Your Osteopathy questions answered:
What is Cranial Osteopathy?
Cranial Osteopathy is a refined and subtle type of osteopathic treatment that uses very gentle manipulative pressure to encourage the release of stresses throughout the body, including the head. It is extremely effective in treating a wide range of conditions in people of all ages, from birth to old age.
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.
Impact to the head can block or disrupt this movement. This can cause a wide variety of problems both in the head and in other areas of 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.
Most of us have been exposed to physical trauma at some stage in our life. The body may have been able to absorb the effects of an accident at the time, but a lasting strain often remains. Illnesses and emotional trauma can also leave a lasting physical effect. Gradually the body may find it more and more difficult to cope with accumulated stresses, and symptoms may start to show.
What is the difference between a Cranial Osteopath and Structural Osteopath?
In their training, Osteopaths are taught a variety of treatment methods and techniques, ranging from the well known 'high velocity thrust' with its dramatic clicks, to the very gently applied methods used by so called 'Cranial Osteopaths'.
Osteopaths vary in their treatment methods depending on their own preference and individual patient's problems.
'Cranial Osteopath' is the name by which Osteopaths who work at the gentler, subtle end of the spectrum of different treatment approaches, have become known. Osteopaths may have different specialities, including sports injuries, paediatrics, visceral (treating the internal organs of the body). Cranial Osteopathy embraces all of these.
What training has a Cranial osteopath undergone?
All British Osteopaths undergo a 4 year BSc. degree course training, which qualifies them to practice Osteopathy. The basic training in Cranial Osteopathy is given during this period. Many Osteopaths decide to specialise in Cranial techniques, and carry out further, post-graduate studies in Cranial Osteopathy.
What is the difference between 'Cranial Osteopathy' and 'Cranio-Sacral Therapy'?
Cranial Osteopaths are registered with the General Osteopathic Council, and specialise in Cranial Osteopathic techniques. 'Cranio-sacral therapists' are not Osteopaths, but work on the same mechanism within the body.
Is Cranial Osteopathy safe?
Yes it is safe. Probably the most beneficial factor to the apprehensive 'new patient' is that treatment is so gentle it often has a soporific effect whilst tissues/tensions are relaxing. As a result of this, treatment conducted by an inexperienced practitioner becomes ineffective rather than unsafe.
Does the treatment hurt?
No. Very little pressure is used during a treatment and patients are often surprised after treatment at how relaxed they feel. Patients feel sensations of pressure or warmth, either under the osteopath's hands, or elsewhere in the body.
What conditions does Cranial Osteopathy treat?
Cranial Osteopathy can be applied to any condition requiring physical treatment and can have a very relaxing effect.
Osteopaths treat the whole person, not just the condition. Using the principles of Osteopathy, a wide range of conditions can be treated, including:
- Back and neck pain
- Joint pain
- Headache and migraine
- Digestive disorders
- Period pain and irregularity
- Recurrent infection
- Sinusitis
- Asthma and chest complaints
- Stress, depression, and fatigue
- General ill health
- Childhood problems.
Conditions that indicate Cranial Osteopathy rather than the traditional Osteopathy include the following: difficult births for babies, the crying sleepless baby, childhood asthma, children with poor concentration or stress related problems, menstrual pain, sciatica, jaw misalignment, certain digestive and abnormal pain from arthritis - to name but a few.
NB. As with any form of physical treatment Cranial Osteopathy is ineffective in irreversible pathological disease states.
Who can benefit from Cranial Osteopathy? Is there an age limit?
This type of treatment is suitable for everyone, from newborn babies to the very elderly. Cranial Osteopathy is an extremely gentle form of treatment.
What happens during a consultation?
An Osteopath takes a detailed medical history from the patient followed by a careful examination. He/she will make a diagnosis of what is causing the symptoms, and try to put together a 'story' of why they have developed. He/she will explain this to the patient, giving a prognosis of recovery time and expected number of treatments required to achieve the results wanted.
Using very subtle and gentle techniques, the accumulated stresses and strains in the body are gradually released. The aim is to relieve current symptoms, and also improve underlying health of the tissues as far as possible in order that they do not recur.
What are the extra added benefits of treatment?
Osteopathic treatment is aimed not only at the relief of symptoms, but towards helping the body function better in all respects. Patients often report an improvement in general well being, energy levels, sleep patterns, and also in areas of symptoms other than those that brought them to the osteopath in the first place.