The History & Science of CST
CST actually has its roots in osteopathy, which was developed by Andrew Tayler Still, DO in 1874 (think the Civil War era). He believed that the human body had its own healing capacity, and that if there were no “restrictions” within the body it would heal itself. He founded the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville (now A.T. Still University) in 1892, where he sought to teach his students how to release these restrictions in the body. One of these students, William Garner Sutherland, DO, went on to focus on how to release these restrictions in the human skull. His work became known as Cranial Osteopathy.
Fast-forward to 1970, when osteopathic physician John E. Upledger was assisting during a neck surgery. He was tasked with steadying the spinal cord, so there would be no risk of the surgical blade damaging the tissue. As he was holding the cord, he became aware of a rhythmic wave of fluid motion moving like a tide up and down within the membranes.
Fascinated by what he felt, Upledger studied Sutherland’s work from the early 1900s. He explored Sutherland’s concept that the bones of the skull were structured to allow for movement; as a result of hydraulic filling and emptying. From 1975 to 1983 Upledger served as clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University, where he eventually confirmed Sutherland's theory, and led to clarification of the mechanisms behind this motion - the craniosacral system.
It was determined that system was not limited to the skull and spinal cord. The motions of the skull and membranes are facilitated throughout the entire body via a tissue called “fascia.” Fascia is the spider-web-like connective tissue found everywhere in the body: in the walls of individual cells, around each muscle fiber and entire muscle bodies (think of that slimy tissue between the muscle and skin of a chicken breast), it encloses our brain and our spinal cord. It envelopes and penetrates every aspect of our bodies. Our bones provide our vertical structure, but our fascia creates the fluid tension (tensegrity) that holds us together and allows us to move.
“At a microscopic level, fascia is exquisitely beautiful.
Its fibers are actually tubules, with droplets of fluid traveling through them. These fibers are in constant motion, coming together, moving apart, creating and recreating new designs. It is through this fluid matrix that there is an exchange of information, an exchange of nutrients and waste…all of which lead to the health of the body.”
— Einat Arian, 2021
“The fascia must be looked upon as a single organ, a unified whole, the environment in which all body systems function.”
When we experience an injury or create a holding pattern for whatever reason (shallow breathing because of anxiety, sitting a certain way because of work, etc.) the healing process can lead to fascial “restrictions.” Think of scar tissue. It’s dense, static, fibrous, and immobile. This is great when we’re trying to repair. But when we need to go back to function, that restriction limits us.
Ultimately, craniosacral therapy works to alter these fascial restrictions and how these restrictions limit the fluid matrix and exchange of information, nutrients, and waste. Through the gentlest touch (less than 5 grams of pressure), the body is invited, and typically able, to unwind restrictions and return to function. As this tension is released, the body has more capacity to thrive.
Think of how your computer runs slower when you have a bunch of browser tabs open, as each tab closes (is released) the whole system has more capacity. Craniosacral essentially helps you close olds tabs so they’re no longer draining your system.
References:
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, December 8). Andrew Taylor Still. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andrew-Taylor-Still
Einat Arian, N. History of Craniosacral Therapy. Retrieved from Gentle Healing Arts: https://www.gentlehealingarts.com/history-of-craniosacral-therapy# (my CST instructor)
Upledger Institute International. Retrieved from CST FAQs: https://www.upledger.com/therapies/faq.php
Wikipedia contributors. (2020, December 27). William Garner Sutherland. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Garner_Sutherland&oldid=996563502
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