It had remarkable results, relieving a number of problems for which there were no other treatments. After thirty years of developing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, he began to share his concepts and techniques with other interested osteopaths.
The main premise of osteopathy in the cranial field is the understanding that there is a small but significant movement between all the components of the skull, including the bones and their sutures.

Dr Sutherland concluded that there is a palpable movement within the body that occurs cyclically and affects all the different systems of the body. He called this movement “Primary Breathing” because it was more important and more essential than breathing. Primary respiration was originally described as affecting the movement of the bone pairs in the skull and the movement of the reciprocal tension membranes, which included the entire coverings of the central and peripheral nervous system or dura mater.

Later in his scientific research, Dr Sutherland realised that even body fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluids respond to this tidal effect of primordial breathing.

Even an almost imperceptible change in the physical configuration of the skull and movement can lead to such disorders as colic, inability to swallow in childhood or later years, inability to breastfeed, chronic ear infections and/or delayed development. Trauma can also lead to back problems, headaches, breathing and digestive disorders, joint pain, menstrual disorders and sinusitis.