 
WHAT IS PAEDIATRIC CRANIAL OSTEOPATHY?
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. 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.
Other related pages from this website include:
Osteopathy throughout childhood development
Osteopathy for pregnant and nursing mothers
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