THE CRANIAL CONNECTION
PARADIGM
The Cranial Connection Paradigm
for the Patient
The Cranial Connection (1986)
was originally a research paper that evolved
into an introductory booklet for the professional –
– for the medical student or for the physician –
with anatomical and physiological information
about the Cranial Concept.
The Cranial Connection Paradigm (2024)
is an updated version
for patient awareness and education,
containing current information and resources
about the worldwide growth and evolution
of the Cranial Concept.
The artistry of ten fingers flowing across piano keys is audible and visible…
vibrations of Sound the ears can hear and the eyes can see.
The artistry of ten fingers
palpating the body
is silent and invisible…
Vibrations of Silence that the body can feel and the mind can sense..
The hand is a miraculous creation.
What do an Osteopath
and a Piano Teacher
have in common?
TOUCH
Both exemplify
the exceptional,
the remarkable,
the extraordinary…
Music evokes a ‘felt’ sense
beyond words.
Palpation elicits a ‘felt’ sense
beyond belief.
HANDS OF HARMONY
May Song | Enrique Granados
What is The Cranial Concept? What is a Cranial Osteopath?
Are you a chronic pain patient?
Do you know someone who has the diagnosis of ‘Unknown’?
Do you have children, or are you yourself thinking about orthodontics –
braces, palate expanders or Invisalign?
Have you been told surgery is your only option
…and would appreciate a second opinion with a different perspective?
Are you interested in a perspective and options beyond pharmaceuticals and surgery?
Do you think or feel that your ailments could be side effects of medication
and are looking for alternatives?
YES?
Welcome to an invigorating paradigm
within Osteopathic medicine!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Type in a keyword to locate relevant information.
PRELUDE and PROLOGUE
Prelude for the Patient
Osteopathic thought has always placed
the efficiency of the living body
at the center of its philosophical framework.
…”The PATIENT who has the disease,
and not the disease which has the patient.”
Beryl Arbuckle, 1977
Prologue
Andrew Taylor Still,
the founder of Osteopathy, states
“The first step in Osteopathy
is a belief in our own body.”
Prepare to enter
a dynamic framework within
Osteopathic medicine…
The Cranial Connection Paradigm
PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS
A striking parallel of the 1980’s and the 2020’s
jumps off the page in the Philosophical Foundations.
The time is Now…
for a paradigm shift of functional and anatomical understanding.
The time is Now…
for an awareness of the BODY and the potential of HANDS.
A recognition not only of the Patient who has the dysfunction, but also
a recognition of the Doctor who is skilled in palpation,
– intelligent Touch.
Current medical thinking in 1986 was dominated by two common theories:
1- The Disease Theory
2- The External Control Theory
Has this changed forty years later
…in the NOW of 2024?
A Disease Theory
Within the context of a Disease Theory,
current treatment of disease processes
all share one basic assumption:
EXTERNAL CONTROL
is necessary to treat pathology.
Osteopathic Orientation
THREE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF OSTEOPATHY
The philosophical foundations
inherent in an osteopathic orientation
should be clearly understood
before introducing the Cranial Concept.
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION
Evolution of the Cranial Concept | THEN
The Primary Respiratory Mechanism
Anatomy textbooks stated
that cranial sutures
were fused
…and unable to move.
THEN and NOW
THE 21st CENTURY
THE NOW
The Cranial Concept | NOW
Are we living in the century
that will acknowledge William Garner Sutherland’s insight
as one of the most important discoveries
in human anatomy and physiology?
Meet Tasha Turzo, DO
and discover the advancements in facial development
– the integration of orofacial cranial osteopathy and orthodontics.
ANATOMICAL
ORIENTATION
Two Models of Sutherland’s
PRIMARY RESPIRATORY MECHANISM
Mechanical Model
The dura mater plays a key role in both the Mechanical Model and the Pressurestat Model.
In the Mechanical Model,
the dura serves as a
Reciprocal Tension Membrane.
Pressurestat Model
The dura mater plays a key role in both the Mechanical Model and the Pressurestat Model.
In the Pressurestat Model,
the dura serves as a functional boundary of a
‘Semi-closed Hydraulic System’
that houses the
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
