8. Lab: Basic Cranial Treatments

Question 1

Before performing cranial treatment, what area of the body should you think about treating first?

Answer 1

The neck

Question 2

What are the goals of cranial treatment?

Answer 2

1. Reduce venous congestion
2. Mobilize articular restrictions
3. balance SBS
4. Enhance CRI force, rate, and amplitude

Question 3

How do you perform occipital condylar decompression?

Answer 3

• Contact foramen and condyles
• Add slight OA flexion
• -Apply gentle traction, pull occipital tissue posterior and lateral

-Await recoil

Question 4

Clinical use of Occipital Condylar Decompression?

Answer 4

Infant colic and feeding
Head/neck pain and trauma
Post Trauma to head and neck

Question 5

SBS decompression

Indirect and Direct

Answer 5

Indirect first: BMT compression followed by release

Direct:
Gently engage the frontal bones to distract against the occiput

Pull in an anterior and superior direction

Await elastic release, then reassess

Question 6

Clinical use of SBS decompression

Answer 6

Diminished CRI
Migraine
Cranial n entrapment
URI
Peds developmental issues

Question 7

5 Finger Temporal Contact

Answer 7

Place middle finger in ear, pinch zygomatic with index and thumb, pinky and ring finger on mastoid process
-Provide IR and ER

Question 8

Temporal Rocking

Answer 8

Do 5 finger temporal contact

• with flexion do external rotation (flexternal)
• -index fingers move inferiomedial
• with extension, do internal rotation
• -index fingers move superiomedially

Do until physiologic still point

Question 9

Clinical use of Temporal Rocking

Answer 9

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
TMJ
Bells
Lateral head/suture pain
Cranial torsion

Question 10

Temporal pull

Answer 10

Pull them ears and balance (to the feathers edge) the temporal bone while pulling lateral, posterior, and superior

Question 11

V- Spread

Answer 11

Spreading pressure used to monitor and encourage motion of “stuck” suture
-other hand provides contra-coup

Question 12

Occipitomastoid release (suture disengagement)

Answer 12

Wrap contralateral hand under occiput with fingers posterior to suture and Ipsi hand around mastoid

Roll head towards affected side

Gentle traction, hold until release

Question 13

Clinical use of Occipitomastoid release

Answer 13

Trauma
Migraine
TMJ
Vertigo

Question 14

CV4 treatment

Answer 14

Thenar eminences inferior to superior nuchal line and medial to OM sutures
-compress lateral to sutures to ensure ER of temporal

-encourage extension and resist flexion

Motion will diminish till it feels like it disappears

Slowly release and away CRI return

Question 15

Clinical use of CV4

Answer 15

Decreased CRI
URI
Headache/migraine

Question 16

CV4 Pump

Answer 16

Thenar eminences inferior to suprior nunchal line and medial to OM sutures

• after tuning F/E, add medial and cephalad compression through the flexion phase only
• -release during extension

Encourages CSF from 4th ventricle

Question 17

Pterigo(Spheno)palatine Ganglion Inhibition/Stimulation

Answer 17

located posterior and lateral to molars, medial to the pterygoid
-direction of force superior, slightly medial, and slightly postieor and medial rotation

Await relaxation

Question 18

What can Pterigo(Spheno)palatine Ganglion Inhibition/Stimulation do for your sinuses?

Answer 18

Thins nasal mucus and increases tears