The following is Dr. Hancock’s FOREWORD to the 2005 edition of his CranioStructural Integration manual.
For twelve years I practiced chiropractic using Applied Kinesiology, Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) and Diversified techniques. My greatest challenge was getting the pelvis to stay in position after it was realigned. Attempts to restrict the activities of athletes for any period of time, or to restrict the type and amount of work-related activities of others, met with immediate resistance. Some joggers and weight lifting enthusiasts viewed restrictions in the same light as amputation and would opt to live with their discomfort. Most employees not on Workers’ Compensation or Disability had to continue making a living performing their same activities. The difficulties associated with maintaining pelvic and spinal alignment, and the need to restrict patients’ activities (except in acute situations), were markedly reduced with the development and use of new cranial procedures.
Years of clinical practice using manual muscle testing, postural evaluation and various reflex procedures, in the evaluation and treatment of all patients, had demonstrated the presence of common patterns of compensation. These patterns could be temporarily eliminated by SOT or applied kinesiology techniques but would always return when the patient walked around the table or just stood up (i.e., became weight-bearing). A sacrum laterally tipped to the right with counter-rotation of the ilia was a major problem. Traditional osteopathic cranial concepts (Magoun, Sr., 1976, p.72)* related a tipped sacrum to both right torsion and right sidebending rotation of the sphenobasilar symphysis (synchondrosis). Traditional treatment methods of restoring quantity and quality of movement between cranial left and right torsions and left and right sidebending rotation patterns did not correct the sacroiliac dysfunction.
Based on the conceptual relationship between an occiput tipped to the right (occurring in both right torsion and sidebending) and a sacrum tipped to the right, I reasoned that I would have to increase the mobility of the cranium enough to change the sacrum. This treatment approach was so effective that after treatment the patients could jog around the room without the tipped sacrum and related symptoms returning. In fact, the treatment results appear to be long-term corrections.
The pelvic pattern described above, with its tipped sacrum, is a global neuromusculoskeletal pattern almost always found in patients, although it may be masked by upper cervical compensation patterns. Both cranial and extra-cranial components are present, and changes to the position and function of the cranial components results in elimination of the extra-cranial components. Manual muscle testing and other diagnostic techniques have revealed many global neuromusculoskeletal compensatory patterns which are universally present and can be eliminated by treating the cranial component. Because these neuromusculoskeletal patterns are identifiable even in infants, I named them Primary Compensatory Patterns (PCP). I named the cranial portion of these patterns Cranial Primary Patterns (CPP) and the extra-cranial portion Somatic Primary Patterns (SPP). The somatic portion appears to be dictated by the cranial portion.
Over fifty years ago, Dr. Sutherland and his osteopathic followers established the fundamental concepts and basic techniques for evaluating and treating craniosacral dysfunction. Osteopathic techniques generally use very light force and indirect technique (exaggeration), and rely on the guiding control of the reciprocal tension membrane system. However, these techniques do not appear to correct the Cranial Primary Patterns. On the other hand, direct technique (force maintained against the resistance barrier) using greater force is successful in removing them, and the corrections tend to be long lasting, maybe even permanent. If similar symptoms do appear at a later date they usually respond readily to soft tissue releases, functional (indirect) craniosacral techniques, and other therapeutic procedures.
The correction of Cranial Primary Patterns, and the resulting release of Somatic Primary Patterns, represent a new paradigm and require changes in cranial concepts and procedures. Although we are still working with the craniosacral mechanism, and therefore using techniques that are craniosacral in function, we refer to these new concepts and procedures as CranioStructural Integration. This label more accurately describes both our objectives and our procedures.”
G. Dallas Hancock, Ph.D.(c), D.C., L.M.T.
Tampa, Florida