Osteopathy is an increasingly popular option for treating a wide range of conditions, from chronic back pain to persistent headaches. A typical osteopathic centre in Singapore offers various types of osteopathy to treat a diverse range of conditions that patients may have. Read on to learn more about cranial osteopathy and the benefits that it brings to you.
What is cranial osteopathy?
Cranial osteopathy, also known as craniosacral therapy, shares the same underlying principles central to osteopathy. It adopts a non-invasive, whole-person approach, manipulating the musculoskeletal framework through gentle moving, massaging, and stretching to improve wellbeing and restoring the body’s balanced functioning. How it differs from other types of osteopathy, such as structural and visceral osteopathy, is that it focuses more on gently manipulating the head and spine to treat conditions across patients’ bodies.
With their years of extensive training, osteopaths specialising in cranial osteopathy utilise their highly refined sense of touch to feel subtle changes, tensions, and rhythms in the underlying bone and soft tissue. This enables them to accurately diagnose areas of strain and dysfunction, before using their gentle, safe, and subtle cranial palpation techniques to ease pressure and relieve pain. This also encourages the activation of the body’s own innate healing ability, reducing the likelihood of said symptoms to return in the future.
Cranial osteopathy is known for being very gentle and relaxing. Each patient responds differently to treatment, with some patients experiencing mild sensations such as tension and aching, while others feel a sense of warmth and comfort.
How can I benefit from cranial osteopathy?
Cranial osteopathy brings numerous benefits for infants, children, and adults alike. It can be utilised in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, including but not limited to:
- Headaches and migraines
- Stress, fatigue, and depression
- Childbirth recovery
- Neck and back pain
- Insomnia
- Digestive problems
Cranial osteopaths are a popular option for treating common conditions that infants have, such as colic, reflux, torticollis, flat head, as well as feeding issues, amongst others. By relieving tension and aiding both blood and lymphatic flow, osteopaths help your child to develop normally and healthily.
If you are a mother bringing your child for their first visit to an osteopathic centre in Singapore, our osteopaths will ask you about your pregnancy experience, the duration of labour and childbirth, as well as your child’s general health condition such as breathing, heart rate, and weight. They will also carry out thorough checks on your child’s body, such as their joints’ range of motion, tension in their soft tissues, as well as for compressions on their skull. From there, cranial osteopaths will work together with you to create an individualised treatment plan for your child and the recovery or health goals that you desire.
Beyond treating infants, cranial osteopathy is ideal for treating patients across all ages. It assists in treating ear infections and sinus issues, along with behavioural issues and facilitating recovery from trauma as children go through their formative years. In addition to treating general pain and stress in adults, it also helps in addressing pregnancy and postnatal pain, pre and post surgical pain, as well as recovery from trauma and relieving emotional tension.
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How does cranial osteopathy work?
Practitioners of cranial osteopathy utilize their expertise to identify the body’s subtle rhythmic motions known as Cranial Rhythms. Deviations in these rhythms can indicate areas of tension or stress within the body or changes in movement patterns.
Cranial osteopathy employs gentle manipulation of the skull to address holistic body issues. This is facilitated by practitioners who detect obstructions through the subtle rhythmic movement known as the Cranial Rhythm. Clearing these blockages can resolve unrelated issues in other areas of the body.