CRANIAL
OSTEOPATHY
WHAT
IS IT?
Cranial
or Craniosacral Osteopathy is a very gentle treatment in which the
head, base of the spine and other areas are held while the therapist
feels for any abnormal tension or distortion and encourages the body
to re-balance itself. A
slow wave-like tension that passes through the body is examined and
balanced.
Cranial
osteopaths believe that strains to the body in general and the skull
(cranium) in particular can adversely affect your health.
These strains could be caused by a difficult, complicated or
stressful birth - especially where forceps or suction are used - or
where the baby has become stuck and had to be rescued by emergency
cesarean, or was facing the wrong way, breech position etc.
They can also be caused by injuries later in life - falls, road
accidents, dental treatments, epidurals and illnesses such as
meningitis, which can leave strains in the skull or the membranes
that cover the brain and spinal cord.
WHAT
CAN IT HELP?
It
may help children and newborn babies that have
sleep, feeding or behavioural problems as well as anyone that
doesn't like the "manipulative" approach. It may also be
helpful for headaches, stress and a variety of other conditions.
Please
note that as a small private profession, osteopaths are not able to
undertake extensive -and expensive - research into the effectiveness
of treatment for a wide range of conditions. Therefore this
list is to give you an example of conditions commonly presented to
osteopaths; it is not a claim that there is cast-iron scientific
evidence that osteopathy is proven to be of benefit, which would be
a breach of trading standards and advertising standards legislation.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS:
Does
it hurt?
-
No, as no force is used there is no soreness after treatment.
Some people feel slightly light headed afterwards, most feel
very relaxed and want to sleep when they get home.
How
old does a child need to be to have cranial treatment?
-
Babies can be treated from birth!
Some osteopaths work in obstetric departments assessing
newborn babies, as the earlier any distortion or compression of the
baby’s head is relieved, the better they will develop.
Will
I need to get undressed?
-
No, cranial osteopathy is done through light clothing.
However, if the osteopath needs to assess a structural
problem such as a spinal curve you may need to undress to underwear
for the assessment.
Your
therapist is Peter Still BSc(ost).