What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is an established and recognised system of healthcare treating not only back pain, but a wide range of conditions. It works with the structure and function of the body, and is based on the principle that the well-being of an individual depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together.
Osteopaths work to restore the musculoskeletal system of the body to a state of balance and harmony. Using hands on treatment for a broad spectrum of health problems. It recognises that much of the pain/disability we suffer stems from changes to the way our body functions, through incidents in daily living, e.g. sprains, back pain, poor posture. Osteopathy uses many diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical diagnosis. Its main strength, however, lies in the unique way the patient is assessed from a mechanical, functional and postural standpoint, and the treatment techniques applied to suit the needs of each patient.
The term Osteopath can only be used by someone that is registered with the General Osteopathic Council. Only practitioners meeting the highest standards of safety and competency are eligible to join the register.
What is Cranial Osteopathy?
Cranial osteopathy was developed by Sutherland in the early 20th Century. It is a refined and subtle type of osteopathic treatment that uses very gentle manipulative pressure to encourage the release of stresses throughout the whole body, including the head. Cranial Osteopathy not only contacts a patient’s head, but also their spine, sacrum, arms and legs (depending on each patient). Osteopaths that use a cranial approach are trained to feel a very subtle, rhythmical shape change that is present in all body tissues. This can be felt in the skull, which is made up of 26 bones. The bones are joined in such a way that the skull can change shape, very slightly, to accommodate the rhythmic involuntary motion of the brain inside.
