Cranial Osteopathy
Cranial Osteopathy is a very gentle speciality within Osteopathy which is particularly useful for the treatment of children. It can be helpful if a child has had a difficult birth or for those "unsettled" babies.
The possibility of the "cranio-sacral" mechanism was first postulated by A.T.Still, the founder of Osteopathy, in America towards the second half of the nineteenth century.
In the early part of the twentieth century, W.G.Sutherland, also an osteopath, described a motion of the cranial (or skull) and sacral bones corresponding to the movement of the cerebro-spinal fluid around the brain and spinal cord (the primary respiratory movements). This movement he discovered was reflected throughout all the connecting tissues of the body.
He also found that by relieving minor "strains" or abnormalities within the motion of the cranial bones and their reflection at the sacrum, profound effects could be produced on the general health of the individual. The sacrum lies at the base of the spine between the big pelvic bones.
It has always been a major part of the conceptual basis of osteopathy that the body functions as a whole, and that all states of health, are mirrored by the rest of the body. In this, osteopathy falls within the holistic paradigm of health, a way of looking at health, which is rapidly regaining a foothold within the scientific world. Although osteopathy does not claim to cure illnesses, it may help in trying to alleviate a range of health problems.
How It May Help Your Child
Cranial Osteopathy is a gentle speciality within Osteopathy which is particularly useful for the treatment of children.
It is an in-direct and gentle massage that relieves strains or abnormalities within the motion of the cranial bones. It may help with minor health problems in many babies and children.
What Conditions Can Cranial Osteopathy Help With?
Here are just a few of the conditions that may benefit from treatment at The Abbots Langley Clinic:
- Postural and mobility abnormalities
- Positional plagiocephaly
- Childhood headaches
- Problems such as poor sleep, which can be experienced by some babies who do not fully recover from the stresses, experienced at birth.
As children get older they can often be helped by a combination of cranial and structural osteopathic approaches.
