Therapist Thursday - Elizabeth Clayton

I graduated in Osteopathy in 1990 in London and have been practicing eversince.  Soon after graduating I became interested in Cranial Osteopathy (similar to Cranio-Sacral Therapy) and took many post-graduate courses to understand more about that aspect of osteopathic treatment.  These days I use some of the ‘regular’ osteopathic techniques together with a large emphasis on the very gentle Cranial Osteopathic holds.  I have found that we can ‘dig deeper’ with this gentle work, effecting more profound change with the improvements holding for longer.

So what is Cranial Osteopathy?

Massage and stretch to specific muscles which are very tight helps to soften and relax them.  Muscles enable our joints to move but when they are very short and tight this reduces motion through the joints and we feel stiff.  Massage can be a bit like first aid in that it can relieve the symptoms but not necessarily the cause of the tight muscles; we often need to ‘dig a bit deeper’ to see if we can release tension held deep within the body – the ‘cranio-sacral’ techniques are particularly helpful for that.  We also need to look at body use and posture as it’s no good relaxing the muscles and the person then continues to irritate them with poor posture and body-use.

The ‘cranio-sacral techniques consist of very gentle holds on any part of the body.  The big difference between this and other osteopathic techniques is that instead of doing things to the body to make it release tension, we enable the body to unwind itself and therefore function better. When we are in good health our bodies do this all the time but sometimes our inherent healing mechanisms get ‘stuck’ and we don’t recover from challenges to the body so quickly. The cranial osteopathic techniques help the body to get back to doing its own healing. 

How might I benefit from this particlar treatment?

This hands-on treatment is used to relieve tension, discomfort and pain throughout the body. The patient is also encouraged to help the process, and to maintain improvement, with advice about exercise, body use and relaxation.  The work helps the body to get back to doing its own recovering and healing.

Typically the work improves relaxation, various aches and pains including headaches, backaches, limb and joint pains.  It can help babies and children to relax and be more comfortable.  It helps our recovery after all kinds of trauma.

To find out more or to book an appointment -

Tel:            07773 122832

Email:       elizabethclayton926@gmail.com

Website:  elizabethclaytoncranial.co.uk