Cranial Osteopathy : County Osteopaths : Cranial Osteopathic Clinic : Joanna Young, Lynette Topham & Jonathan Mussen : Osteopath Worcester, Malvern, Birmingham, Droitwich, Pershore, Bromsgrove, Evesham, Tewkesbury, Kidderminster, Redditch, Halesowen, Stourbridge

Osteopaths may have different specialties, including sports injuries, paediatrics, and visceral osteopathy (treating the internal organs of the body). Cranial osteopathy embraces all of these areas.

When we experience physical or emotional stresses our body tissues tend to tighten up.

The body may have been able to adapt to these effects at the time, but a lasting strain often remains. Any tensions which remain held in the body can restrict its free movement. Gradually the body may find it more and more difficult to cope with these accumulated stresses and symptoms may develop.

In the UK all qualified osteopaths have DO (Diploma in Osteopathy – the four-year course completed before 1992), or BSc (Ost) (Degree in Osteopathy – the four-year course completed during or after 1992) or similar, after their names. Most osteopaths will have had four year full time or six year mixed attendance mode training. In May 2000 the Osteopaths Act came into effect to maintain standards within the profession. Since that date no-one has been allowed to practice as an osteopath unless they are registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC). You can only register if you have either completed a recognized training course after 2000 or trained before 2000 and undergone testing to show

competence. Osteopathy was the first profession of complementary therapists to achieve statutory regulation.

Cranial Osteopathy is taught alongside all other types of osteopathy at undergraduate level. However, developing the skills required to use Cranial techniques to any degree takes further post-graduate training and practice. There are currently no mandatory courses for this specialization the amount of further training undertaken being at the discretion of the individual osteopath.

Please see the section entitled About Us to see how Joanna, Lynette and Jonathan trained.

Cranial Osteopathy is a refined and subtle type of osteopathic treatment that restores normal flexibility and relaxes deep tension throughout the whole body, including the head.

It is a gentle yet extremely effective approach and may be used to treat a wide range of conditions affecting people of all ages, from birth to old age. Cranial Osteopathy improves the patient’s general well being thereby reducing stress, helping the patient to fight infections and speeding up the recovery from accidents, illnesses or operations.

Cranial Osteopaths are trained to feel a very subtle, rhythmical shape change that is present in all body tissues. This is called Involuntary Motion or the Cranial Rhythm. The movement is of very small amplitude; therefore it takes practitioners with a very finely developed sense of touch to feel it. First described in the early 1900s by Dr William G. Sutherland with its existence being confirmed in a series of laboratory tests in the 1960s and '70s, this rhythm is now being investigated using Laser Doppler scanning.

Tension in the body disrupts the cranial rhythm. Practitioners compare what your rhythm is doing to what they consider ideal. This shows them what stresses and strains your body is under at present, and what tensions it may be carrying as a result of its past history. It also gives them an insight into the overall condition of your body, for example if it is healthy, or stressed or tired.

For babies it can be used to release stiffness caused by the compressing effect of birth or of the last few weeks of gestation. It can relieve tension caused by difficulties during the pregnancy or birth e.g. mother having bleeds, accidents, illnesses or placental insufficiency during pregnancy and foetal distress at or around the time to birth. This sort of compression and / or tension may be the underlying reason why a baby suffers from a range of common complaints from colic, difficulty sleeping, crying a lot, infected eyes, and painful wind through to excessive jumpiness, irritability and fractiousness.

For older children it can help with sleep difficulties, recurrent infections such as those in the ears, nose and throat, behavioural problems, learning difficulties, headaches, painful joints, growing pains and sports injuries.

For adults it can help with back and neck pain, pain or stiffness in any of the other joints, trapped nerves, sports injuries, headaches and migraine, recurrent infections such as those in the ears, nose, throat and sinuses and stress.

The osteopath will ask in detail about various aspects of your or your child's symptoms and general health. A structural examination may be undertaken, requiring you to undress to your underwear for a few minutes whilst the osteopath checks your posture or assesses body movements. It may be necessary to carry out simple tests such as taking blood pressure or testing reflexes. Most patients come to an osteopath without having first consulted their doctor. Osteopaths are trained to ensure that no serious problems are overlooked.

The cranial osteopathic approach is gentle and should not cause undue discomfort, although assessment and treatment may require the handling of painful areas. The cranial approach involves a gentle hold of one of many boney areas where the cranial rhythm can most easily be found. This allows the osteopath to diagnose disturbance in the cranial rhythm and treat it with very gentle pressure. Most people find this treatment relaxing. Some patients experience soreness after treatment, similar to that felt after unaccustomed exercise. This usually lasts no more than 24 - 48 hours. Patients may also feel tired.

The vast majority of patients who see an Osteopath will do so because of back or neck pain.

Osteopathic treatment is widely regarded as the established treatment for mechanical problems of the spine. For more information on specific types of back and neck complaint please see our FAQs section.