Many people have heard of and likely experienced a cranial treatment, but many don’t realise that there are many different types of cranial techniques, and what they address. At Health In The Bay there are 3 cranial techniques (Intraoral Cranials, Vector Point Cranials, and CRT – Cranial Release Technique) used by our 2 Chiropractors. This article will be focussing on Intraoral Cranials.
The skull is a solid structure, which is actually made up of many different bones that require some flexibility between the joins of these bones. Intraoral Cranials work on these bones to address, correct and normalise the relationship between them.
The skull houses and protects the most important part of our nervous system, our brain, as well as making up a part of a neck joint, and our jaw. Through soft tissue connections the cranium can impact other areas of the spine and pelvis. There are also a unique set of 12 major nerves that come directly from the brain and out through small spaces in the skull, and have very important roles. Any changes to these exit holes can put pressure on these nerves. Through all these connections, any changes (or faults) in the skull can potentially cause a wide range of problems and symptoms.
These symptoms can include:
- Jaw issues, such as tightness, pain, locking, grinding
- Tight muscles and pain of the neck and shoulders
- Headaches
- A foggy brain
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Back pain
There are a number of ways that faults of the skull can occur. These include:
- Birth trauma – incl forceps birth, or vacuum extraction
- Physical trauma -either directly to the head, or to the body (especially the neck such as in whiplash)
- Dental – either due to having the mouth held wide open, or dental work to the upper teeth (as they sit in the skull bone). Or Malocclusion ie an uneven bite leading to subsequent TMJ muscular imbalance, and teeth clenching and grinding.
- Emotional – can lead to grinding of the teeth which affects the jaw and associated muscles
- Occupational – such as wearing a tight fitting helmet
Intraoral Cranials is a technique that feels for any stiffness or lack of movement of the bones that make up the skull, either from the outside, or from within the mouth, using the roof of the mouth to address bones deep in the skull. The treatment involves gentle mobilisation of the skull bones in a specific direction and muscle releases around the skull, jaw and neck, to rebalance and normalise the relationship between these bones, and between the skull and the jaw or neck. There is usually a significant change in symptoms noted after just one treatment, but it may take a few treatments to get the skull completely balanced, and the changes holding well.
