What is it?
Whilst Cranial Osteopathy can be hard to understand, it is basically a set of techniques or treatments that were developed by an American osteopathic physician called William Garner Sutherland. This approach is designed to restore mobility and reduce tension in the cranial (skull) bones, the spinal dura (membrane encasing the spinal cord), the meninges (fascial covering that surrounds the brain), the base of the skull, and the sacrum (a large triangular bone at the base of your spine). Additionally, these techniques also work on the central nervous system by helping to stimulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes and brings nutrition to the nervous system, as well as helping to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which aides with relaxation and decreasing stress.
How does it work?
The bones of the skull are joined by strong fibrous tissue which provides a small amount of movement enabling absorption of shock if there is trauma. The meninges surround the brain like a bathing cap, then extend to the dura that surrounds the spinal cord along the length of your spine and then attaches at the base of the sacrum.
Following head injuries like concussions or whiplash or other incidences like prolonged childbirth, there can be tensions in these areas. An osteopath uses gentle palpation to feel the tensions in these tissues. The skull will often not feel symmetrical, and your osteopath can palpate or feel the tension in the dura that surrounds the skull.
There is often tension at the base of the skull where the spinal cord and major blood vessels pass through. The techniques gently realign the cranial bones and reduce tension in the cranial and spinal dura by initiating your body’s own healing mechanisms and will also offer gentle and specific support where it is needed to bring the tissues into a state of balance and release.
What does cranial treatment feel like?
Cranial osteopathic treatment is very gentle and relaxing. During the treatment, some people may be aware of different sensations, such as mild tension, aching or sensitivity that gradually disappears, or feelings of warmth and relaxation. Other people are unaware of anything happening at all during the treatment but are aware that they feel very different after. Most people become deeply relaxed during treatment and it is not uncommon for people to fall asleep.
Cranial treatment appears so passive, how do I know that anything is happening?
Watching cranial treatment can be compared to watching another person read a book. Whilst it may appear that on the outside nothing much is happening, the person reading the book is transported to a world of shapes, colours, characters and emotions, and as they continue to read the story will unfold. This is much the same for the osteopath when using cranial techniques. They are connected to living anatomy and listening to the body tell a story of what has happened to it, what trauma (emotional or physical) it has suffered and, how it is trying to cope with the legacy of these traumas. During treatment the osteopath is guided by tissues and supports the rebalancing or release of areas of dysfunction.
What sort of conditions can be helped with Cranial Osteopathy?
Cranial osteopathic treatment can help headaches, post-concussion symptoms, dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), fascial pain after trauma, and reflux and colic in babies. Whilst widely known to be an effective treatment for babies, it is equally effective for children, adults, and the elderly. In any osteopathic treatment, the whole body is involved, and improvements are often noted in different areas and different body systems rather than just the symptomatic parts of the body.
Does Cranial Osteopathy have a scientific basis?
Whilst there is limited research currently, with every advance in scientific understanding of the physiology, fascia, fluids and electromagnetics in the human body, there is a research base that is gradually validating the theory and palpatory experiences of cranial osteopaths. There are several clinical studies investigating the effects of cranial osteopathic treatment.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1360859220301455
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/neur.2022.0039
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/23/3058
What is the difference between Cranial Osteopathy and Craniosacral Therapy?
Osteopaths in New Zealand have completed between four and five years of tertiary study and are registered health practitioners regulated by the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand (OCNZ) and the Health Practitioners’ Competency Assurance Act. Many who practice Cranial Osteopathy have undertaken additional post-graduate training in this field. Treatment is based on a comprehensive assessment and cranial techniques are just one part of a total treatment approach.
Conversely, craniosacral treatment is a simplified protocol derived from osteopathic principles where a therapist may have taken a 25-hour course that is open to everyone regardless of experience and education.
