There are different techniques/models of osteopathy. We use the model of osteopathy in the cranial field because it is both gentle and non-invasive and appropriate for the whole family, the newborn to the aged.
Osteopathy in the cranial field (OCF) practitioners can restore balance to the body and improve health, using the body’s own healing ability.
It is a common misconception that the model only involves the head (cranium), but rather it can be applied to any tissue/part of the body. Using developed palpation skills, the osteopath assists the body to rebalance itself by applying very gentle and precise pressure to the areas of tension. When tensions in the body are released, our body is able to receive nourishment and oxygen, relieving us from discomfort.
Dr Sutherland’s osteopathic work led him to discover an inherent intelligence of the body he called the Primary Respiratory Mechanism. Just as our lungs breathe and our hearts beat, he found all anatomy to have an involuntary movement. OCF focuses on the following components of our living anatomy:
- The nervous system
- The fascial coverings (meninges)
- The fluids (the cerebro-spinal fluid)
- The bones of the cranium and the pelvis and their relationship to each other
Therapeutic change to the whole body will happen when an osteopath engages the intelligence of the body.
“Allow physiologic function within to manifest its own unerring potency rather than applying a blind force from without”