The Cranial Concept
“Cranial Osteopathy” evolved from the observations of Dr Sutherland in 1899 and his teachings to colleagues until his death in the 1950′s. This work is currently taught by various teaching establishments in the UK, USA and Europe and there are a number Osteopathic Centres for the treatment of children worldwide. Dr Sutherland originally observed that the 22 bones of the skull interleave in a way designed for movement: they fit together ‘like gears of a watch’, moving minutely, influencing each other and the tissues underneath (the brain, cerebrospinal fluid and membranes).He considered that every cell and all the fluids of the body express a rhythmic, involuntary motion and that this involuntary motion is of primary importance in each persons health and vitality. He spent the next thirty years researching the cranial concept and taught it until his death in 1954. It, alongside the traditional osteopathic models, has also led to the development of the current approaches to the osteopathic care of children.
This rhythmic involuntary motion is often called the cranial rhythmic impulse or the involuntary mechanism. This impulse’ is palpable to osteopaths as a cyclic rhythmic wave of motion present throughout the body. It is not a ‘movement’ like at the knee joint or elbow joint, it seems to be a sense of resilience, yielding or expansion type motion, a rise and fall similar to a tide when felt by osteopaths trained in this approach. This motion seems to take place within the fluid based systems of the body as well as the whole body framework and fascia. As it is a tiny movement, it is most easily felt with only very light touch, some call it ‘cranio-sacral’ as it is slightly easier to feel at the head and at the base of the spine (the sacrum).
Where the flow of this wave of fluid is blocked, it is thought that problems may arise. These restrictions are thought to impair the body’s own inherent healing mechanisms Restrictions can be felt by osteopaths to occur in the central nervous system, lymphatic system, sinuses, joints, fascia, soft tissues and organs – craniosacral dysfunction patterns may be found throughout the body. Treatment is directed towards reducing restrictions in the flow of this fluid via the body framework.
This is thought to release membranous and articular strains and patterns within the cranial system or within the body framework, help fluid drainage and encourage a more vital expression of the involuntary mechanism.
Cranial Osteopathic Treatment
We use specially trained skills to assess what forces have been imposed on the cranial mechanism from birth, childhood, illnesses, allergies, emotional or other trauma. We are aiming  to understand how these forces have caused subtle restrictions in movement in that individual and what the patterns of dysfunction are for that person. We then work to encourage the bones or compressed tissue to right itself and to function normally by applying light pressure until the system begins to respond
As restrictions release, we can sense an improvement in the cranial rhythmic impulse, a greater “ebb and flow of the tide”.
This gentle release of restrictions in the body can often relieve discomfort and pain, improve chronic structural / musculo -skeletal dysfunctions and problems, reduce tensions and help patients You may not realise how, say, your chronic bad back might affect the blood supply to the gut, thus contributing to mild digestive disorders, or how work posture, chronic stress causes tightness of the muscles at the base of the skull or restrictions in local circulation.
We are interested in the circulatory, digestion and drainage problems our patients come with, as these help us understand how their back, neck or joint pain / dysfunction may be having an indirect impact elsewhere. Similarly, we find out about the operations, accidents, serious illnesses a patient has had – this further helps us to consider the various factors and forces that this patient’s body has undergone. Longstanding systemic issues with digestion, lungs, menstrual problems have, according to osteopathic training, a potential longer term effect on the long term function of the head and neck, back, hips and pelvis. Understanding these complex inter-relationships is part of osteopathic philosophy and training.
The cranial / indirect approach is often tolerated by patients who find traditional osteopathic treatment too uncomfortable or strong for them. It is also useful for babies, children and pregnant women as well as after mum’s have delivered their baby. Some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and problems with drainage, congestive headaches, digestion and local circulatory problems  also find this gentle approach suitable.