cranial osteopathy

In alternative medicine, gentle manipulation of the cranial bones, to correct displacements that may be caused by, among other things, blows to the head, or dental work. It was developed in the USA in the 1920s by William G Sutherland, and is usually practised as a specialization by some osteopaths. Practitioners use the technique to benefit the whole nervous system, and have found it effective against high blood pressure, headaches, and stomach ulcers.

In the 1980s, a group of practitioners developed a way of using the technique to help young babies, especially those who have had ‘difficult’ births; ‘colicky’ babies and those with other symptoms of distress generally show a marked improvement.