Osteopathy has different sub therapies in it, like viceral osteopathy and cranial osteopathy. Cranial osteopaths are trained to feel certain subtle changes that take place through out the head and the body. They call this process the cranial rhythm, this movement is very subtle and takes highly skilled pratitioners to feel the rhythm. This theory of cranial osteopathy is rejected by many orthopedic doctors who believed that the cranial bones fuse by adolescence. It has been histologically prooved that there are some fibres between the cranial bones called sharpey's fibres which appear only at places where tissue movement is allowed. The original principles of cranial osteopathy have evolved with the research and development of modern medicine. The cranial osteopathy refers to mevement between the flat bones of the skull along the sharpeys fibres, prooving that the brain does pulsate.
Exactly how the mechanism works has not been prooved scientifically, some theories suggest healing dysfnctional cranial rhythms improves the cerebro spinal fluid flow to all the peripheral nerves thus increasing the metabolic outflow and nutritional inflow of all the spinal nerves. This in turn improves all the viceral organic functions and nervous reflexes. Those that have not had any direct beneficial effects from this therapy argue that it is with out scientific base but some have experienced the healing powers and experienced emotional releases, lightness and buoyancy and visualizations. The technique is especially suitable for newborns and children since their bones are not yet fused. The cranio sacral therapy is based on the similar principle and is also beneficial in cases of chronic lower back ache. Cranio mandibular osteopathy is also based on similar principles.