A therapy promoted by Dr. William Garner Sutherland in the 1940s. The skull is formed of several plates with slight separations between them. They are displaced during birth and may not return to their proper positions subsequently, sometimes causing a misalignment of the facial bones, especially the jawbones. They also may be displaced later in life by blows, whiplash effects in automobile accidents, or even by pressure exerted during dental surgery. Sutherland believed that such displacements affect various parts of the body through pressure on nerves originating in the brain. Cranial osteopathy aimed to correct these displacements and their consequent pressure. The treatment consists of very gentle manipulation of the skull and the jawbones to restore them to a proper alignment. Osteopaths who practice cranial osteopathy claim some success in treating neuralgia and headaches, including migraine. There is also some evidence of success in treating high blood pressure and stomach ulcers.
Orthodox medical practitioners are skeptical about both the diagnosis and the treatment but tend to regard the treatment as harmless. Diagnosis is viewed differently: Unless the osteopath is also a qualified medical practitioner, there is a danger that some other more serious disorder may be overlooked.