Cranial Osteopathy - worth it or a waste of money?

[mummymimi]

My 7 month old DS has always been unsettled, colicky and windy, definately different to my other 3 children. Cranial osteopathy has been recommended to me recently.

He had a very quick delivery (38 mins from first contraction) and cord around his neck.

Has anyone used a cranial osteopath and what was your experience?

[MatNanPlus]

I have seen huge changes for the better with 5 different babies and often reccommend it to new parents.

[Picante]

Worth every penny.

[thisisyesterday]

worth it for us

[whooosh]

My DD was exactly the same and cranial osteopathy was a Godsend. She showed us "exercises" to do on DD at home and it was fantastic.

[smartiejake]

I know quite a few people who have taken their grouchy collicky babies (some of whom went through traumatic births) to our lovely local cranial specialist and all of them have noticed a miraculous change in their babies.

[bunnymother]

Are any of you wise Mumsnetters able to tell me where you found your cranial osteopaths? I live in London...

[slayerette]

Worked for us: grouchy colicky continually crying baby fell peacefully asleep within minutes of first session ending and became a sunny, smiley baby who slept and fed beautifully. Worth every penny.

[CarGirl]

Def worth it, there is an osteopath centre for children in London!

[CarGirl]

I think this is it www.fpo.org.uk/ if it's too tricky to get to phone them and they will probably be able to give you a local recommendation.

[mummymimi]

Just what I thought, I have researched cranial osteopathy for babies and all the research suggests it could benefit my son.

I guess I shouldn't expect miracles (although I would love one) when I go to the appointment!!

BTW how old were your babies when they saw the osteopath?

[newmumof2]

mummymimi, if you are in london www.fpo.org.uk/ are excellent, you pay by donation and specialize in children

[pippylongstockings]

My DS2 was about 11 months old when we first went.

Like you he was a very quick delivery 45 min from start to finish and his head had been engaged for several weeks. He was a very grouchy colicky baby for months and months, very sensitive to noise, always a early riser 5am or so.

For me it was definatley worth the money - he was more settled and started sleeping til about 6am.

She was great at explaining lots of things like the fact of how the very quick labour had probably meant his head didn't get aligned during the passage of labour and why he was so sucky as a baby.

I have always been a bit sceptical but it really did make a difference.

[FabulousBakerGirl]

Our son had CO and he was fantastic for him.

[wolfnipplechips]

was worth every penny.

[wolfnipplechips]

should of said my ds was about 6 months.

[QueenFee]

My DS was 14 months when I took him and he had suffered from colic since birth still waking 6 times a night and crying for hours. With each visit he dropped one waking and within 6 weeks (once a week visit) he was sleeping through. Well worth the money - I just wish I had gone earlier.
He was back to back and a difficult labour. His head was quite pointy on top when I took him but by the time she had finished it was lovely and flat. If your wooried about it hurting he slept through most of his appointments.

[mummymimi]

newmumof2 I live down in Dorset, but thanks anyway.

pippylongstockings my DS is also very sensitive to noise, which isn't nice for him as I have 3 other very noisy children.

QueenFee My DS was also back to back the week before he was born, I was admitted to hospital with horrendous backpain but luckily he turned before his delivery. He also has a flat spot to the right side of his head.

Also I was 5cm dilated before I had a stretch and sweep, 3 days before his birth. I am starting to think that all these little details are the reason he is unsettled.

Thanks for all your replys. I am so glad I have found mumsnet, it's a great place for support

[pippylongstockings]

I live in Exeter (might still be too far for you?) and I went to a lady called Susan Farwell she was fab!

My DS2 just wouldn't be put down for the first 3 months any slight noise would disturb him - he would only ever sleep in the buggy or a car journey or my arms. It didn't help that he fell top to bottom on the stairs when he was 1 year old but even this injury she was able to help.

Try it - it is defi worth it.

[mummymimi]

I have made an appointment with a osteopath in Dorchester that has been recommended by several mums in my area. I am looking forward to the appointment now, I haven't heard a bad word about cranial osteopathy.

[dorisbonkers]

As a skeptic, I will be the lone voice and say 'no, waste of money'. There is no scientific evidence that it works and in some situations it can be harmful (although I concede that is unlikely).

Self-limiting problems, such as colickyness (and whatever that actually is) will often clear up during treatment. But the treatment doesn't cause this. They just clear up of their own accord.

Plus parents feel as if they are doing something to control a problem, which can help.

No intention to start a bunfight and respect everyone's experiences and choice to go down the CT route.

I am amazed about the degree of woo involved in infant rearing. And I sometimes get upset that therapists exploit (albeit perhaps unwittingly) vulnerable parents.

[dorisbonkers]

I just wanted to stress that I wasn't answering 'nay' to start a fight, just that the OP asked a 'yes or no' and I thought I'd say what I thought! [runs and hides]

[mummymimi]

No need to run and hide!! I wanted to hear opinions from those for and against.

I am surprised to read that there is no scientific evidence as I thought there was, although I haven't looked into it in depth. Is it purely coinsidental that 'colickyness' stops during treatment?

I am interested to know in what situations cranial osteopathy could be harmful.

Also my son has been more settled today, which coinsides with him increasing his solids and reducing his milk intake.

[FabulousBakerGirl]

I know it works as the CO said something to me about my baby son that he couldn't possibly have known.

[dorisbonkers]

Wow FabulousBakerGirl Not only can cranial osteopaths cure a range of self-limiting conditions, but they can read minds.

[repositions entire view of the world]

mummymimi, if you want an evidence-based view of cranial osteopathy you could seek out Simon Singh and Prof Ezard Ernst's Trick or Treatment. Or Ben Goldacre's blog has this on the subject. www.badscience.net/2004/09/cranial-osteopathy/

I don't think it's that harmful (apart from harmful to the bank balance) in practice because most cranial osteopaths are very gentle (some would say gentle to the point of completely ineffectual) but you do have to remember that we're talking about a young infant's forming skull, probably not an area I'd tinker about with unnecessarily.

Like I said. Many people feel it has helped in situations where there is nothing you can do (you can't really do anything about colic and babies generally grow out of it). Conventional medicine can't cure colic so people unsurprisingly turn to complementary treatments. At some point, the baby grows out of this phase while in treatment. Hey presto, it was the osteopathy/acupuncture. But as all scientists know, the plural of anecdote is not data.

I used to use non-conventional treatments until I had a nagging doubt I was wasting my hard-earned and so became interested in evidence-based medicine and how to read research.

I'm only posting this because the OP wanted both sides.

[FabulousBakerGirl]

No need to be rude. He got it from touching the baby not looking at me.