Research

ResearchDr. Rosen2018-04-03T23:01:02-07:00

Research Relevant to Cranial Osteopathy:

Fluid Continuity

140 years ago, Dr. Still described a continuous flow of fluids through Arteries and Veins, into a Living Connective Tissue Matrix, ultimately connecting the Cerebrospinal Fluid to the Lymphatics. 21st century technology now allows objective observation of phenomena described by Dr. Still, using only his hand for subjective observation.

The articles below preserve an archive of research webpages from The Osteopathic Cranial Academy. Though the research studies cited are not recent, they remain relevant, and provide substantial evidence supporting Osteopathy in the Cranial Field. It is important that these pages remain available for the general public.

Introduction To Research

Research supporting Osteopathy in the Cranial Field (OCF) had been well established in the scientific literature long before William Garner Sutherland.

CNS Motility

Motion of the central nervous system anatomy has been well documented in research studies from multiple sources mostly outside the osteopathic profession.

CSF Fluctuation

CSF flows through the ventricles of the brain and within the spaces around the brain and spinal cord. Sutherland described this motion as fluctuant in nature.

Dural Mobility

The existence of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord is well documented in anatomic research and utilized in medical practice.

Cranial Bone Mobility

Cranial bone motion has been the most controversial phenomenon of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism (PRM), but there is ample evidence that the cranial bones do rhythmically move.

Sacral Mobility

It is an anatomical fact that the sacrum moves between the ilia. It simply would not be possible for humans to walk or run if the sacral-iliac joints did not allow for motion.

Clinical Research

The effectiveness of OCF has been consistently demonstrated in a number of clinical studies. Research has been performed on treatment of the following clinical conditions:

Palpatory Reliability

Inter-examiner reliability studies of cranial palpation are notoriously difficult to design well, and, as a result have been inadequate in demonstrating consistent findings across examiners.