Cerebrospinal fluid - Gillespie Approach–Craniosacral Fascial Therapy

The Clinical Importance of Cerebrospinal Fluid

I am presenting a short summary of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for our CFT clinical understanding. (Thank you Wikipedia.)

The body turns over CSF about every 6.5 hours as it creates about one pound per day. The CSF circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system, CNS). It can pass along the cranial and spinal nerve sheaths and return through the lymphatic system. We believe that the motion of the brain creates a pumping action to help move the fluid. A zero brain cycle, always a red flag in our world, may hamper that circulation.

The CSF creates buoyancy in the skull. Otherwise, the three pound brain would be compressing the cranial nerves and arteries and cause death. The CSF helps to protect the brain during head trauma. The CSF also eliminates toxins, especially during sleep. This may be important in possible CFT conditions where toxins have crossed the blood-brain barrier and need to be eliminated from the CNS.

As the creator of osteopathy in the 19th century, Dr. Andrew Still brilliantly stated that “the cerebrospinal fluid is the highest know element in the body.” His student, Dr. William Sutherland, incorporated this thought in his cranial concept in the early 20th century. Sutherland’s student and my mentor, Dr. Viola Frymann, stressed its importance in her hospital study of 1250 newborns in the 1960s. We stand on the shoulders of giants.

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