There is an old song that goes "The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone… etc"

There is a lot of truth in this. The body is very interconnected and when one part is injured and out of balance, it can have a very wide-ranging effect.

For example: over time, limping can create neck pain and headaches as various muscles and joints tighten to compensate for the uneven way of walking.

It can be more subtle than this. Tight muscles and joints can affect nerves and circulation. Internal organs or quite distant areas of the body can be affected by, for example, a problem in the back. For this reason Osteopathy works to restore the whole body to balance. This is why, although you may consult an osteopath for a pain in your knee, they will still need to take a full medical history and examine your whole frame.

“The knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone …”

What is Cranial Osteopathy?

Cranial Osteopathy is a refined and subtle type of osteopathic treatment that uses very gentle contact 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. It can help those in the prime of life and also the very frail, for example people who have just undergone surgery or those with a long-term illness.

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 its dramatic clicks, to the very gently applied methods used by so called '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.

Accumulation of stress and strain in the body

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 does treatment involve?

An osteopath takes a detailed medical history from the patient followed by a careful examination. Sometimes the examination will involve the patient removing some clothing in order that the osteopath may more closely observe movements of joints and muscles. He/she will make a diagnosis of what is causing the symptoms, and try to put together the 'story' of why they have developed.

Using very subtle and gentle techniques, the accumulated stresses and strains in the body are gradually released. The aim is to relieve the current symptoms and also improve the underlying health of the tissues as far as possible in order that they do not recur.

This type of treatment is suitable for everyone from newborn babies to the very elderly, being extremely gentle. It is equally effective as a method of treating sports people or those doing heavy physical work.

What does cranial treatment feel like?

Patients may feel sensations of pressure or warmth, either under the osteopath’s hands or elsewhere. Most patients feel that gradually the tension is being drawn out of their body and they become deeply relaxed.

The 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.

What can Osteopaths treat?

Osteopaths treat the whole person not just the condition. Using the principles of osteopathy, a very wide variety of conditions can be helped, including:

• Back and neck pain
• Joint pain
• Headache and migraine
• Whiplash
• Injury, including broken bones
• Period pain and irregularity
• Recurrent infection
• Sinusitis
• Asthma and chest complaints
• Stress, depression and fatigue
• General ill health
• Childhood problems (see Osteopathy for Babies and Children)
• ...and much more

Osteopathy for babies and children

Osteopathic treatment

Osteopathic treatment using the cranial approach is very gentle, safe and effective in the treatment of babies and children. Specific gentle contact is applied where necessary to enable the inherent healing ability of the body to effect the release of stresses.

Young children are not required to lie down. They can be treated sitting on a parent’s lap and can play with toys whilst the treatment is carried out.

Could there be any adverse reactions?

Reactions to treatment are variable, often the baby or child is very relaxed afterwards and sleeps well. Others have a burst of energy after treatment, usually followed by a good nights sleep.

Occasionally children are unsettled after treatment. This is a temporary situation, and is usually caused when the release of stresses has been incomplete. It is not always possible for a complete release to occur in one session, especially if stresses have been severe.

How many treatments will be needed?

On average, 2 to 6 treatments are sufficient. This varies according to the severity of the problem and the age of the child.

What to treat:

• Crying babies
• Feeding difficulties
• Sickness, colic and wind
• Sleep disturbances
• Growing pains
• Injury, including broken bones
• Recurrent infections
• Ear infections
• Asthma
• Sinus and adenoidal problems
• Behaviour problems
• Learning difficulties
• Cerebral palsy and other types of brain damage

Why do children need treatment?

It is a common belief that babies and children should have no structural stresses or strains in their bodies, because they are 'so young'. The reality is very different.

Birth is one of the most stressful events of our lives. The baby is subjected to enormous forces during its journey through the birth canal. The baby has to turn and twist as it squeezes through the bony pelvis, on its short but highly stimulating and potentially stressful journey.

The baby's head has the remarkable ability to adapt to these stresses in a normal delivery. In order to reduce the size of the head, the soft bones overlap and absorb pressure as the baby descends. Many babies are born with odd shaped heads as a result. In the first few days, the head can usually be seen to gradually lose the extreme moulded shape, as the baby suckles, cries and yawns. However, this unmoulding process is often incomplete, especially if the birth has been difficult. As a result, the baby may have to live with some very uncomfortable stresses within its head and body.

What effect does retained moulding have?

Some babies cope extremely well with even quite severe retained moulding and compression, and are contented and happy. For others it is a different story, and they can display a variety of problems.

Crying, irritable baby
Crying, fractious, irritable baby, needs to be rocked to sleep. Prefers being carried.

Reason
The baby may be uncomfortable, with a constant feeling of pressure in the head. This is made worse by the extra pressure on the head when lying down.

Feeding difficulties
The baby takes a long time to feed and one feed merges into the next. He/she may be a 'windy' feeder,

Reason
Feeding is difficult and tiring due to mechanical stresses through the head, face and throat. The nerves to the tongue may be irritated as they exit from the skull, which makes sucking difficult.

Sickness, colic and wind
Regurgitation of milk between feeds, bouts of prolonged crying due to colic and wind. Often worse in the evening.

Reason
The nerve to the stomach is irritated as it exits from the base of the skull, which impairs digestion. The diaphragm may be stressed or distorted, which further compromises both digestion and the ability of the stomach to retain its contents.

Sleep disturbances
The baby sleeps for only short periods, and may sleep little in the day (or night!). Wakes to the slightest noise.

Reason
The tension on the bony and membranous casing of the skull keeps the baby's nervous system in a persistently alert state.

As the child grows
As the child grows, the effects of retained moulding can lead to other problems. The following are the most common, but it is by no means an exhaustive list.

Infections
Retained moulding and birth stresses take their toll on the body's reserves, and also deplete the immune system. This leaves children more vulnerable to all types of infection.

Ear infection
Recurrent ear infections, gradually becoming more frequent. Loss of hearing, leads to 'glue ear'.

Reason
Retained birth compression within and around the bones of the ear impedes fluid drainage from the ear, causes poor development of air sinuses in the ear, and partial or complete blocking of the Eustachian tube.

Infections never fully clear, leaving a vulnerability to the next infection and a depleted immune system.

Persistent mouth breathers. Constantly blocked or runny nose. Later, this increases the chance of dental overcrowding.

Reason
Impaired growth and drainage of the sinuses and bones of the face due to retained moulding compression.

Poor concentration, constant fidgeting, difficulty sitting still, hyperactivity. 'Butterfly' type of child who flits from one thing to the next.

Reason
Continuation of the restlessness as a young baby. Retained moulding compression makes them uncomfortable in one position for too long - which becomes habit forming. Severe compression can modify normal patterns of learning in the brain.

Headaches begin age 7-8. Growing pains. Vulnerability to sprains, or other aches and pains.

Reason
Retained moulding may focus areas of pressure in the skull, as the bony joints of the skull fully form at around the age of 7-8 years. Postural tensions make other areas of the body more vulnerable to strain and fatigue.

Vulnerability to chest infections. Aggravation of all degrees of asthma from mild to severe.

Retained moulding compression can aggravate a tendency to asthma. General lowered immunity leads to more chest infections. After infections, the chest remains tense and the ribs do not return to full function, aggravating an asthmatic tendency.

Osteopathic treatment to release birth stresses and help to improve chest function is often beneficial in reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.