The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine

A Review of King HH and Lay EM, "Osteopathy in the Cranial Field," in Foundations for Osteopathic Medicine, 2nd ed.

Authors:
Steve E. Hartman, PhD - Department of Anatomy
James M. Norton, PhD - Physiology
College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England

Abstract:
Cranial osteopathy (aka craniosacral therapy) is a palpation/manipulation-based medical practice conceived in the early 20th century. Supplementing our recent critique, we review here the chapter titled "Osteopathy in the Cranial Field," by King and Lay in the new Foundations for Osteopathic Medicine (2nd ed.). Many consider this volume the American Osteopathic Association-sanctioned textbook for osteopathic medicine. Much evidence presented in this chapter was either overinterpreted or misinterpreted, and pertinent literature was overlooked. In the interest of the osteopathic profession and our students-and coincident with the best scientific evidence-this chapter should be revised extensively or deleted altogether.