Cranial and Visceral Adjustments

Most people know they can see a chiropractor and have bones and joints adjusted to remove interference from their nervous system, so that their bodies can function at an optimal level of health. But something you may not know is that every chiropractor is different and some, including the doctors at Revolution Chiropractic, can also perform cranial and visceral (body organ) adjustments.

The cranial plates in your head come together in what is known as suture joints. These joints have a rhythm of movement with your breathing and craniosacral pump (which is the pump that moves spinal fluid up and down your spine). When this rhythm is not working, with respiration and the craniosacral pump, you can get various types of symptoms including headaches, vision problems, decreased mental acuity, and other symptoms. Restoring the proper motion to these joints takes knowledge, patience, and very little force. It is very important that the person performing cranial adjustments be highly trained in the anatomy and biomechanics of the cranium and proper techniques for moving these bones. While the adjustment is extremely low force, a cranial bone moved the wrong way can have very troublesome side effects.

Also, when a baby is born vaginally the cranial bones are put through the birth canal causing them to mold properly and start this rhythm of movement. If a baby is born C-section they do not have the opportunity for their cranium to go through the birth canal, and it is therefore very important that their cranial bones be checked for proper movement to allow normal development. A baby who is having trouble latching on to breast feed is often found to have an occiput (lower cranium bone) that is malpositioned.

Visceral manipulation involves using soft tissue attached to organs to move them into the proper position. “Dropped” organs can cause a wide array of symptoms. A dropped bladder can be involved with a bladder infection, a dropped kidney can contribute to back pain, a stuck diaphragm can be involved with various respiratory problems, a malpositioned stomach can be involved with digestive problems and hernias, and a stuck iliocecal valve can contribute to either diarrhea or constipation depending on if it is stuck open or closed. These are a few examples of how visceral problems can present for a need to be adjusted to allow the body to function at it’s optimal levels of health.