Bridgend, (South Wales)
Tel 0044 (0)1656 645177
Cranial Osteopathy is a very gentle osteopathic technique. This makes it especially suitable and safe to use on infants and young children. All other ages can also be treated using this technique. The term paediatric, indicates the osteopaths specialised knowledge and experience in treating infants and children. The osteopath applies very gentle pressures to various parts of the body, not necessarily the head, to release restrictions and distortions, which are causing disturbances.
Understandably, the most commonly asked question by parents of newborn infants is, "is it likely to harm or make my baby worse?" The pressures exerted by a cranial osteopath during treatment is far gentler than that exerted by a loving parent on a daily basis. The treatment involves suggestive pressures and solutions, which the infant's body has not found for itself. The infant's body then has the choice to take it on board because it realises that this is the position of comfort that it has been missing, or reject the suggestion. Adjustments are not imposed or forced by the osteopath. Cranial osteopathy is dependent on the osteopath's finely tuned sense of palpation, a skill developed with detailed training, patience, sensitivity and experience. The osteopath relies on their palpatory experience and knowledge of what is normal and healthy, whilst at the same time maintaining an open mind.
WHY USE PAEDIATRIC CRANIAL OSTEOPATHY?
Birthing, although a natural process, is not only physically demanding at the best of times, but can also be a traumatic process not only for the mother but also for the new born infant. In both cases big structural adaptive changes have to take place. Breech births, ventouse and forceps assisted births also add their own unique stresses. These structural changes are usually self-correcting soon after birth, but not always, leaving behind varying degrees of problematic restrictions & distortions. For this reason, a routine cranial osteopathic check up for new borns, by a paediatric cranial osteopath, is recommended as soon as possible after birth.
Some examples of conditions which respond well to cranial osteopathy are:
colic
restlessness
glue ear
asthma
growing pains
autism
poor concentration
epilepsy
cerebral palsy
eczema
Examples for pregnant and nursing mothers include:
back, neck, pubic symphasis and other joint pains
indigestion
poor recovery following caesarean sections or traumatic births
Case History 1
A twelve-month old girl, who presented with poor restless disturbed sleep, waking on average, two to five time a night. She still had not had one single night sleep without waking.
During treatment, specific compressions in her head bones where found which had initially been of concern to the hospital at birth. Treatment involved releasing these compressions.
She was discharged after the second treatment, sleeping restfully throughout the night until 6am, very much calmer in the days, less clingy, more content while playing alone and a lot chattier.
Case History 2
A three and-a-half year old girl, who for the last five months had become susceptible to recurrent cold inflections and ear aches every month, was still clear of symptoms two months after her second treatment when discharged.
Case History 3
Here is a good example where osteopathy with a naturopathic edge is more effective. A three-year-old girl, had dry itchy eczema patches, which began appearing around three months earlier. Eventually it spread all over her trunk, arms and behind her knees. She had been given steroid cream to use. During the case history, information on the girls diet was also written down. Treatment involved dietary and nutritional advice on what to avoid and what to include, various oils for bathing in and oiling skin, hydrotherapy and in this particular child's instance, to stop using the steroid cream. Osteopathic treatment was given and used to test for food sensitivities. At the end of the third weekly treatment, she was discharged with her eczema eighty per cent cleared and still improving.