Hey All,

We all know that placebos do work and if it relieves a patient of their pain then I do think it is a valid therapy... no matter what kind of seafood is involved.

But as professionals I believe we must do ourselves a favor and check under the hood about cranio-sacral.

The plates move due to CSF flow. To feel the plates move (CSF rhythm) you place your hands on the occipital "plate". Attached to the occipital bone is the ligamentum nuchae. The ligamentum nuchae is connected to the vertebral body. Attached to the vertebral body is the scalenes. Scalenes are a secondary muscle of respiration. The primary muscle of respiration is the diaphragm. When contracting, the diaphragm pushes the abdominal contents down, creating a potbelly. The average person is overweight and embarrassed by it. They use the diaphragm sparingly to avoid having a bigger belly and to fit in their one size too small pair of jeans. They rely on their (very developed) secondary muscles of respiration in order to stay alive.

ok.... so.... The circulation of CSF through the ventricular system and subarachnoid space has been attributed to:

i) pressure waves generated by pulsatile arterial blood flow and brain expansion,

ii) pressure gradients produced by the production and absorption of CSF,

iii) currents induced by ependymal cilia. It is likely, however, that ciliary currents contribute only to local movement of CSF rather than to bulk flow and,

iv) gravity (?)

The average human head weighs in and about 8 pounds...

We are not bags of mostly water that if you touch it causes ripples like water spiders on a pond. We are sacks of highly efficient shock dispersing gel (ie. glycosaminoglycans).

They claim that since the rhythm of the craniosacral system is subtle, so must the touch of the therapist be subtle. Cranial rhythm is palpated with a touch that is about 5 grams, or the weight of a nickel..... 5 GRAMS! With 5 grams of pressure they claim that this ebb and flow of cerebral spinal fluid is felt as a slight pressure outward (flexion), and a slight drawing inward (extension). The whole body is connected through fascia or connective tissue therefore, this flexion/extension movement can be palpated anywhere in the body via the fascia. Variances in amplitude and quality or distortions within the fascia, can be felt... ummmm... have I mentioned the amazing properties of the gel of our extracellular matrix... that they absorb mechanical distortion by the molecular properties of the glycosaminoglycan molecule.

So... IMHO, I believe that the practitioner does not feel this ebb and flow. So what do they feel? (I think everyone knows where I am going)

The patient lies on the table and the practitioner places their hands on the occipital. The fingers are placed on the origin of the upper traps stimulating a gto release. The very nature of the supine position will further create a laxity of the upper traps. At this point the patient starts to breathe deeply and the practitioner believes to feel the ebb and flow of the CSF. What happens is that the scalenes contract, pulling on their origins on the cervical spine, which is attached to the ligamentum nuchae which attaches to the occipital bone which the practitioner’s fingers are placed. The ebb and flow is really the patients breathing through their secondary muscles of respiration. The gel matrix does NOT allow subtle motions to reach through to the surface as the glycosaminoglycan molecule absorbs the shock of those movements... especially through 8 pounds of human meat.

I look forward to your responses as I love these conversations
Adamo