What is Cranial Osteopathy?

 
It is a form of osteopathy that uses gentle palpation and techniques. Unfortunately the therapy has grown to be known as ‘cranial’ osteopathy. This implies that we only treat the head but in reality it can be used to treat the whole body.

Many things can happen to a body over time, from birth to old age. Each trauma or injury can leave after-effects in the body even when the pain seems to have subsided and gone away. When we are young we have a great reserve of flexibility in our tissues and joints which can absorb these injuries and we can seemingly recover. All you might be aware of is that you seem to stiffen more and more as you get older.

With cranial osteopathy we aim to identify these stresses and strains within the body and gently balance and correct them.

Who and what can we treat?
We can treat everyone from a new born baby, just a few days old to their great grandparents. All ages can benefit from cranial osteopathy. The range of problems that can be addressed does vary depending on your age.

Babies
Being born is one of the most stressful events in our lives. It is probably just as well that we cannot remember it! A baby is subjected to enormous pressure as the uterus pushes the head through the pelvic canal. At this stage the skull is only bone around the base where it sits on the neck. The rest is mainly cartilage turning into bone. This allows the head to change shape as it passes through the canal. The rest of the body also twists and the spine, pelvis and limbs can all be affected. Further complications can occur if the baby is not lying well in the womb, has an awkward head presentation or needs an assisted extraction. On exiting, everything should return to normal. However this often does not happen. The effects on the shape of the head can vary from minor to extreme. Some babies can cope well with very noticeable differences, whereas some struggle with relatively mild problems. A lot depends upon the soft tissue structures affected by any unresolved stresses.  

All babies cry but a parent instinctively knows when this is more than normal. The stresses and strains that can remain may result in the following symptoms

• crying and irritable baby
• sickness and wind    - poor sleep patterns
• feeding difficulties
  

Children
As a child grows they can still experience problems retained from the birth process. They can also suffer from the everyday bumps and knocks from learning to walk and normal play. In younger children this may result in the following.

• headaches, back and neck pain
• digestive or bowel problems
• difficulty in learning to walk or having an awkward gait
• clumsiness in movements
• behavioural problems
• learning difficulties
  

Older children may still experience some of the above and may start to experience ‘growing pains’ and musculo-skeletal problems from sports.
Our modern society is getting more computer-dependent year by year and children can develop postural problems from long hours sitting in awkward positions. This together with heavy school bags can lead to a spinal scoliosis. It is very important that these, ‘s-bends’  in the spine are treated early. If children are left to ‘grow’ into a scoliotic pattern it can lead to a permanent back problem in adult life. If treated quickly, an acquired scoliosis can be completely resolved using gentle osteopathic techniques.

Adults
As an adult your musculo-skeletal system is completely formed. You may have unresolved conditions from your growing years and you can gain new problems in a multitude of different ways.
Cranial Osteopathy can help with

• back and neck pain
• headaches 
• muscle spasm and joint pain
• anxiety and stress
• pregnancy related muscle and joint pain
• some nerve pains
  

Are there any side-effects to treatment?
Reactions to treatments are variable. Some babies sleep very well after a treatment, whereas others may have more energy. As with adults, if an area of stiffness is released it can sometimes be a little achy for a few days. This may make the baby or child unsettled for 2 or 3 days before improving. Adults mainly feel relaxed and often quite tired and sleepy afterwards. 

How many treatments?
This can vary greatly and often depends upon how long the condition has been present and how severe it is. For newborns with relatively mild problems, 2 or 3 treatments may be sufficient. Older or more complicated problems may take longer. Babies and children generally respond more quickly to treatment than adults.