Cranial Sacral Therapy: The 110 Year Old Art Form
Cranial Osteopathy was originated by the Osteopathic physician, William Garner Sutherland D.O. (1873-1954). His 54 year epic journey began when, through Divine Providence, he notice that the cranial sutures of the temporal bones were “beveled like the gills of a fish” indicating the ability for movement with the parietal bones. this articulation allowed for expansion and contraction. His conversations about this discovery with his mentor Dr. Andrew Stills, the founder of the osteopathic school in Missouri, began his epic journey into the world of Cranial sacral therapy. Both men believed that the cranial system was “designed to breath”. He called this breathing movement the primary respiratory mechanism. This idea that the bones of the skull could move was contrary to contemporary anatomical belief, then and today by some scientist and medical practitioners. Dr. Sutherland was a deeply spiritual man and later described the foundation of the system as the Breath of Life from the Book of Genesis 2:7. This acknowledgement of the vital force became a fundamental aspect of osteopathic philosophy.