Cranial osteopathy

[Tim55]

Reading the various comments on here about cranial osteopathy prompts me to make a professional response.
I have been a professionally regulated osteopath for the past 40 years and a postgraduate lecturer in cranial osteopathy for 35 years, currently lecturing in Switzerland, Germany, Russia and Argentina in addition to the Uk.

Firstly I can understand why some people chose to be negative about the approach, because they don’t see the practitioners hands moving and hence ‘doing anything’, but this does not mean nothing is happening. In my professional career of training osteopaths how to use the cranial osteopathic approach I have seen a wide variety of skill levels in my students. In any profession there are varying levels of skill and expertise. Within the profession, unlike the medical profession, we do not have differing titles such as Dr, Consultant etc.

Secondly, not all of our patients come with the same level of severity. As a result some conditions require more treatments than others. If you go to your GP or Dentist with a symptom, you may find they can help you with just one visit or further tests/examinations and treatment is required. The same applies for our osteopathic patients irrespective of their age.

Thirdly, as to how cranial osteopathy works, posting here would not allow me to give a clear explanation as it would take too long. I can however truthfully say that all practitioners I have taught have to have a deep level of anatomy, physiology and pathology before they have sufficient scientific understanding, to allow them to learn this method of treatment.

If anyone genuinely would like an explanation of cranial osteopathy because of a true open minded curiosity, not just to debunk it with preconceived negative ideas, please get in touch and I would be happy to explain it more fully.

If it’s not woo/placebo, why not explain it?

No thanks, Tim. I've got some paint drying that needs watching.

Do you do yoni massage?

In very simple terms:
Any forceful event to anyone of any age, from newborns to the elderly creates a mechanical input to the physiology. These forces then create tensions in the body tissues. A term we call tissue memory.
As osteopaths we are trained to feel such body tensions, then using. a variety of methods, work to ease and release the mechanical forces within the tissues.

The cranial osteopathic approach (a misnomer as applied to the whole body not just the head) is a very gentle method for doing this. If you were to put your hands on a part of your own body, you could subtly move your hands so that you could feel the effect on your body, even though an observer may not see your hands moving. As osteopaths this is the level of subtly required when using the cranial approach. We do this with a high level of anatomical knowledge of what tissues are under our hands and the ability to feel subtle strains and tensions which are having a negative effect on the physiology.

Interesting but I’m going to stick with my auntie Bessie’s healing majick hands. She can also predict a baby’s sex with wedding ring. 50% of the time. She’s great.

My baby had cranial osteopathy for treatment for a flat head. My CO lady was recommend to me via our doctor and our HV. The NHS won't fund it but it was an absolute miracle worker. After my baby's first session he was sleeping on the other side of his head. It only took six sessions to correct. Surely it works and is not purely 'woo/placebo'. It looked like a form of massage and manipulation. Stretching the muscles (it was his neck and shoulders that needed attention). Just like a sport masseuse would work out kinks in a muscle? No one believed in acupuncture a few years ago and nOw it's 'prescribed' by the NHS. I don't really have much knowledge on the matter but if it works. Why not? My friend also took her child for teething and had the same brilliant results.