What is Cranial Osteopathy?
At the start the of the 20th century William Garner Sutherland was studying the disarticulated bones of the cranium (skull); he was taught that adult cranial bones do not move so as to provide a hard and immobile protective shell around the brain. However, he noted that he was holding in his hands adult bones which had become easily separated from each other yet also fit together with beautifully detailed interdigitations. While examining the bevel-shaped sutures of two of these bones, Sutherland realized that the sutures of the bones he was holding resembled the gills of a fish and were designed for a respiratory motion. He also wondered why, if these bones weres immobile why the sutures did not ossify throughout our lives as immobile joints should.
From here he set out to understand what movements might happen through these bones given the angles of joint surfaces, and what would happen in consequence if he could prevent such movement. He created a special helmet to wear on his own head that was designed to prevent certain movements in his own skull, and tightened these in carefully thought out ways to prevent the normal cranial movement from happening. What he found was that he began to experience a number of symptoms, such as headaches, digestive upsets, disorientation and sickness; conversely when he released the self imposed tensions, he experienced a sense of great relief. Convinced by what he had discovered, he dedicated the remaining 50 years of his life to further exploring and understanding this Cranial Respiratory Motion (also known as Involuntary Motion). The Cranial Rhythm was finally acknowledged through a series of laboratory tests in the 1960's and 1970's.
Today, Cranial osteopathy has become a form of osteopathic treatment that encourages the release of stresses and the balancing of tension within the body. It is extremely gentle as a technique and is safe to use on all ages, from newborn babies to the elderly. It is not a different form of Osteopathy, rather a different tool in our toolbox. The movements felt within the body are extremely small, so it takes a practitioner with a very finely developed sense of touch to perceive and treat this mechanism. When a practioner lays his or her hands on the body they assess the motion and quality of the involuntary mechanism and compare that to what we know is normal. With very small, mostly imperceptible movements of their hands, they then guide the tissues back to their normal range and quality of motion, which then helps to return the tensions and ranges of movement of the tissue concerned back to what nature originally designed. In essence, this aids the body in healing itself.
A common misnomer is the name of Cranial Osteopathy itself, for the name was given to this involuntary mechanism as it was discovered through the cranium itself. It is however a whole body mechanism that is integral to the physiology of our bodies. Because of this we are able to use 'cranial' techniques on all areas of the body with equal effectiveness.
When we experience emotional or physical trauma our bodies react, often resulting in an increase in tension. These changes tend to be accumulative over time, and whilst the body will always try to 'self-heal' it may only manage to correct a certain portion of a strain within the body. The residual strain may lay dormant within the tissues, adding to further strains and tensions over time. Eventually, the body may find it more difficult to cope with and compensate for these strains, leading to a 'compensation breakdown' where symptoms may appear after a relatively minor incident.
Babies and Children
When babies are born it is often perceived that they should have none of the tensions and strains that adults might do because they are so young and have experienced so little. Birth however is one of the most stressful events we can undergo in our lives where we are subjected to enormous forces, both in assisted and unassisted deliveries. The baby is compressed by the uterus during contractions, twisted to fit down the birth canal and compressed by the tight passage of the birth canal itself. A baby's 'lie' can often have a significant impact upon a cranial head; ideally the widest part of the babies head (front to back) will fit within the widest part of the mother's pelvis (side to side), though in the real world not every baby will be born in this ideal position.
Moulding during birth is an entirely natural process that occurs during birth where the bones of the cranium are designed to overlap to help assist this 'squeezing' down the birth canal. Whilst most babies are able to 'bounce back' from this moulding, especially as this is something that nature has designed to allow, there are a few babies who have experienced such a significant strain that they may not be able to completely recover from this moulding. Such cases may result in the baby having a slightly abnormal head shape after birth and they may be left with uncomfortable stresses within its body and head.
What conditions might benefit from Cranial Osteopathy?
The Sutherland society provides an excellent online resource that may be of further interest and benefit to those wishing to learn more about Cranial Osteopathy and the conditions it may help with. This can be found at:
www.cranial.org.uk
Could there be any adverse reactions to treatment?
Occasionally people will react to structural and cranial treatment, and these reactions are always variable. Sometimes a person might can be very relaxed afterwards and sleep well for a time. Sometimes others have a burst of energy, or temporarily become irritable. As we are all individuals with unique bodies and environments, it is impossible to predict how any individual may react. This is a temporary situation and is a response to tissues changing in the body, clearing within 24-48 hours and we can always be contacted if there are any questions.
Research:
Unfortunately, there is very little scientific research on Cranial Osteopathy which is something we would love to see change, and what there is is largely inconclusive. For those who would want to read further however, there are the following references:
Hayden C, Mullinger B: A preliminary assessment of the impact of cranial osteopathy for the relief of infantile colic. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2006, 12: 83-90.
Tajinder Deoora: Healing through Cranial Osteopathy
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Through-Cranial-Osteopathy-Tajinder/dp/0711217815
At the start the of the 20th century William Garner Sutherland was studying the disarticulated bones of the cranium (skull); he was taught that adult cranial bones do not move so as to provide a hard and immobile protective shell around the brain. However, he noted that he was holding in his hands adult bones which had become easily separated from each other yet also fit together with beautifully detailed interdigitations. While examining the bevel-shaped sutures of two of these bones, Sutherland realized that the sutures of the bones he was holding resembled the gills of a fish and were designed for a respiratory motion. He also wondered why, if these bones weres immobile why the sutures did not ossify throughout our lives as immobile joints should.
From here he set out to understand what movements might happen through these bones given the angles of joint surfaces, and what would happen in consequence if he could prevent such movement. He created a special helmet to wear on his own head that was designed to prevent certain movements in his own skull, and tightened these in carefully thought out ways to prevent the normal cranial movement from happening. What he found was that he began to experience a number of symptoms, such as headaches, digestive upsets, disorientation and sickness; conversely when he released the self imposed tensions, he experienced a sense of great relief. Convinced by what he had discovered, he dedicated the remaining 50 years of his life to further exploring and understanding this Cranial Respiratory Motion (also known as Involuntary Motion). The Cranial Rhythm was finally acknowledged through a series of laboratory tests in the 1960's and 1970's.
Today, Cranial osteopathy has become a form of osteopathic treatment that encourages the release of stresses and the balancing of tension within the body. It is extremely gentle as a technique and is safe to use on all ages, from newborn babies to the elderly. It is not a different form of Osteopathy, rather a different tool in our toolbox. The movements felt within the body are extremely small, so it takes a practitioner with a very finely developed sense of touch to perceive and treat this mechanism. When a practioner lays his or her hands on the body they assess the motion and quality of the involuntary mechanism and compare that to what we know is normal. With very small, mostly imperceptible movements of their hands, they then guide the tissues back to their normal range and quality of motion, which then helps to return the tensions and ranges of movement of the tissue concerned back to what nature originally designed. In essence, this aids the body in healing itself.
A common misnomer is the name of Cranial Osteopathy itself, for the name was given to this involuntary mechanism as it was discovered through the cranium itself. It is however a whole body mechanism that is integral to the physiology of our bodies. Because of this we are able to use 'cranial' techniques on all areas of the body with equal effectiveness.
When we experience emotional or physical trauma our bodies react, often resulting in an increase in tension. These changes tend to be accumulative over time, and whilst the body will always try to 'self-heal' it may only manage to correct a certain portion of a strain within the body. The residual strain may lay dormant within the tissues, adding to further strains and tensions over time. Eventually, the body may find it more difficult to cope with and compensate for these strains, leading to a 'compensation breakdown' where symptoms may appear after a relatively minor incident.
Babies and Children
When babies are born it is often perceived that they should have none of the tensions and strains that adults might do because they are so young and have experienced so little. Birth however is one of the most stressful events we can undergo in our lives where we are subjected to enormous forces, both in assisted and unassisted deliveries. The baby is compressed by the uterus during contractions, twisted to fit down the birth canal and compressed by the tight passage of the birth canal itself. A baby's 'lie' can often have a significant impact upon a cranial head; ideally the widest part of the babies head (front to back) will fit within the widest part of the mother's pelvis (side to side), though in the real world not every baby will be born in this ideal position.
Moulding during birth is an entirely natural process that occurs during birth where the bones of the cranium are designed to overlap to help assist this 'squeezing' down the birth canal. Whilst most babies are able to 'bounce back' from this moulding, especially as this is something that nature has designed to allow, there are a few babies who have experienced such a significant strain that they may not be able to completely recover from this moulding. Such cases may result in the baby having a slightly abnormal head shape after birth and they may be left with uncomfortable stresses within its body and head.
What conditions might benefit from Cranial Osteopathy?
The Sutherland society provides an excellent online resource that may be of further interest and benefit to those wishing to learn more about Cranial Osteopathy and the conditions it may help with. This can be found at:
www.cranial.org.uk
Could there be any adverse reactions to treatment?
Occasionally people will react to structural and cranial treatment, and these reactions are always variable. Sometimes a person might can be very relaxed afterwards and sleep well for a time. Sometimes others have a burst of energy, or temporarily become irritable. As we are all individuals with unique bodies and environments, it is impossible to predict how any individual may react. This is a temporary situation and is a response to tissues changing in the body, clearing within 24-48 hours and we can always be contacted if there are any questions.
Research:
Unfortunately, there is very little scientific research on Cranial Osteopathy which is something we would love to see change, and what there is is largely inconclusive. For those who would want to read further however, there are the following references:
Hayden C, Mullinger B: A preliminary assessment of the impact of cranial osteopathy for the relief of infantile colic. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2006, 12: 83-90.
Tajinder Deoora: Healing through Cranial Osteopathy
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Through-Cranial-Osteopathy-Tajinder/dp/0711217815
All our Osteopaths are fully registered with the General Osteopathic Council
Contact details:
Penarth Osteopathic Practice
66 Westbourne Road
Penarth
Vale of Glamorgan
Wales
CF64 3HB
Tel:
029 2070 8350
07710 782 733
Email:
Jon@PenarthOsteopaths.co.uk
Pippa@PenarthOsteopaths.co.uk
Penarth Osteopathic Practice
66 Westbourne Road
Penarth
Vale of Glamorgan
Wales
CF64 3HB
Tel:
029 2070 8350
07710 782 733
Email:
Jon@PenarthOsteopaths.co.uk
Pippa@PenarthOsteopaths.co.uk
Do you want an appointment or discuss something with us?
Call us now on: 029 2070 8350
Call us now on: 029 2070 8350
