Is Sacral Listening Applied in a Uniform Way?

Item

Title
Is Sacral Listening
Applied in a Uniform Way?
Author(s)
Krapp Brigitte
Abstract
This study deals with the question: Is Sacral Listening applied in a Uniform Way?
The answer to this research question, which is also the title of this Master’s thesis, is based on
three pillars.
The first pillar is a survey of literature. Here research is undertaken, examining how the
sacrum is described in osteopathic literature and what interconnections exist between
palpation, perception, and interpretation. Subsequently, clarification is sought as to how
Sacral Listening is viewed by different authors in literature.
The second pillar consists of a quantitative survey conducted with 50 osteopaths. The goal of
this survey is to establish relevance for the research question of the Master’s thesis. Questions
are posed, mainly in relation to the degree of familiarity with Sacral Listening testing and its
application in everyday practice.
The third pillar on which this Master’s thesis is based comprises of 12 guideline-based expert
interviews concerning Sacral Listening. The interview is a method of qualitative social
research.
The hypothesis was clearly rejected: Sacral Listening is not applied in a uniform way. This
outcome was substantiated by many individual results of this study. There is great diversity in
the application of the testing as well as in the frequency of its use in osteopathic practice. For
some therapists it is an integral part of every osteopathic examination, for others it is a method
used only in concordance with certain other criteria. A further element of disparity lies in the
interpretation of what was perceived. This, in turn, is not only dependent on the intention or
the approach but also on the individual inner picture of the sacrum which each osteopath has
formed in his or her mind.
Finally, the diversity in assessing Sacral Listening results from each therapist’s individual
development in the way he sees and applies this testing.
3
What then is the relevance of this result for osteopathy and osteopathic research? The
outcome of this study has a relevance for basic research in osteopathy. The demand for a
standardization on the basis of scientific research which only legitimizes what is both proven
and applied in a uniform manner appears to be premature. If osteopathy was subjected to such
judgement it would be castrated and would be robbed of one of its greatest tools. This
observation underlies a claim made by the DO journal last year
“We have to make it perfectly clear that this place [referring to the place of academicalization
and scientific research] can only exist and develop right amidst the
osteopathic-clinical experience and the everyday practice of dealing with the
suffering of the patient. We must call for science to actually create osteopathic
knowledge rather than just providing evidence about the effectiveness of osteopathy.
And we must insist that scientific curiosity rather than tedious formalism determines
academic research.”(Breul et al., DO 2/2008,
Key Words: qualitative research - quantitative research - sacral listening - palpation - perception - living
picture of anatomy -
Date Accepted
2010
Date Submitted
1.11.2008 00:00:00
Type
osteo_thesis
Language
English
Number of pages
62
Submitted by:
62
Pub-Identifier
13195
Inst-Identifier
781
Keywords
Sacral Listening
Recommended
0
Medium
KrappBrigitte2009engl.pdf
Item sets
Thesis

Krapp Brigitte, “Is Sacral Listening Applied in a Uniform Way?”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed March 29, 2024, https://www.osteopathic-research.com/s/orw/item/3023