Cranial osteopathy is the name given to a subtle and refined approach to osteopathy that follows all the principles of osteopathy, but includes more detailed involvement of the anatomy and physiology of the head, with regard to certain effects throughout the body.

Cranial osteopaths use a highly trained sense of touch to feel subtle changes of tension and tissue quality in the living anatomy of the whole body, and to diagnose areas of strain or dysfunction.

The osteopath is often drawn to areas in the body that have been affected by past events, such as old accidents and injuries. The body may have learned to compensate for a traumatic event or injury and the patient may be unaware that there is anything wrong, but the effects may still be present and relevant to their current symptoms.

Diagnosis and treatment are intimately linked as the osteopath works to activate the innate ability of the body to heal itself, and by offering gentle and specific support where it is needed to bring the tissues into a state of balance and release, to restore it to health.

Using this approach, the osteopath listens to the body, the tissues, function, direction of effect and be guided by the body’s inner knowledge of what is wrong, which may be different to the patient’s opinion and the osteopath has to listen with an open mind and listening hands. This helps the osteopath to understand and treat the cause of the symptoms, to reduce symptoms, and decrease their return in the future.

Cranial treatment appears very passive, how do I know that anything is happening?

Observing cranial treatment can be compared to watching someone reading a book. From the outside nothing much appears to be happening but, if you are the one reading the book, you are transported into a rich world of structure, colour, depth and emotion. As you continue to read, the story unfolds.

In a cranial treatment, an osteopath is deeply connected to the inner world of living anatomy and physiology. Listening carefully to the body which can retell the story of what has happened, what trauma (emotional or physical) it has suffered and how it has adapted and failed to cope with the legacy of these life experiences and traumas.

In treatment the osteopath is guided by the tissues and supports the re-balancing or release of areas of dysfunction. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself and maintain its own physiology in a constant, fluctuating state of health and uses the re-balancing of osteopathic treatment to re-establish a healthy physiology and bring all aspects back into a balanced state.