Cranial Adjusting vs. Traditional Chiropractic: What’s the Difference?

Traditional chiropractic care generally focuses on the spine — the vertebrae, discs and the joints between them. Cranial adjusting extends a related idea — assessing movement and addressing restriction — to the bones and sutures of the skull.

Different structures, related principles

Both approaches share a basic premise: that restricted movement in a joint or structure can affect how the surrounding system functions, and that restoring appropriate movement may support better function.

Where they differ is in anatomy and technique. Spinal adjusting addresses vertebral joints using well-established chiropractic methods. Cranial adjusting addresses cranial sutures and related tissues, often using specialized techniques such as CFR, percussion instruments, or drop-piece methods — approaches most conventional spinal technique doesn’t use.

Do you need one instead of the other?

Not necessarily. I don’t think of cranial adjusting as a replacement for spinal chiropractic care, and I don’t assume every patient needs both. My examination determines what I believe is appropriate for that individual — spinal work, cranial work, both, or neither.

Why cranial adjusting is less common

Cranial adjusting is a more specialized area than general spinal chiropractic care, and it isn’t part of every practitioner’s training. The research base specific to cranial manual techniques is also considerably smaller than the research supporting some forms of spinal manipulation. That doesn’t make the questions cranial adjusting raises unimportant — it just means fewer practitioners have chosen to specialize in it.