Cranial Osteopathy in San Diego, California
Cranial osteopathy is not different from osteopathy, it is the name given to a subtle and refined approach to osteopathy that adheres to all the principles of osteopathy, but that involves the anatomy and physiology of the head. 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 stress or dysfunction.
The osteopath is commonly attracted 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 might be unaware that there is anything wrong, yet the results might still be present and relevant to current symptoms.
Diagnosis and treatment are intimately linked as the osteopath tries to trigger the natural ability of the body to heal itself, and by offering delicate and specific assistance where it is needed to bring the tissues into a state of balance and release, to restore it to health.
Using this method, the osteopath learns to listen to and be led by the body's internal knowledge of what is wrong, which might be different to the patient's opinion and the osteopath's opinion. This helps the osteopath to understand and treat the cause of the symptoms, to reduce the possibility of symptoms returning in the future.
Cranial treatment seems so 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 seems 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 tale unfolds.
In a cranial treatment, an osteopath is deeply connected to the inner world of living anatomy and physiology. Listening carefully the body can tell the tale of what has happened to it, what trauma (emotional or physical) it has experienced and how it is attempting to deal with the legacy of these traumas.
In treatment the osteopath is guided by the tissues and assist the re-balancing or release of areas of dysfunction. The body has an incredible ability to heal itself and preserve its own physiology in a state of health and uses the re-balancing during osteopathic treatment to re-establish healthy physiology.
What kind of patients or conditions can be helped with cranial osteopathy?
This approach to osteopathy is a way of viewing the body instead of a type of technique and it can be used on every patient-- we treat individuals not conditions. Cranial osteopathy is commonly known for the treatment of babies but is equally effective for children, adults and the elderly. In any kind of osteopathic treatment, the whole body is involved and improvements are commonly noted in different areas and different systems than just the symptomatic one.
What does cranial treatment feel like?
Cranial osteopathic treatment is very gentle and relaxing. During the treatment some patients are aware of different sensations, such as mild tension, aching or sensitivity that eventually disappears, or of feelings of warmth and relaxation. Other individuals are unaware of anything happening whatsoever during the treatment yet are aware that they feel quite different afterwards. Most people become very relaxed during treatment and it is not unusual for individuals to fall asleep.
Cranial Osteopathy in San Diego
With every advance in scientific understanding of physiology, particularly the physiology of fascia, fluids and electromagnetics in the body, we are gradually validating the theory and palpatory experiences of cranial osteopaths. There are also a number of clinical studies investigating the effects of cranial osteopathic treatment. The SCCO is currently supporting a research project (https://www.babycheckbath.org/mission/) into the effectiveness of osteopathy in treating infants with feeding difficulties or other sources of distress. Initial results look encouraging, with the first 110 evaluation forms showing that 85% of parents rated the service at a score of 8/10 or above and a 1/3 of these parents rated us as 10/10, and 99.1% would recommend the service to another family. 60% of parents were not familiar with osteopathy before referral to Baby Check. The project has now progressed to looking at how osteopathy influences breastfeeding outcomes for infants with feeding problems.
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