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The Cranial Approach to Osteopathy Anatomists have long taught that as the head grows the bones which make up the skull fuse together to form a rigid box around the brain. 70 to 80 years ago a young Osteopathic student was studying the bones of the skull and wondered why the joints between them appeared to be superbly designed for movement if they weren't supposed to move. Years later he was able to follow this up and indeed found that small movements do occur between these bones throughout most of our lives. He found that our heads expand and contract rhythmically at a rate of between 12 and 14 times per minute. He further noted that changes in the rate of this expansion and contraction as well as limitations in the movements of individual bones are associated with many different health problems including headaches, sinusitis, ringing in the ears, dizziness and problems with balance, chronic fatigue, sleeping difficulties and depression as well as hyperactivity and learning difficulties in children. The Cranial Osteopathic approach has been shown to be beneficial in all of the above conditions especially when no pathological cause has been found. Because the movement between the various bones of our skulls is very small the methods of treatment also require very small movements. At times the techniques are so subtle that patients have been known to question whether any treatment has been given only to be surprised by the improvement in their condition. Since the early days it has also been found that this very small movement of expansion and contraction occurs throughout all the tissues of the body at the same rate as in the head and, just as with the head, alterations in this movement in different parts of the body are also associated with a wide variety of health problems. The same subtle techniques can be applied anywhere on the body with equally effective results. Osteopathy is based on the precept that good health and good movement go hand in hand. Both the gross and subtle movements of the body are important. Correction of problems of movement can lead to improvements in health which, at times, even surprise the practitioner. If you are suffering from any condition for which no cause has been found or that has failed to respond to treatment, orthodox or alternative, it is well worth having a word with your Osteopath to see whether the Cranial approach might help. Click here for further information about Cranial Osteopathy for babies and children. For more on Cranial Osteopathy |
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