Some Lessons Learned in 45 Years
When I first got into this field in the 1970s, I did not foresee that my perceptions of the work would change over my career.
1. Craniosacral is king. By 1980 I loved cranial work. I had read every book about it and studied with many of Dr. Sutherland’s students. But, over time, I realized that the entire craniosacral system was an integral part of the full-body fascial web. Every cell of this system was encased with fascia and controlled by the web. The web became king.
2. Since craniosacral was king, I started therapy with every patient’s head. Since our Lancaster infant research showed the pelvis was the key, I now engage the fascial web in the lower body for almost everyone as a starting point.
3. A normal brain cycle could be more than ten seconds. When I started to work with the fascial web, the brain cycle started to lengthen out to 50, 100, 200 seconds and more. Yikes! Today, my cycle is 1,440 seconds, and six of my patients have longer cycles. I felt like I was Columbus in the 1980s, ready to sail off the edge of the earth, but it showed that the craniosacral system and fascial web were directly connected.
4. In my TMJ work, I originally released the fascia of each appropriate muscle. I later realized that these tissues were part of full-body fascial strain patterns. I tried to clear the tip of the iceberg, but left behind everything unseen below the surface of the water.
5. Fascial therapy, not craniosacral, rules the infant work. With such a small body, the fascial web controls the craniosacral system. Craniosacral therapy is fine, but the critical fascial web piece is missed.
6. Fetal birth trauma is a huge part of infant distress. The cranial osteopaths discussed labor and delivery extensively, but never mentioned the importance of the in-utero aspect of the fascial web.
In the 1800s, Dr. Andrew Still, a true genius and the founder of osteopathy, said fascia was the key. Today, we are reaping the fruits of his brilliant work. We stand on the shoulders of giants.
Gillespie Approach–Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Articles on Health Conditions
