What exactly is cranial osteopathy & why is there such divided opinion?

[LoveBeingAWitch]

So have noticed various threads over the years that mentions cranial osteopathy. Everyone always has a very strong opinion one way or another but I don't really know anything about it.

So do you live it, hate it, have positive or negative experience? But most of all I guess what exactly is it?

Try it and find out is the best way and Google it to find out what it is exactly.

Omsk should have asked for a recommendation

its bollocks

dd had severe colic when v young and while dw was having treatment for back complaint, osteopath mentioned cranial treatment for colic and offered a free trail.

Dont know quite how or why but it did seem to relieve dd's colic quite quickly.

I'm all for trying anything. Its an alternative/complimentary therapy that cant do you any harm if carried out by a well qualified professional.

give it a go, what have you got to lose?

Thanks kunahero. Do you know what they actually do though?

I read on one thread about it being banned in some countries does anyone know why?

Tbh I did expect a bit more of a higher response rate. Only started a new thread cause didn't want to hijack someone else's with my questions.

LBAW - my DD had it for colic after she had screamed all the time for about 7 weeks and she is fine.

Recently I went to the ostepaths with back/neck ache and head aches (I had been taking syndol tablets non stop for 10 days - naughty!). I knew that my neck pain etc was caused by holding DD (now 10 months) on one arm and doing things around the house with the other when I got home from work. I also do other unhelpful things like cradle my phone in my neck area as I type at work etc and suspected that the headaches also derived from this. The osteopath did some massage like treatments on my back which was lovely and then did some cranial osteopathy on me. It was just so relaxing and made me feel really light - it is the most gentle of touch on the head area but it really did make me feel relaxed and more importantly stopped my headaches. I was completely blown away with the treatment and I have had 'regular' osteopathy previously (which did the job but was nowhere near as much fun as this!) and was actually quite gutted when she said I wouldn't need to go back again!

HTH!

Kunahero - What exactly did CO do to your baby? I would be interested to know.

RECENTLYFOUNDOUT that's interesting I've never seen anyone saying they'd had it as an adult.

Cote -wondered where you were

he just cradled baby in one arm whilst manipulating base of skull and cervical neck bones gently with other hand. DD never once complained and usually slept through it.

Osteopath said that when a baby 'gets stuck' during birthing and needs ventouse or forceps then the pressure pushing the babies body into its stuck head can cause the neck to compress and affect the nerves that supply the digestive system!!! DD was stuck for 10 hours b4 being hoovered out and cranial op did seem to work well for her.

She is now a very healthy bright bouncy three year old

There is divided opinion because the evidence is that it is no more effective than placebo.

All my children, my Dh and I have had CO (as well as most of my family)
Ds2 spectacularly failed his hearing test when he was 7 months old (we already suspected he couldn't hear us) He couldn't hear above a certain pitch, and had limited hearing at lower levels.
The consultant diagnosed glue ear and painted a fairly grim picture of fitting grommets when he was 3, and telling us he would need SALT.
We had another appointment made for 3 months later, as she suspected it would get worse. She also pointed out that it wouldn't get better by itself.
Within 2 days I took DS to see the CO. He had 3 appointments over the next 3 months.
At the next audiology app, his hearing was perfect. The consultant checked the equipment because she thought it wasn't working. She had never seen a child recover like that with no intervention.

MIL had lower back problems for 6 months, was back and forward to the gps, who sent her for X-rays, which all showed up nothing.
She saw the co, before another X-ray was scheduled. The co wrote down a specific (and very obscure) bone that she felt the problem stemmed from.
At the X-ray, it was indeed this bone. Sadly it was bone cancer. Mil died 2 years ago. I often wonder if she'd had co earlier it might have been caught in time.

I've had co myself, and all it feels like is her fingers gently pressing in certain areas. I didn't feel any pain or manipulation.
All my dc had this as babies, and all were happy through the appointment.

CO did same for my baby in terms of how they gave the treatment. She went from screaming to relaxed in no time.

faverolles sorry to hear about mil (:

Like yourself I felt the co was very gentle - I can honestly say I was amazed by it when I got it myself.

We had it as a last resort for my youngest son when he was 1yr 6 months old. He only slept for 20 mins at a time. He had various medical issues and was also seeing a neurologist due skull/neck and leg issues.

To cut a long story short after 3 visits he started sleeping through the night. He also got signed off from the consultant at the neurological clinic as his condition has 'amazingly' disappeared.

My cynical DP nearly hugged the cranial osteopath with joy on our 4th visit. We still go twice a year for a check.

Idon't care what other people think. I know it changed our lives for the better.

I firmly believe that cranial osteopathy is worth trying. My DS aged 5yrs has always had trouble sleeping. After two appointments with my osteopath she seems to be cured and sleeps right through, fingers crossed... its been 4 weeks of zzzzzz's so far! :-)

I really wish I'd taken DS1 to the cranial osteopath before he was 2.5. I didn't because I thought it was expensive, middle class woo.

I didn't realise at the time my SIL, who was a single unemplyed mother would spend her last money on the CO, and both my sisters regularly went. It's like some sectret nobody tells you, until you admit it first.

But I can honestly say things were so much better for DS1 after the first visit. Life before and after, if you like. DH, who doesn't believe in such things even started going himself.

I love the honesty of osteopaths....when I took DD I was told she was very almost perfect, and if I wanted to bring her back again, it would only be to achieve perfection. She was a very easy baby, so I never went back.

Its another placebo/no evidence base therapy.

Majestic12 Sounds dangerous to me!

I overheard my CO telling a potential client that she wouldn't treat anyone with epilepsy, as it was too dangerous.

........And I had osteopathy on my back for a disk which was slipping. I entered bent double and walked out 45 mins later.

I'm a bit surprised at CO for adults. Surely you know that your skull plates are hardened and fused, your skull is solid, and that no amount of gentle touching is going to make an effect on your nervous system except perhaps to make you feel pampered and relaxed?

Osteopathy for your back is obviously different, since a huge amount if nerves pass through your vertebrates, connecting body & brain.

Cranial osteopathy may be of benefit to adults who are afraid of more physical spinal manipulation, particularly when the nervous system is out of balance as with migraine, period problems, and irritable bowel syndrome.

It can be a gentle, yet effective way to treat the same musculoskeletal problems presenting to traditional osteopaths such as; osteoarthritis, neck/back pain and frozen shoulder.

I also had CO as an adult, it was to drain the lymph surrounding mid-ear infection. And this was after a barrage of antibiotics, decongestants, dizziness, vertigo, stays in neuro wards and scares and scans looking for brain tumour, strangely drs never in fact touched me or manipulated around my ear. Was discharged from NHS having been told I would not get better and probably get worse.
OTOH, the best osteo in the country treated me a couple of years down the line (whilst I was getting worse), after which I had a few more sessions with my local one - and it worked.
Couldn't recommend it high enough.