What Is Cranial Osteopathy?

Original developed for assessing and manipulating the bones of the skull, modern cranial osteopathy is a whole-body therapy which can help resolve pain, reduce stress and tension and restore balance to your body and mind, promoting overall health and wellbeing

How Does Cranial Osteopathy Work?

Cranial osteopathy engages with a rhythmic motion, referred to as the “primary respiratory mechanism” (PRM), or “tide”, which is apparent everywhere in the body, and can be sensed by the therapist’s trained hand, to detect and resolve dysfunctions within your system

The nature and workings of the “tide” remain speculative:

Initially linked to the tide-like motion of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (cerebro-spinal fluid), later explanations have included the existence of an anatomically distinct craniosacral system, and a biodynamic model with the tide as a manifestation of universal life-force (potency), this latter being synonymous with the chi of Chinese medicine and prana of Indian yoga

On a practical level, the therapeutic significance of the tide is that it provides the practitioner with a medium for sensing and interacting with the inner workings of the body

On a physical level the listening hand engaging with the tide to appreciate the quality, state and functional interrelationships of bones, muscles, organs and other body structures. This allows the practitioner to detect distant as well as local areas of dysfunction and address those factors underlying your pain and disability to return you to healthy balance

At a psycho-emotional level, craniosacral work seeks to establish a deep, empathic connection between client and therapist allowing the expression and resolution of unconscious holding patterns associated with stress and trauma

From relieving pain to reducing stress and promoting wellbeing, here are 7 ways cranial osteopathy can help you feel healthier and happier

7 Benefits of Cranial Osteopathy For Adults

Musculoskeletal Health

1 – Back & Neck Pain

Back pain is one of the most common causes of pain and disability, accounting for up to 12 million work days lost every year

Back and neck pain result from multiple causes. While physical strain is undoubtedly a factor, there is a strong link between psychosocial stress and back pain

The cranial approach and osteopathy in general has been found to help with pelvic, back and neck pain

By re-establishing joint and muscle synergies osteopaths can help relieve the mechanical causes of back and neck pain

Cranial osteopathy can also address emotional tension held within your tissues, helping you to relax and return to healthy and pain free function

Though tension-type headache and migraine are distinct syndromes they share common factors and are usually considered as belonging to a single spectrum

Osteopathy has been shown to help with both types of headache

At one end of the scale tension headaches have few or no accompanying symptoms. Migraine, on the other hand, may be associated with nausea (and vomiting), light & noise sensitivity and other symptoms. There may be an “aura”, of visual and other disturbance, often preceding the headache

Migraines can be triggered by stress, muscle tension – especially in the neck and shoulders, injury, sinus problems and others.  There is also a link with hormonal changes, such as the menstrual cycle and menopause

By addressing these and other factors osteopathy has been found to relieve pain and reduce the frequency of migraine attacks

Literally meaning joint inflammation, arthritis is used as a catch all phrase for stiff, painful joints. Inflammation can be reliable confirmed only through laboratory blood tests, such erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-Reactive Protein (CPR)

Even then, these tests point to systemic inflammation – a generalized inflammatory state where joint involvement may be just one manifestation of systemic disease, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Systemic Lupus. Although cranial osteopathy can calm your system to reduce pain sensitivity and inflammation, the role of osteopathy in rheumatological inflammatory disease is limited

Much more common is osteo-arthritis, where one or more joints express stiffness and pain associated with wear from age, past injury or genetic propensity. Yet even here, the picture is not straightforward: though wear and tear is itself irreversible

there are as many cases of stiff, painful joints with little or no x-ray evidence of wear

as there are worn joints going about their business happily and without pain despite the x-ray picture!

Osteopathy has been shown to significantly relieve wear-and-tear related joint pain and stiffness and improve joint function enabling you to more fully engage in all those things you enjoy

Internal Health

As pain from the internal organs can be felt in, and affect the functioning of the musculoskeletal system, so does musculoskeletal function affect the inner body. This viscero-somatic relationship is one of the central pillars of osteopathic medicine

Cranial osteopathy uses the tide to sense the whole body, reaching beyond the body frame to the internal organs. At the local, mechanical level, its gentle, non-invasive manipulations can enhance tissue nutrition by improving blood supply and drainage. At the systemic level, cranial osteopaths help shift the autonomic nervous system towards towards a state of rest-and-digest to help your whole system reset and recharge

4 – Irritable Bowel

IBS is a disease of unknown origin with symptoms including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea and bloating. It is common, affecting 11 out of 26 people globally

Irritable bowel is considered a functional disease with no identifiable organic cause. It is strongly linked to stress

Though the management of IBS requires a multi-disciplinary approach, including dietary management, structural and cranial osteopathy can be useful adjuncts to help relieve your symptoms

By directly – and gently – manipulating the bones and membranous structures of the skull, cranial osteopathy is an excellent method for working with congestive issues affecting the ears, nose, throat and sinuses

Glue ear is a congestive issue where the middle fills with fluid causing loss of hearing and sensations of pressure and sometimes pain. Though it largely affects children, adults can also be affected

By normalizing the function of the temporal bone which contains the ear, and releasing tension and restrictions in structures necessary for fluid drainage, therapists can restore normal fluid dynamics allowing the ear canal to drain

A similar approach is used to relieve sinus congestion and pain

Cognitive & Emotional Health

The structure-function paradigm applies equally to the realm of mental and emotional health. Osteopathic medicine works with the psycho-somatic, or mind-body relationship to help not just your physical health but your mental and emotional wellbeing

With its light touch and minimal force, cranial osteopaths can free your mind and body from stress and tension, be it current or from past injury, illness, stress or trauma

Cranial osteopathic treatment helps restore balance and relaxation throughout the body – something every adult will benefit from

Conclusion

7 – Assisting Natural Healing

Whether the focus is on structural fitness, internal health or psychological wellbeing, osteopathy aims to provide an optimal environment for all your vital functions to thrive

Health is more than the absence of disease. It is an emergent property of a dynamic, self-regulating system. Health is a positive state of wellness. It is your natural condition. Our job as osteopaths is merely to remove the obstacles to help you reach this ideal

You can read more on cranial osteopathy at the Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation website