The Fundamentals of Cranial Osteopathy Part I. A Biomechanical Approach to Understanding & Assessing the Cranial Mechanism
Cranial Osteopathy Series
The Fundamentals of Cranial Osteopathy
Part 1. A Biomechanical Approach to Understanding & Assessing the Cranial Mechanism
This is a Level I course with no pre-requisites other than being an accredited Osteopath / Manual Osteopathic Practitioner or another accredited Health Practitioner where Manual Therapy is an integral part of your scope of practice, including Athletic Therapists, Physiotherapists, or Chiropractors. It is a pre-requisite for Treating the Obstetrical Patient Throughout all of the Stages of Pregnancy: an Osteopathic Approach as well as our Pediatric Osteopathy Certification Program .
If you wish to take this course but your professional designation does not fall under one of the above categories, such as being a Massage Therapist or Cranio-Sacral Therapist, we have created a version of this course tthat contains all of the same course material with additional chapters appropriate for Massage or CranioSacral Therapists. Click here.
Part 2. Continuing Fundamentals of Cranial Osteopathy: Cranial Patterns of Dysfunction, Compensation Patterns & Postural Adaptations is the next course in this series and will allow you to go further in your understanding of cranial dysfunctions and how to correct them. Click here.
Please email us at [email protected] if you wish to use an alternate payment method to enroll such as an eTransfer.
This course is the first course in our Cranial Osteopathy online series. It contains thirty two demonstration videos across eight chapters and is self paced, allowing you watch the videos as many times as you want and review the course material at your own pace. There are hands-on practice assignments to be completed at the end of each chapter.
You can enroll now and start learning immediately, and progress through each chapter at the speed that suits you. For instance, if you complete one chapter per week, including the weekly practice sessions for each chapter and the weekly homework assignments, you can complete this course in eight weeks. If you have more free time or need to complete this course as a pre-requisite for one of our more advanced courses, then you can progress more quickly and submit all of your practice homework assignments at the end to achieve Certification.
Each chapter contains instructional theory and videos, and homework assignments with are due at the end of the course in order to achieve a 30 hour Certificate of Completion. You get access to the downloadable and printable Workbook immediately upon enrollment, as well as access to the Introductory chapters to help you get organized before starting this course.
The Workbook
In Part 1 of this series, you will learn the important Anatomy, Physiology, and Biomechanics of the Cranial Mechanism. You will begin to develop your palpation skills to locate each bone, suture, and whether each bone in the Cranial Mechanism has full Amplitude, and how to correct Restricted range of motion . An emphasis on Hand Placement and refining your palpation skills is taught through many instructional videos.
You will come away from this course having a solid foundation for understanding and assessing the various aspects of the Cranial Mechanism, to prepare you for future courses in this series, or some of our other courses where cranial techniques are an essential part of a treatment protocol.
Please scroll down to read the course curriculum for detailed information.
Certificates of Completion
Certificates of Completion are awarded to Participants who complete the course by submitting all of the hands-on homework assignments found at the end of each chapter. Your Instructor will review all of your homework and send you feedback followed by your Certificate of Completion. Certificates can be submitted to their respective associations for CPDs / CEUs or can be displayed in their clinics.
This course will entitle you to 30 continuing education hours, with the breakdown of ten theory hours and fifteen practice hours clearly stated on your Certificate, as seen below:
Consulting with your Instructor
If at any time throughout the course you would like to consult with the Instructor Maureen Maher to discuss a subject or aspect of your learning experience where you feel the need for feedback, guidance, or further explanation, you can send an email to her at [email protected] to set up a time to chat live. You can read Maureen's professional biography by scrolling down on this page after the Course Curriculum.
Who this course is for:
This is the first introductory course in this series, suitable for all Osteopaths or Manual Osteopathic Practitioners Therapists with an interest in learning the basics and incorporating A BIOMECHANICAL APPROACH to Cranial Osteopathy into their practice.
If you are a Registered Massage Therapists (RMT) we have a version of this course that has been tailored to your unique professional needs, including a chapter on how to incorporate Cranial Manual therapy into your Bodywork treatments. Please scroll down to the bottom of this page to view that option or click here.
If you are an Osteopath who has never studied the tangible, BIOMECHANICAL MODEL of Cranial Osteopathy, and wish to take a more structured, anatomical approach to understanding the Cranial Mechanism and your clinical assessments, this course is also for you. Practitioners who had only a cursory or brief overview of Cranial Osteopathy during their training would also benefit from taking this course series.
For those Practitioners who have experience with the more energetic forms of Cranio-Sacral Treatment, such as Uppledger's Cranio-Sacral Model, or the Biodynamic Model, we respect your prior training because these models are indeed useful when you desire a more energetic approach to healing.
But when you encounter specific conditions such as Congestion Headaches, Vertigo, Sinusitis, Trigeminal Neuralgia, or Upper Cervical Misalignments related to dysfunctions within the anatomical functioning of the Cranial Mechanism, learning how to treat the Cranium from a more concrete, biomechanical perspective will provide more tangible and predictable results within your treatments.
Students who have trained and even mastered these more energetic approaches will benefit greatly from this course, as it will round out and complete your education and understanding of the Cranium.
This course is a pre-requisite for:
This course is a pre-requisite for students who do not have a minimum of 30 classroom hours of training in a biomechanical model of Cranial Osteopathy who wish to enroll in the following online courses:
Pediatric Osteopathy Certification Program
Treating the Obstetrical Patient Throughout All Of The Stages of Pregnancy: an Osteopathic Approach
If you are unsure if your prior training exempts you from taking this pre-lease review the course curriculum below.
What you will learn:
Through this course, you will learn to identify & treat all the major components of the Cranial Mechanism. You will learn the outline and relative positioning of each cranial bone, the location of each suture, how the cranial mechanism works, how the venous sinus system drains, and more. You will learn how to treat and correct the cranial mechanism, how to balance its rhythms in order to be able to provide relief for your patient using a very tangible, scientific, anatomically based approach
Although this is Part I and designed to give the anatomical and functional basics, you will come away with sufficient knowledge to treat basic conditions such as congestion headaches, fatigue, and includes cranial osteopathy into your treatments where full body alignments is crucial for symptom relief.
What this course contains:
Each chapter contains audio explanations with images as well as video demonstrations of the concepts and palpation techniques for each chapter, as well as homework practice assignments. The course in total is awarded twenty course hours, which include both online theory learning as well as your own practice time and homework submissions.
Unique Assessment Sheets and Clinical Practice Sheets for beginners, all designed by the Instructor are included, and more. These tools help you learn how to palpate for and diagnose each component of the Cranial Mechanism in a step by step manner that takes the guesswork out of palpation and diagnosis. This learning approach was designed by Maureen Hannah Maher, the course Instructor, and Cranial Osteopath for over fifteen years.
Maureen is also the author and instructor of Cranial Osteopathy Part 2 Continuing Fundamentals, which will be available online in 202, and the complete Advanced Cranial Pathologies series that she teaches in live seminars and workshops to learners who wish to build on the fundamentals of this course and go on to effectively treatment more complex but common cranial pathologies. But to do this, one needs to start with the fundamentals, which you will acquire in this course.
What you will need:
Access to a printer to print the Workbook and Worksheets for your hands-on practice homework assignments.
You will also need to order a practice doll like the one you see in the image above.
What you get:
A download able and printable version of the Workbook is available immediately upon enrollment as well as the Introductory chapter.
Certificates of Completion are awarded to Participants who complete the course. Certificates can be submitted to their respective associations for CPDs / CEUs or can be displayed in their clinics.
Join us online and learn how Cranial Osteopathy can be incorporated into your Bodywork practice today!
Have a question about this course ? Did you read the course curriculum? If you still have a question, please feel free to email the Instructor at [email protected]
Here is what some students are saying about this course:
"I learned alot! My clients are really loving the results I am giving them. They often say they feel very relaxed. I only wish I could treat myself!"
Lucia, Toronto, Canada
"This course so far has given me really clear plans on how to assess and treat specific areas."
Carly, UK
Welcome & Why Cranial Osteopathy Is An Essential Part Of Any Treatment
FREE PREVIEWIs This Course Appropriate for Me?
FREE PREVIEWHow Can I Possibly Learn Cranial Osteopathy Online?
FREE PREVIEWCourse Structure and Accreditation
The Value of Continuing Education
Using The Demonstration Videos to Perfect Your Palpation Skills
FREE PREVIEWWhat Are the Different Forms of Cranial Treatment?
FREE PREVIEWBuying a Practice Skull
Download & Print the Workbook
Meet the Father of Cranial Osteopathy William Garner Sutherland, D.O.
How this Discovery Happened and Why its Important
How Cranial Osteopathy relates to the History of CranioSacral Therapy
How "form determines function" applies to Cranial Osteopathy
Quiz - Learning History & Concepts
Introduction to this Chapter
Using the Practice Chart
Video Demonstration - Overview of the Cranial Bones
Video Demonstration - The Occiput
Video Demonstration - The Frontal Bone
Video Demonstration - The Sphenoid
Video Demonstration - The Temporal Bones
Video Demonstration - The Parietal Bones
Locating the Frontal Bone on your Model
Locating the Sphenoid Bone on your Model
Grasping the Temporal Bones on your Model
Contacting the Occiput on your Model
Instructions how to complete homework
DOWNLOAD: Practice Chart Anatomy of the Cranial Bones
DOWNLOAD: The Cranial Bones
Quiz - Learning about Cranial Bones
Have you completed the homework assignment for this chapter?
Is a Suture a Joint?
Why are sutures so important anyway?
Cranial Suture Anatomy
What's in an Name? Locating and Naming the Suture
Upper View of the Cranial Sutures
Posterior View of the Cranial Sutures
Common examples of suture pathology & their role in Cranial Dysfunctions
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: locating the sutures
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: locating the Occipito-Temporal Suture
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: locating the sutures - posterior view
Instructions for Treating Suture Compaction with the V Spread Technique
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION Treating Suture Compaction with the V-Spread Technique
Instructions how to complete homework
HOMEWORK & DOWNLOAD: Practicing Suture Anatomy
HOMEWORK & DOWNLOAD: Instructions for Treating Suture Compaction
Quiz - Learning about Sutures
Have you completed the homework assignment for this chapter?
Meninges ? Another word for Cranial Connective Tissue
The Structure of the Cranial Meninges
What do they do? Functional Anatomy of Cranial Meninges
The Inter-Dependent Role of Meninges from an Osteopathic Perspective
The Role of Meninges in the Cranio-Sacral System
The Concept of Reciprocal Tension Membranes
The Falx Cerebri and the Tentorium Cerebelli
The Vault Hold and Treating the Cranial Meninges
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Global Vault Hold in Treating the Cranial Meninges
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Superior Vault Hold to Treat the Parietal Region
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION - Occipital Vault Hold to Release the Tentorium Cerebelli & Brainstem
Instructions how to complete homework
HOMEWORK & DOWNLOAD: Practicing the Vault Hold Procedures in Treating Cranial Meninges
Quiz - Learning about Cranial Connective Tissue
Have you completed the homework assignment for this chapter?
The Primary Respiratory Mechanism according to Sutherland
What purpose does the CerebroSpinal Fluid serve ?
Why is the discovery of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism important for Osteopathy?
What is the Cranial Rhythmic Impulse ?
How the Primary Respiratory Mechanism Works
What is the Sphenobasilar Symphysis ?
What happens during Flexion ?
What happens during Extension ?
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION Global Movement of the SSB in Flexion and Extension
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION - Palpation & Hand Placement of Occiput & Sphenoid in Flexion and Extension (SSB)
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION - Palpation & Hand Placement of Frontal in Flexion and Extension
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION - Palpation & Hand Placement of Temporals in Flexion and Extension (Side View)
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION - Palpation & Hand Placement of Temporals in Flexion and Extension ( Top View)
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION - Palpation & Hand Placement of PARIETALS in Flexion and Extension
HOMEWORK & DOWNLOAD: Practicing Palpating for the Cranial Rhythmic Movement
Quiz - Learning about the Primary Respiratory Mechanism
Have you completed the homework assignment for this chapter?
What is Amplitude of the Cranial Rhythm?
Other Aspects of the Cranial Rhythm
What does Full Amplitude of the SSB feel like ?
What is Restricted Range of Motion?
Learning what Restricted Range of Motion feels like
Video Demonstration - Step 1. Palpate for Amplitude of the Sphenoid
Video Demonstration - Step 2. Palpate for Amplitude of the Sphenoid & Occiput
Video Demonstration - Step 3. Palpate for Amplitude of the Frontal & Occiput
Video Demonstration - Step 4. Palpate for Amplitude of the Temporals
Video Demonstration - Step 5. Palpate for Amplitude of the Parietals
VIDEO - Introduction with your Instructor
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION Overall Palpation Assessment on a Live Model
HOMEWORK: Learning to Palpate the Cranium Rhythm Phases of Flexion & Extension & Restricted Amplitude
Quiz - Learning to Assess the Primary Respiratory Mechanism
Have you completed the homework assignment for this chapter?
What is a Cranial Sinus and why are they Important to Cranial Osteopathy?
What is a Cranial Sinus and why are they important to Cranial Osteopathy?
A Flowing System: the Structure of Venous Sinuses
What's a Ventricle? Locating the Ventricles of the Brain
A Summary of the 3rd and 4th ventricles Role in Intra-Cranial Congestion
Lets review the Main areas of Drainage of the Cranial Venous Sinus System
Examples of Functional Pathologies of the Venous Sinus System
Health Benefits of CV4 Technique
Palpation Protocol for Dysfunctions of the Venous Sinus System
VIDEO - Introduction with your Instructor
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION Palpating for Dysfunctions of the Venous Sinus System & using the CV4 Technique
HOMEWORK & DOWNLOAD: Practice Protocol to for Identifying Dysfunctions the Cranial Venous Sinus System on a Patient
Quiz - Learning about the Cranial Venous Sinus System
Have you completed the homework assignment for this chapter?
The Cranial Osteopathy Assessment Chart & the Advantages of Using a Charting Method in your Practice
Using the Cranial Diagram
Charting the SphenoBasilary Symphesis - Optional Chart
Homework & What Your Goals Should Be
Homework Formats Available for Download
Homework #1: Anatomy of the Cranial Bones
Homework #2: Name the Suture
HOMEWORK 3: Treating Suture Compaction
Homework chapter #3: Treating Suture Compaction
HOMEWORK #4: Practicing the Vault Hold Procedures in Treating Cranial Meninges
HOMEWORK #5: Practicing Palpating for the Cranial Rhythmic Movement
HOMEWORK #6: Learning to Palpate the Cranium Rhythm Phases of Flexion & Extension & Restricted Amplitude
HOMEWORK #7: Practice Protocol to for Identifying Dysfunctions the Cranial Venous Sinus System on a Patient
HOMEWORK & DOWNLOAD: Using the Chart to Assess the Spheno-Basilary Symphesis
Checklist before submitting your Homework
Where & How to Submit your Homework
Maureen Norah Maher, BA, DO(Qc), DO(MP) Osteopath Practitioner and Educator
Maureen Hannah Maher