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The London and Truro Cranial Osteopathy Clinics
Frequently asked questions on CRANIAL OSTEOPATHYF.A.Q. INDEXWhat can you tell by feeling it? What qualifications should a cranial osteopath have?
What is Cranial Osteopathy ? Cranial
Osteopathy ( or as it is sometimes called " Craniosacral Osteopathy"
) is a very gentle, yet extremely powerful, system of osteopathic
medicine which uses the patient's " Cranial
Rhythm" ( also known as the " Primary Respiratory or Involuntary
Mechanism" ) for evaluation and treatment.
What is the Cranial Rhythm? It
is a cyclical expansion and contraction of all the tissues of
the body, which occurs 8-18 times a minute, is distinct from all
other known body rhythms ( i.e. heartbeat, breathing rate) and
can be felt in all parts of the body.
The movement is of very small amplitude, therefore it takes practitioners with a very finely developed sense of touch to feel it . This rhythm was first described in the early 1900's by Dr. William G. Sutherland and its existence was confirmed in a series of laboratory tests in the1960's and '70's (References 1,2,3) . There is much debate as to what causes the rhythm and why it is there; it has often been observed to continue for a few minutes after the heart and breathing stops when someone dies, leading us to presume it is a movement of a very primitive or basic level of body function; some have compared it to the inherent movement of singled celled organisms ( e.g. amoebas ), suggesting that the cells of the body still behave, individually, in this way even though they are part of a far more complicated and organised organism. ... or back to the babies,infant and children page.. How do you feel it? Using
very gentle, light touch practitioners will examine the
cranial rhythm in various areas of your body; this doesn't
hurt and feels very pleasant and relaxing.
What can you tell by feeling it? Practitioners
compare what your rhythm is doing to what they consider normal;
this gives them an insight into what stresses and strains your
body is under at present and as a result of its past; it also
shows them what state your body is in, if it's healthy, stressed,
tired etc. Above all they are assessing the function of your body
and how it is working, with a view to helping it to restore itself
to health.
What things can it help? It
can help wide variety of conditions, and is particularly useful
in, but not limited to, the treatment of the following:
Infants and children; Colic and other digestive problems; sleeplessness; crying/upset/whinging babies; learning difficulties; persistent coughs and colds; glue ear; hyperactivity:etc. Adults; Back, neck and head aches; most common digestive problems; sinusitis; stress; sleeping difficulties; etc. What qualifications should a cranial osteopath have ? In
the UK all qualified osteopaths have the initials D.O
or BSc. (Ost) after their names; a significant number of these
osteopaths work using Cranial Osteopathy, but there is no official
qualification to look out for, or central database of practitioners.
...back to the index... Further information.Contact the clinic at ost@philparker.org References
click here for books on the subject click here to arrange an appointment
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