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?

"Cranial osteopathy may be of benefit to adults who are afraid of more physical spinal manipulation"

Psychologically, you mean?

Surely, if there is a problem with the spine, then manipulating the spine is what should be effective, not a head massage.

"particularly when the nervous system is out of balance as with migraine, period problems, and irritable bowel syndrome"

Sorry but . What does "nervous system out of balance" even mean? It is a condition you need to light incense and pray for? Even if you are going to argue period pains/irregularity are a nervous system condition (not sure how you will do that, btw), how exactly is a head massage supposed to help "balance" this problem?

"I also had CO as an adult, it was to drain the lymph surrounding mid-ear infection"

I'm glad you benefitted from a massage of your nymph nodes, but that can hardly be called cranial osteopathy because both ears (incl mid-ears) and lymph nodes are outside the skull.

It isn't bollocks. You could say it worked as a placebo on adults but not on babies.

Anyway worked a miracle on ds2. He was nightmare toddler, thought he'd end up banned from pre school. After 4 sessions his pre school leader asked what on earth had happened?? She even took details of osteopath to recommend to people. Was worried about his behaviour last week but turns out he was coming down with a virus. He's 11 now had CO when he was 4.

CotDAzur have you ever had experience of it? know anyone who's had it? And why are you so adamant it doesn't work when you're hearing stories that it does? Why would we lie?

So CO not only sorts out sleep problems of newborns but also makes toddlers more pleasant? It must be magic.

Now if it could also turn DHs into great cooks and make DC quiet and obedient, it would be the best unproven treatment ever.

It made a boy who had me almost having a nervous breakdown into a much much easier child. All my friends and family can testify to it. Don't be so patronising CoteDA, although I think you rather enjoy it? Anyway sorry about your DH, thankfully my dp is an excellent cook

I took DS2 when he was about eight/nine months old, he used to scream non stop all day and I was at my wits end, the CO recommended three sessions. After the first two sessions I thought it was just a load of old cobblers, after the third session DS2 continued to scream for the rest of the day, went to bed and woke up the next morning a different child. He is still prone to whinginess but nothing like that awful screaming. I was converted from then on.

Afterwards because I thought CO was amazing, I took DS1 when he was about five, he has ASD which was undiagnosed then, but also dyspraxia which had been diagnosed. She tried to treat him, but he couldn't stay still for the sessions and with DS1 I didn't see much of a difference.

I'm not saying you lie just like I wouldn't say those who see benefit from prayer, reiki, horoscopes are lying.

However, (1) CO has never been proven to work, and (2) there is no plausible framework/explanation of how it should work.

"Balancing nervous system", "releasing stuck nerves" in skull are just woo phrases that have no validity in human physiology.

CotDAzur there are so many things that shouldn't work on the basis of no scientific explanation. But if you open your mind to them and maybe try some without such a block you may be surprised. Oh and I'm a reiki practioner but we'll not be going there I know it's good to be sceptical, I am about a lot of things. But believe me when I was taking ds2 for the CO I didn't have money to burn and it wasn't cheap. After 1 session I noticed a slight change, after 2 a lot and after the 4 was shocked. Anyway it's good to question it can protect the naive. Thankfully that's something I'm not

I don't know anything that works but shouldn't work. What are you referring to?

Please don't say reiki. I would hate to go into that and upset you.

My mind is open but not so open that wind blows through it - i.e. I will listen to all propositions with an open mind but will judge them critically before I believe they are effective/worthwhile.

If you open your mind too much, your brain will fall out...

I do wonder whether having an open mind, or going into alternative therapies without a block, with a willingness to "give it a go", as you say, could make the placebo effect more powerful?

Of course. Placebo effect can only happen if subject believes treatment can be effective.

No you'd never upset me. Anyway there's no point going on and on as you don't believe CO works and I and others do. Prayer works, reiki works homoepathy works and lots of other practices/complimentary therapies that have no obvious explanation. But you'll always get those who stick with tradition. Thankfully a lot of people are realising that the more ancient practices can and do help with physical and emotional problems.

It's a known fact that even those who only use orthodox don't always fair so well if they think negatively. Those who have a positive outlook usually fair better. So the mind is powerful no matter what route you take. We've all heard of those who've just given up.

Of course positive attitude works, in the same way that prayer "works" and all those other lovely stuff you mention "work" - your metabolism works better when stress hormones are not raging around in your body.

This is not about tradition, and it is not about orthodox vs daring new therapies. This is about what is really effective and what is only in your mind.

Interestingly, CoteDAzur , it would seem that the placebo effect can still work even if patients know they are getting a sham drug link here.

I find that really interesting, but of course there probably wouldn't be much money available to do research in to this (except, perhaps, by the makers of sugar pills).

The placebo effect does produce real results, not imagined ones.

Not specific to this thread: I do have an axe to grind with therapies that insist that it somehow something other than the placebo effect happening - especially when they are charging large sums of money for it.