Cranial Osteopathy Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis can be treated with cranial osteopathy to help relive inflammation of the inner ear. It is more common in babies and children than adults. There are different ways to treat labyrinthitis, depending on its cause. Cranial osteopathy diagnoses and treats a disease by gentle manipulation of the skull bones. They are performed only by cranial osteopaths who are licensed professionals and have studied how to practice common treatments.

What is Cranial Osteopathy?
Cranial osteopaths believe that the musculoskeletal framework forms the basics of the body. Any disturbance in the framework will affect the nervous or the circulatory system causing a particular disease. Cranial osteopathy is applicable for both adults and children (including babies). Cranial osteopathy is used to treat many diseases like sinus problems, headaches, stress, migraines, pain during periods, digestion problems and even infections.

Cranial osteopathy for children has become common. This method is a popular choice for parents because treatments are painless.

What is Labyrinthitis?
Labyrinthitis can occur because of viruses, bacteria or structural changes. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, vertigo (spinning of head), tinnitus (ringing sound in the ear) and different degrees of hearing loss. Viral labyrinthitis is treated symptomatically using antiemetics or antivertiginous agents and bacterial labyrinthitis is treated with antibiotics. Structural labyrinthitis can be treated only by cranial osteopathy.

Structural labyrinthitis can be diagnosed when children complain of ear pain after an upper respiratory tract infection (URI). There is an abnormal opening that allows the secretion (in the form of infection) from the respiratory tract to the inner ear through the auditory canal. This kind of structural deformities are taken care of by cranial osteopathy. Cranial osteopaths first identify and then gently manipulate the cranial bones and set them there by solving the problem. This treatment is generally painless and relaxing.

Treating Other Ear Problems
Ear infections in newborns (babies less than 28 days of age) can also be treated by cranial osteopathy. Newborns tend to get ear infections when fluid enters the inner ear through the ears or mouth at the time of birth. A small amount of fluid enters the ears during this process and gets trapped around the bones inside the ear canal causing pain and infection. This is one reason why babies cry when they are not hungry or wet. The skilled cranial osteopaths tactfully bring out the fluid and mold the bones of the head into the ideal shape.

What to Expect from a Cranial Osteopathy Treatment
The cranial osteopaths do a general assessment and take a history of general health status at the first visit. The osteopath then explains the diagnosis and treatment modality. The procedure is usually done while the patient is lying down or sitting up (if the person is not comfortable). Monitoring of vital signs (blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate) is done before and after the procedure.

There are rare complaints expressed by patients after the procedure, though a few may experience tiredness that disappears within a day or two. Parents have reported that children are much more relaxed and sleep well after the treatment. There are no long term side effects reported.