Cranial Osteopathy

Kay E. Atkinson B.Sc (Hons) Ost.

Registered Osteopath

Babies and Children

It is a common belief that babies and children should have no structural stresses or strains in their bodies because they are so young. The reality is very different. The birth of a baby is one of the most stressful events of its life. The baby is subjected to enormous forces, as the uterus pushes to expel the baby, against the natural forces of the birth canal. The baby has to turn and twist as it squeezes through the bony pelvis on its short but highly stimulating and potentially stressful journey.

The baby's head has the remarkable ability to absorb these stresses in a normal delivery. In order to reduce the size of the head, the soft bones overlap, bend and warp as the baby descends. The baby's chin is normally well tucked down towards its chest to reduce the presenting diameter of the head.

Many babies are born with odd shaped heads as a result. In the first few days, the head can usually been seen to gradually lose the extreme moulded shape, as the baby suckles, cries and yawns. However, this un-moulding process is often incomplete, especially if the birth has been difficult. As a result, the baby may have to live with some uncomfortable stresses within its head and body. However, the birth moulding is a normal process that most people endure. With a caesarean section delivery there are NO moulding processes which can cause the same problems for a baby.

What effect does retained moulding have on the baby?

Crying, irritable baby
Crying, fractious, irritable baby needs to be rocked to sleep. Prefers being carried. The baby may be uncomfortable with a constant feeling of pressure in the head. This is made worse when lying down.

Feeding difficulties
Baby takes a long time to feed and one feed merges into the next. He/she may be a “windy” feeder. Feeding is difficult and tiring due to the mechanical stresses through the head, face and throat. The nerves to the tongue may be irritated as they exit the skull, which makes sucking difficult.

Sickness, colic and wind
Regurgitation of milk between feeds, bouts of prolonged crying due to colic and wind. It is often worse in the evening. The nerve to the stomach is irritated as it exits from the base of the skull, which impairs digestion. The diaphragm may be stressed or distorted, which further compromises both digestion and the ability of the stomach to retain its contents.

Sleep disturbances
Baby sleeps for only short periods, and may sleep little in the day (or night!). It wakes to the slightest noise. The tension on the bony and membranous casing of the skull keeps the baby's nervous system in a persistently alert state.

As the child grows

Infections
Recurrent ear infections, gradually becoming more frequent. Loss of hearing, leading to "glue ear"”.
Retained birth compression within and around the bones of the ear impedes fluid drainage from the ear causing poor development of air sinuses in the ear and partial or complete blocking of the eustachian tube. Infections never fully clear, leading to vulnerability to another infection and depleted immunity.

Sinus and dental problems
Persistent mouth breathers. Constantly blocked or runny nose. Later, this increases the chance of dental overcrowding.
Impaired growth and drainage of the sinuses and bones of the face due to retained moulding compression.

Behavioural problems and learning difficulties
Poor concentration, constant fidgeting, difficulty sitting still, hyperactivity. "Butterfly" type of child who flits from one thing to another.
Continuation of the restlessness as a young baby. Retained moulding compression makes them uncomfortable whilst sitting in one position for too long - which becomes habit forming. Severe compression can modify normal patterns of learning in the brain.

Headaches, aches and pain
Headaches begin age 7-8. Growing pains, vulnerability to sprains or to other aches and pains.
Retained moulding may focus areas of pressure in the skull as the bony joints (sutures) of the skull form at around 7-8 years. Postural tensions can make other areas of the body more vulnerable to strain and fatigue.

Asthma
Vulnerability to chest infections. Aggravation of all degrees of asthma form mild to severe.
Retained moulding compression can aggravate a tendency to asthma. General lowered immunity leads to more chest infections. After infections, the chest remains tense and the ribs do not return to full function, aggravating an asthmatic tendency. Osteopathic treatment to release the birth stresses and help to improve chest function is often beneficial in reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Osteopathic treatment

Cranial osteopathic treatment is very gentle, safe and effective in the treatment of babies and children. Specific gentle pressure is applied where necessary to enable the inherent healing ability of the body to affect the release of stresses. On average, 4-6 treatments are sufficient. This varies according to the severity of the problem. It is never too early to treat, though for best results, treatment should be before 5 years of age. After this the stresses and asymmetries can often not be completely eliminated, though it is still possible to achieve beneficial release of the stresses throughout life.

Adults

Cranial osteopathy is suitable for all ages and many adults have cranial osteopathy for a variety of conditions particluarly for patients with very reactive conditions such as rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, scleroderma), sinus problems, occiptal headaches, fibromyalgia and ME.

Are there adverse reactions?

Reactions to treatment are variable; often the patient is very relaxed afterwards and sleeps well. Others will have a burst of energy after treatment, usually followed by a good nights sleep. Occasionally children are unsettled after treatment. This is a temporary situation and is usually caused when the release of the retained moulding has been incomplete. It is not always possible for all the moulding compression to release in one session, especially if it has been severe.

Summary

Despite cranial osteopathy appearing to be a very gentle and non-invasive treatment, it is often regarded as a most powerful form of treatment. As cranial osteopathy works on very subtle and deep levels of tissue change, the body can react quite profoundly to apparently minimal treatment.