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
• Headaches
• Whiplash
• Injury, including broken bones
• Sinusitis
• ...and much more

Osteopathy for babies and children

When osteopaths examine babies areas of tension are often found in the spine or head, which are indications that the baby is uncomfortable. A baby cannot complain of backache or headache, and will typically express this by crying and being unsettled or irritable.

In a research study conducted by Clive Hayden into the effects of cranial osteopathic treatment on babies, some parents perceived the following changes in their children’s behaviour: Reduced colicky crying, improved sleep, less unsettled irritable behaviour and increased quiet happy spells.

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.