[Psiload]

Originally posted by Sarah-I
I stayed at the college I trained at for 2 years because my course lasted for 2 years. I studied craniosacral therapy at the College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy.

Craniosacral therapy works with the cranium, sacrum, pelvis, feet, diaphragm and other places within the body where restrictions are discovered during the course of treatment. This does not mean at all that it is not craniosacral therapy just because a practitioner chooses to work at places other than the cranium and sacrum. It is a whole person treatment and most practitioners work in this way. You are not restricted to the cranium and sacrum at all. Define the term "restrictions".

-What exactly are these "restrictions"?

-What, specifically, are they made of?

-How does one determine their location in the body?

-Can they be measured, identified, located by any type of mechanical/electronic clinical equipment?

-Can different craniosacral examiners reliably, and repeatedly locate these "restrictions" in an individual under examination?

-Is there a single scrap of reliable, non-anecdotal scientific evidence which supports the theory that these "restrictions" are something other than figments of the examiner's imagination?

[Psiload]

Originally posted by Dr Adequate
All becomes painfully, painfully clear. Oh yes it does. Talk about denial. Craniosacral --- to do with the cranium and sacrum, ok? Isn't there enough confusion in New Age speak without having craniosacral therapy which focuses on the feet?

If a therapy is a "whole person treatment", shouldn't it have a name which reflects that? Something like "another of those 'holistic' (TM) junk therapies"? I'm sure you could cut that down a bit and put it into Latin, and it would pull in the marks just as well. C'mon, I'm not asking you to give up your little scam. I'm just asking you to end your motiveless assault on the English language. This is how it usually goes in the land of 'make it up as you go along'. They start off with basic claims like- the cranio-sacral system has it's own unique pulse, and then they throw in a half-baked mistaken notion about the skull sutures not being fused, and then they start running with scissors because there's no one around to tell them to stop...

Before you know it, they're rubbing your feet, and sweet talking your thymus, and clearing your "energy blockages", and bombarding you with dolphin energy, and insisting they can cure your cancer, yada, yada, yada...

It's like they say...

"Imagination, like fire, makes a wonderful servant, but a terrible master."

[Anders W. Bonde]

Sarah-I,

How does the CS 'thereapist' log or record measurements of the 'patient's' condition for future reference (patient log or journal) or further visists to the 'therapist'? How is it handled if one 'therapist' needs to sub for another? How do they exchange data on the 'patient's' condition, in partcular if the 'patient' isn't present?

And I'd also like to know what these 'blockages' are, what they 'block' and how it is determined whether there is a 'blockage' or whether it has been 'freed'.

Thank you.