Cranial Osteopathy
What is cranial osteopathy?
Cranial Osteopathy is a gentle therapy and is used on adults as well as very young babies and children. Cranial Osteopathy is a refined and subtle treatment using very gentle pressure to the head and spine to encourage the release of stresses and strains throughout the body.
Cranial osteopaths are trained to feel very subtle rhythmical shape changes in the skull and all body tissues, known as ‘involuntary motion’ or the ‘cranial rhythm’. Changes in this enables your cranial osteopath to detect areas of reduced movement, stresses or strains throughout the body.
Some research points to the belief this cranial rhythm is the glymphatics or the lymphatic drainage of the brains, which points to its affects on other areas of the body and not just the cranium.
cranial osteopathy is a gentle treatment used by babies and adults
How does cranial osteopathy work?
Your cranial osteopath’s hands are placed gently on or under the head and they use their palpation skills to release subtle tensions caused by accumulations of stresses and strain on the body.
Patients may feel sensations of pressure or warmth, either under the hands of your cranial osteopath or elsewhere in their body. Most patients feel the gradual release of tension and become deeply relaxed.
Because of this, cranial osteopathy is a very gentle non-invasive treatment which makes it suitable for people that may struggle to undertake other forms of manual therapy.
there are many benefits to cranial osteopathy
Headaches & Migraines
Cranial osteopathy helps release stress and tension built up in your head and neck which can lead to an overstrain of muscles, causing headaches and migraines.
ENT Issues
Many patients have seen benefits of cranial osteopathy in helping to unblock ears, sinus issues and even with recurrent throat infections.
Paediatrics
Cranial osteopahty soothes babies and helps your little one recover from complicated labour and delivery. It also helps with ease sleep issues, reflux and colic. Read more here.
easing stress and tension for a better quality of life
Anxiety & Stress
Providing gentle treatment your cranial osteopath can help reduce the affects of your fight and flight mode in your nervous system, helping to reduce stress and anxiety.
Poor Sleep
Ridding your body of tension and stress can aid sleep, and people have seen real improvements in the quality of their sleep after undertaking cranial osteopathy.
Other Issues
We get many enquiries on whether cranial osteopathy can help a particular condition due to its gentle nature. Contact us to ask and, if it’s clinically safe to do so, it could be worth trying.