Alt Med - Cranialsacral Therapy (CST)(16 of 20)

(from PT and Alternative Medicine)

Dr. William G. Sutherland developed cranial osteopathy in the early 1930s. John E. Upledger, DO, developed craniosacral therapy (CST), a derivative of Sutherland's work, in the 1970s. CST may be practiced by osteopathic doctors, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, physical therapists or massage therapists.

CST practitioners touch areas of the patient lightly to sense the cranial rhythm impulse of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Practitioners then use subtle manipulations over the skull and other areas with the aim of restoring balance by removing restrictions to CSF movement, a process that is proposed to help the body heal itself and improve a wide range of conditions.

“This technique is a hands-on method of releasing foreign or disruptive energies from the patient's body. Energy cysts may cause the disruption of the tissues and organs where they are located. The therapist feels these cysts in the client's body and gently releases the blockage of energy”. (Upledger)

The underlying theory of CST is false because the bones of the skull fuse by the end of adolescence and no research has ever demonstrated that manual manipulation can move the individual cranial bones.

No properly randomized, blinded, and placebo-controlled outcome studies have been published regarding CST.

Summary: Pure quackery