This approach applies osteopathic principles to the treatment of the whole body, including the skull and its contents.

In 1899 William Garner Sutherland, a student of Andrew Taylor Still, observed that the 26 bones of the skull were connected by modified joints which permitted a tiny degree of physiological motion expressed through the skull and its membranes, fluids and brain within. This motion can also be felt throughout the body, similar to a very refined form of breathing. This minute rhythmical shape change has come to be seen as the body’s (and cranium’s) response to the "breath of life" or "primary respiratory mechanism", and an expression of the individual’s state of health and well-being. Unlike flexing an arm or taking a deep breath, this motion is beyond our voluntary control, and so is called "involuntary motion". 

One of the fundamental principles of osteopathy is that "the living body is a self-correcting, self-regulating, self-healing mechanism", constantly working to establish its optimum level of health. This principle is particularly emphasised in cranial osteopathy, wherein the practitioner seeks to be as receptive as possible to the intelligence of the "inner physician", in order to sense how the body is seeking to rebalance itself. This informs the practitioner’s mind and hands as to the body''s state of health, and what support or intervention the system requires to re-establish balance and harmony, restoring the freedom it needs to get on with its job of self-healing. 

The primary concern of the cranial osteopath is therefore to learn to listen. The treatment process arises out of this attitude of quiet respect and receptive attention.

At the outset of a consultation a full case history will be taken. This will include both medical and osteopathic questions and be followed by a detailed examination in order to arrive at an understanding of how the symptoms arose, how the body has tried to accommodate and what structures and tissues have failed in the process.

The treatment approach can seem very different from what patients have experienced before, being very gentle and passive, with little apparent movement taking place. With the patient usually lying on his/her back, or in any position that is comfortable, the osteopath works by making contact with different parts of the body, assessing and engaging with the patient''s patterns of restriction, strain and tension. However, the body also carries a memory of what it is like to be normal, and naturally seeks health and normality. The aim of treatment is to support and assist this natural unerring restorative capacity that arises from within: a powerful factor too often overlooked today.

Patients may feel sensations and changes in their bodies ranging from heat or subtle movements to a sense of relaxation and calm (or may in fact feel nothing at all). Depending on the nature of the problem, relief from symptoms may come immediately, or hours or even days later. Several treatments may be necessary to bring about real change, as the body needs time to reorganise its patterns of function. But while the treatment may externally appear passive, do not be misled. Frequently patients comment on how much change can be effected so gently, and report improvements in general health and well-being as well as relief from their original symptoms.