FAQ

  Treatment can be done at any age. One of the best and most important times for treatment is for the newborn. Gentle, precise Cranial Osteopathy can release strain from the birth process and strain related to limited space in the uterus during the third trimester. Older patients benefit from treatment too. Many of my patients are thankful for the way I can release deep and significant dysfunctions using gentle forces that are appropriate for their stage in life.

   For infants and toddlers you can bring along a couple favorite toys or a binky (if you are using one). I have toys to help distract during treatment. IPADs with children’s applications, cell phones with pictures, or cameras with short videos can be helpful during challenging treatments. We will work as a team to keep your little one as happy as possible through the treatment!

  After treatment infants and children may be a bit more tired than usual. They may nap for a longer period than usual or might “melt down” earlier than usual. Occasionally there can be some increased fussiness over the first 24 hours after treatment as a result of tiredness and processing the treatment. Many parents report their infant or child has a very good night of sleep after treatments.

  If your infant or child has a cold, ear infection, or sinusitis do come for treatment. Osteopathy will often help. If your child has possible influenza (fever and chills with body aches and a cough) or stomach flu then reschedule to 24 hours after fever has subsided or vomiting has occurred.

  We are kid friendly. Your children are welcome in our office!!!

  If possible allow at least 24 hours between this treatment and any other manual modality, including massage and acupuncture.

  If something is sore during the 24 hours after treatment use ice not heat. Most patients with significant pain conditions will do better avoiding hot tubs and saunas immediately after treatment.

  Walking is often the best exercise after treatment.

  Most patients will feel good and relaxed after treatment sometimes immediate relief occurs, but not always. Occasionally patients will feel sore after treatment or will have temporary worsening of symptoms during the first 24 hours after treatment. This is normal and is a result of the body accommodating to the changes we made. I recommend using a cool pack on affected areas if needed. Be sure to let me know how you felt at the follow up visit or call the office if you have any concerns.

  In general I recommend that everyone have one treatment yearly or every six months. Life causes a lot of physical strain in our bodies and I believe treatment can release some of these significant strains and assist in the prevention of disease. For patients coming with a specific complaint the best interval for the initial several treatments is usually weekly. After that it really depends on the individual. Recommendations vary from continued weekly treatment in chronic or difficult cases to monthly or bimonthly treatment until adequate improvement has occurred.

  The number of treatments varies from 2 or 3 to 6 or more. It depends upon the severity of the problem, its duration, and the body’s own response to treatment. Difficult, chronic problems may require long term treatment.

  Treatment itself is quite gentle. Every once in awhile I may find a tender spot and put pressure on it to release it. Patients sometimes have discomfort in the first 24-48 hours after a visit as they process the treatment.

  This response varies from patient to patient. In general more recent, simple problems respond more quickly than chronic, complicated problems. Cranial Osteopathy is usually not a quick fix for difficult issues. Some conditions like Autism or significant chronic back problems will require ongoing treatment.

  Many or perhaps most of my patients refer to the work I do as Craniosacral Therapy. Technically the work I do is called Cranial Osteopathy. Oftentimes the term Craniosacral therapy is informally used when referring to Cranial Osteopathy, because it is a handy, descriptive term.

  Cranial Osteopathy is grounded in structural treatment of the whole person. Cranial Osteopathy involves treatment of the cranium, the sacrum and everything in between on both a structural level and a fluid level. It is grounded in the study of Osteopathic Medicine which requires an undergraduate degree and fulfillment of premedical school requirements, plus four years of full medical school, and usually at least three additional years of full-time residency training. It takes many, many years to develop this expertise (at least 11 years after high school). During this training and while in practice, specialization can be obtained in Cranial Osteopathy. The Certificate of Cranial Proficiency, which I hold, requires all of the above; written, oral and practical exams; plus five years in clinical practice.

  Craniosacral therapy addresses movement of fluid and energy at the cranium and sacrum and sometimes through the body. It came out of Cranial Osteopathy and is a simplified approach to a complicated system. Craniosacral therapy is done by a large variety of practitioners with varying amounts of education and experience. Since Craniosacral is taught to practitioners without full medical training, and without comprehensive structural training it tends to be less helpful in addressing the underlying cause of medical conditions. While Craniosacral therapists are able to help many patients, it is important to understand the limitations of this discipline. Particular care should be taken when selecting a practitioner for infants or children whose systems are less fully developed.

  Chiropractic work traditionally uses quick thrusts to address poor alignment of the vertebrae. Osteopathic treatment does treat the vertebrae specifically. Instead of a quick thrust I usually balance the vertebra along with its surrounding muscles, fascia and ligaments. This releases the entire pattern rather than just the joint. Another important difference is that Osteopathic Medicine is more holistic. Chiropractic generally focuses on releasing nerves that are impinged at the level of the spine. Nerve impingement is very important with Osteopathic Medicine but we also release restrictions throughout the body including large patterns of restriction in the fascia, local muscular restrictions, restrictions in the blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid, and restrictions within the membranes and bones of the cranium.

  No, acupressure is based on the Chinese model of meridians and pressure is applied to points along these meridians. Osteopathy is based on the Western understanding of anatomy and physiology: specific bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessels.

  The Cranial Academy and the American Academy of Osteopathy have resources available online. In the state of Washington you can check with the Washington Osteopathic Medical Association.