Cranial Osteopathy

Cranial Osteopathy is a refined and subtle type of treatment that encourages the release of stresses and tensions throughout the body, including the head. It is a gentle yet extremely effective approach and may be used in a wide range of conditions for people of all ages, from birth onwards.

Cranial Osteopaths are trained to feel a very subtle, rhythmical shape change that is present in all body tissues. This is called involuntary motion.

The skull is made up of 26 bones which are intricately joined in such a way that during the rhythmical cycle of involuntary motion, the skull can actually change shape very slightly to accommodate the normal involuntary motion of the brain inside.

Impacts to the head can block or disrupt this movement. This can cause a very wide variety of problems both in the head and everywhere in the body.

Using involuntary motion in the tissues, osteopaths can feel whether a person is in an optimum state of health, or whether there is something preventing healthy movement of the tissues from occurring.

Cranial osteopathy can be helpful in reducing the symptoms of:

ADULTS

Back and neck pain

Headaches, Sinus Problems, Period Pain

Digestive Difficulties

...and for pregnancy

Headaches

Sciatica

Heartburn

pelvic and back problems such as Symphisis Pubis Dysfunction

BABIES & CHILDREN

Babies...

settling problems for the newborn

feeding difficulties with babies

irritability type problems

excessive crying, sickness and winding difficulties

...for children

infections such as glue ear

some behavioural problems

sleeping problems

headaches

It is often thought that because babies and children are so young and supple, they should have no stresses or strains in their body. The reality is very different. Birth is one of the most stressful events of our lives. The pressures involved are enormous, as the uterus pushes to expel the baby against the natural resistance of the bony birth canal. The baby has to turn and twist as it squeezes through the bony pelvis, on its short but highly stressful journey. The baby's head as an amazing ability to absorb these pressures in a normal delivery, due to the overlapping of the small bones of the baby's skull. This moulding process may well resolve itself over the first few days as the baby adjusts to the outside world. Sometimes these pressures have been large, particularly in a stressful birth, and can therefore not fully settle. This can create a pattern of stress and strain within the baby, leading to an unsettled and uncomfortable pattern.

Why is Cranial Osteopathy different?

In their training, Osteopaths are taught a variety of treatment methods and techniques, ranging from the well known 'high velocity thrust' with it's dramatic clicks, to the very gently applied methods used by 'cranial osteopaths.'

Osteopaths vary their treatment methods depending on their own preference and individual patients' problems. 'Cranial Osteopath' is the name by which osteopaths who work at the more gentle, subtle end of the spectrum of different treatment approaches, have become known.

Osteopaths may have different specialists including sports injuries, paediactrics, visceral

(treating the internal organs of the body). Cranial Osteopathy embraces all of these.