Dr. Mary E. Rutherford, D.C.

An interest in service to others through healing led Dr. Mary Rutherford along a wide-ranging path. Her initial focus was in the area of cancer research, where for eight years she examined specific actions of the immune system, at the University of Minnesota. Frustration with the questions that were asked about the cause of an illness resulted in her desire to work in more direct healing systems, and she then worked for four years for the Minnesota Heart Study and other related clinical studies.

However, philosophical considerations led her to explore many other systems of healing. After graduating from Northwestern Health Sciences University with her Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1982, she founded Crescenterra Health Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, with the goal of uniting the practices of numerous practitioners to provide comprehensive alternative health care in a single location.

Dr. Rutherford’s philosophy is that we all have the innate (inborn) ability to heal ourselves; that healing is a continuous, ongoing process that spirals through a series of stages; that a commitment to personal, interpersonal, and planetary well-being can lead one to express her/his full potential.

These philosophies are grounded in some basic healing methods that can result in a clear flow of energy through the spinal system and head, following the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid in which our brain and spinal cord are bathed.) This flow can spiral outward into the energy field around each person, and create a feeling of clarity and wellness. Any symptoms that may be associated with the lack of flow can be eliminated through the clearing process, the chiropractic treatment.

There is evidence that each symptom we develop corresponds to a specific pattern of structural, emotional, and chemical stress. The purpose of healing is not to just eliminate these symptoms, because they are a signal that something needs to change.

Western medicine attempts to suppress or repress symptoms, but frequently these attempts only drive an illness deeper, to emerge later in another form. True healing involves changing the physical structure, the emotions, the chemistry (through nutritional changes, herbs, or homeopathic remedies), and the mental and spiritual aspects of one’s life.

For example, headaches may result from misalignments in the neck, head, or the pelvic bones, from food allergies, or from emotional stress. Determining the cause, and making the corrections, result in the elimination of the symptom. Taking a pill to suppress the pain does not result in true healing.

Dr. Rutherford uses certain specific techniques or systems, to accomplish the desired changes. These include: Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT), Bio Cranial Therapy, Network Spinal Analysis, CranioSacral Therapy, Mechanical Link, Zero Balancing, Reconnective Therapy, manual soft tissue techniques, Reiki, MariEl, and Kofutu healing, nutritional and dietary balancing. Dr. Rutherford is a certified instructor in Advanced Sacro-Occipital Technique, and assists in teaching CranioSacral Therapy workshops. She has also studied extensively with Peruvian healers, and incorporates this knowledge in her work.

Dr. Rutherford’s work has been beneficial in alleviating muscle/skeletal symptoms (back pain, joint problems, etc.), digestive imbalances, headaches, cranial and jaw problems, food sensitivities/allergies. Her work is very gentle, so even babies can benefit, especially after a difficult birth experience. Care during pregnancy, for newborns and children, and for the elderly, is offered with the calm tone necessary for the healing process. She can guide you through cleansing programs, diet changes, and suggest other practitioners who might help along the healing path.