What Is Cranial Osteopathy?

Cranial Osteopathy

Our team work with a treatment style called cranial osteopathy. It is excellent for people who dislike forceful manipulation, strong stretching and heavy massage. Instead we work more gently with your body to help you find a better balance and a more sustainable way of moving which will still decrease your pain.

It is also really well suited for people who are still in pain despite having treatment from a prctitioner who uses a stronger style of treatment such as manipulation. We will work with your connective tissue differently and this may mean a better result for you.

Our team all work with very soft pressure and minimal force. It can be very relaxing. We look at the strains throughout your body which have lead to your pain and work holistically to bring you to a balance. We work with all the other joints, muscles and connective tissue in your body as well as the painful area to help you to realign. This means your body no longer needs to hold tension in the joint or muscle which is hurting.

The ability to treat the patient very gently means our team can work with any patient we see, whether you are young and strong, and even if you are in severe pain, or a fragile patient including newborns, babies, pregnant woman and the elderly.

Our treatment style is called Cranial Osteopathy.  The word cranial doesn’t mean we are limited to treating just the head, we are able to treat the whole body. Have a look at our What We Treat page to find out if we can help your pain.

We also work with adults, teenagers and children to alleviate aches and pains throughout the body. Our Who We Treat page goes into more detail about the common types of complaints each age group presents with.

What is the difference between cranial sacral therapy and cranial osteopathy?

Craniosacral therapy is cranial osteopathy that has been taught to practitioners who are not osteopaths. The principles and techniques are the same, and treat similar conditions. Both focus on the health and balance of the body, but osteopaths spend 5 years at university, where as craniosacral therapists may have only done a weekend course.

Unlike craniosacral therapists, when you see an osteopath you will be able to claim your treatment through private health insurers and through Medicare on a doctors referral for chronic disease management, or if you have a DVA card. Patients can also be referred on for further investigations such as x-rays if required.

Osteopaths study for five years at a government accredited University course. Once qualified, Osteopaths are governed by AHPRA, and are required every year to do continuing professional development (CPD). Our osteopaths are all members of Osteopathy Australia and have worked hard to improve our skills every year even before the regulations came into place requiring continuing education.

What does Cranial Osteopathy or Craniosacral therapy feel like?

Cranial treatment is extremely gentle. Patients remained clothed and usually lay on their back, although side lying or sitting positions can be used if patients are more comfortable, i.e. during pregnancy.

The osteopath places their hands under different areas of the body, including the head, and uses very small amounts of pressure to find balance points that allows the body to relax. There is no massage or gross movements of the body.  Some patients feel movement occurring through their body, some feel warmth.  Patients usually feel very relaxed and in some cases may fall asleep. Because the treatment is so gentle cranial osteopaths are able to treat all ages – from infants to the elderly. Cranial osteopaths are also able to treat patients with acute pain where other forms of treatment like physiotherapy, massage or chiropractic may be too painful.

How many treatments will I need?

The number of treatments required will depend on many factors. Acute conditions will often respond quickly to treatment and symptom relief may be achieved in 1-6 visits. Chronic conditions will often respond quickly to treatment as well but may require on going treatment to remain symptom free. People who have physical or stressful lifestyles often find maintenance treatment is a great way to keep pain and symptoms associated with stress, at bay.

Maintenance treatment is usually between once per month and once every three months.  Ask your osteopath whether maintenance treatment is appropriate for you.

Above is an awesome video that our practitioners have felt was very interesting, as they have been told for years there is no scientific proof there was any movement in the brain.

Over the last few years this medical opinion has been changing with more studies and now through amplified MRI there is a video showing that your brain moves to the rhythm of your heart. Osteopaths have been discussing and learning about this since the early 1900’s.