Cranial Manipulation – What Is It & Does It Really Work?
There are many mixed feelings and opinions surrounding Cranial Osteopathy. We have written the article below to help explain some theories, describe the treatment process, and provide examples of when it could be beneficial. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with Wellthy Clinic.
Osteopath To Cranial Osteopathy
Cranial manipulation! All physicians once presumed that the skull was solidly fixed together. It wasn’t until the early part of the 20th Century (1930s) that William Garner Sutherland suggested that the cranium was a moving structure. Even though these movements are tiny, he also discovered a pulse in the cranium that mirrored the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid.
When we are healthy, our pulse beats between 10 and 14 beats per minute. When we are unwell or have an illness, this rate is much lower. By gentle manipulation of the head and the sacrum, Sutherland suggested that he could potentially adjust the timing of the pulse. By restoring balance within the body, this could help with multiple pains and conditions.
Can any osteopath perform cranial manipulation?
Yes, they can, but this treatment requires a light, sensitive touch and a sense of the patient’s rhythmic pulse. As a practitioner, if you cannot tune into that pulse, you will likely be ineffective with your treatments. Moreover, Cranial Osteopaths typically undergo postgraduate training to develop their palpation and understand the underlying mechanisms behind this style of therapy.
How Does Cranial Osteopathy Work?
Cranial Osteopaths believe they can sense a subtle, rhythmic movement in the body, known as the ‘Cranial Rhythm’ (or involuntary motion). The aim is to act as a facilitator and allow the patient’s body to achieve better health. By gently supporting the patient, typically by holding their head or sacrum, it’s possible to feel restrictions that can be eased to restore balance within the body.
What Bones Can Be Manipulated In Craniosacral Therapy
Cranial Osteopathy is very gentle compared to more direct manipulations used within structural osteopathy sessions. Within sessions, your Cranial Osteopath will feel for subtle restrictions and want to encourage a better sense of balance and symmetry within the patient’s body. The group of potentially manipulated bones consists of the skull, vertebral column, sacrum and the coccyx. However, it is essential to note that cranial bone motion cannot be considered in isolation but is one of the five interrelated phenomena.
CranioSacral Therapy vs. Cranial Osteopathy
Craniosacral Therapy, developed in the 1970s by John Upledger, is often compared to cranial osteopathy, which was created by Dr. Sutherland in the 1930s. This led to the early research behind Craniosacral Therapy. Both approaches from a patient’s perspective primarily involve the practitioner holding the cranium and sacrum during a treatment session. However, Cranial Osteopaths require a higher level of training, with all UK Osteopaths required to complete a 4-year full-time master’s degree course. After that, they complete additional postgraduate courses in Cranial Osteopathy. Craniosacral therapy requires a one-year diploma training as a starting point, followed by further training courses.
Bones Of The Skull – Cranial Manipulation
There are 28 bones in the skull that can potentially be manipulated, including six ossicles of the inner ear within the temporal bones and the osseous labyrinth. Furthermore, the hyoid bone is sometimes considered by some to be part of the cranial region as well.
The 8 Cranial Bones
Occiput
Sphenoid
Ethmoid
Frontal
Temporals (x2)
Parietals (x2)
The 14 Facial Bones
Mandible
Vomer
Maxillae (x2)
Zygomatic (x2)
Palatines (x2)
Nasals (x2)
Lacrimals (x2)
Inferior conchae (x2)
What is Cranial Osteopathy Used For?
Cranial osteopaths can help with a wide range of conditions, such as:
Headaches – unsurprisingly, in our experience, it is extremely good at treating headaches, often curing them in as little as one session.
Poor sleep – When you sleep, your body heals, so if you are not sleeping, this is a barrier to your recovery. High-quality, restful sleep is crucial and contributes to your overall well-being. Patients often report an improvement in sleep after sessions.
Anxiety and stress sessions can be deeply relaxing, which can help reduce your stress levels and feelings of anxiety.
Pains and tensions—Experienced stress over a long period can contribute to tension in your jaw, neck, upper back, and shoulders. Over time, this can lead to osteopathy for TMJ and cranial osteopathy for back pain. Sessions aim to reduce and ease tensions, allowing your body to restore balance and heal.
Fibromyalgia—Cranial Osteopathy can be very useful for reducing aches and pains and supporting overall well-being.
Cranial Osteopathy For Migraines
Currently, there is not one single cure for migraines. Therefore, the main aim of treatment is to reduce the frequency and/or intensity of your migraines. Many factors may need to be addressed for the successful treatment of migraines, and a combined approach will provide the best results. These could include making positive lifestyle changes, increasing hydration and rest, reducing stress, engaging in low-impact exercise (such as Pilates), and addressing vitamin deficiencies.
Who Would Benefit From Cranial Osteopathy Techniques
Many patients with a variety of conditions would benefit from cranial manipulation. Specifically, people who have experienced injuries (usually to the head or elsewhere) that have resulted in soft tissue injuries with membranous articular strains to the head would benefit from it. Cranial manipulation is part of the osteopathic manipulative approach to treating the whole body, as these injuries or strains could affect other systems, causing conditions.
For example, a patient who has a history of a cycling accident or head trauma experiences TMJ pain and a feeling of a blocked ear. The accident may have caused a restriction to the cranial bones, which affected their ability to expand and contract. This could affect the lymphatic drainage channels, making it difficult for the ear to drain, leading to fluid buildup. Through gentle cranial manipulation, this technique can help ease joint restrictions, restore balance, and allow the lymphatic system to drain more effectively. This could help ‘unblock the ear’ if an ENT specialist confirms that no other physical blockages are present.
What is cranial manipulation?
Cranial manipulation is the application of an osteopath’s hands to the head (or body) and listening to the cranial rhythmic impulse (also known as the primary respiratory mechanism). Sometimes it is referred to as the third pulse of the body. Potentially, osteopathy in Marylebone can influence the rate and amplitude of the cranial rhythmic impulse.
Then, subtle pressure is applied to the body part to enhance fluid movement to that area. Connective tissue and fascia (a web-like covering over all muscle and tissue) tensions could also be addressed through the treatment model of tensegrity. This is where easing tensions in one area of the body can help alleviate tensions in another. This could facilitate the cranial rhythmic impulse and encourage the restoration of health. The theory behind cranial manipulation is that maintaining a free and regular pulse facilitates the body's natural ability to repair itself.
What can I expect to feel during and after a treatment?
You can expect to feel subtle pressure on the head, spinal column, and sacrum during treatment. You may also feel warm under the practitioner’s hand; some patients experience a range of different sensations, while others fall asleep in total relaxation. After treatment, you may feel amazing, feel thirsty, notice some relief from your symptoms, and have the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had. You may feel a little sore the day after treatment, but then you'll feel looser and better afterwards.
Do some patients feel cranial manipulation more strongly than others?
Everyone is unique, and our bodies respond differently to treatment due to various factors. A person with reduced vitality may have a stronger treatment response compared to a young, fit, and healthy individual with no pathologies. However, given the gentle style of treatment, patients generally respond favourably.
How long are the treatments?
Your initial consultation is 60 minutes, which involves gathering information about you and your symptoms, determining the probable cause (diagnosis), and providing hands-on treatment. Follow-up sessions are either 45 or 60 minutes, and are focused on treatment.
How Many Treatments Will I Need
It depends on your initial condition and how well your body responds to the treatment. It may be necessary to receive treatment twice in the first week. Then, reduce it to weekly sessions once per month as your condition improves. However, each case is diagnosed individually and tailored to achieve the best outcome. We generally suggest initially trying three or four sessions, and then we will reevaluate to see if we are heading in the right direction. However, every patient is different, so an individual approach is always adopted at Wellthy Clinic.
Is Cranial Manipulation Just For Adults
Babies and children generally respond very well to this treatment style. We offer adult and Paediatric Osteopathy, which treats babies to support breastfeeding, cranial osteopathy, and more, as well as children and teenagers.
Matthew Glithero
Clinic Director, Cranial, Paediatric & Structural Osteopath & Pilates instructor with a background in Sports Science.