Cranial Chiropractor San Antonio | Craniopath for Trigeminal Neuralgia, TMJ & Migraines

Why Cranial Chiropractic Is Different — and Why It Matters in San Antonio

Most San Antonio residents expect spinal adjustments from a chiropractor. They expect neck cracks and lower-back manipulations for back pain relief. What few realize is that a small subspecialty focuses on the cranium itself. This includes the bones of the skull and the membranes that surround the brain. Practitioners trained at the highest level are called craniopaths.

Dr. Dan Foss, DC, of Pura Vida Chiropractic is one of the few certified craniopaths in San Antonio. He holds advanced certifications with SORSI — the Sacro-Occipital Research Society International. He serves as both an instructor and board member. Dr. Foss treats conditions most chiropractors do not address: trigeminal neuralgia, TMJ disorders, chronic migraines, postpartum cranial dysfunction, and pediatric cranial concerns like torticollis, plagiocephaly, and infant feeding difficulties.

Pura Vida is a bilingual practice (English and Spanish). We were founded in 2010 to serve San Antonio's Hispanic community and families across the city. If you've been told that nothing more can be done for a head, jaw, or facial-pain condition, cranial chiropractic deserves a closer look. The same is true if you're searching for different care for an infant or new mother.

What Is a Craniopath, Exactly?

"Craniopath" comes from the certification track of SORSI. SORSI originated and continues to refine Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT). This is a comprehensive chiropractic system developed by Dr. Major Bertrand DeJarnette beginning in the 1920s.

SOT is built on a key recognition. The cranium, the spine, the sacrum, and the membranes connecting them function as a single, dynamic system. When that system is balanced, the body's own healing capacity works at its best. When it is restricted — through birth trauma, head injury, dental work, postural strain, or chronic stress — consequences can show up as headaches, jaw pain, nervous-system dysregulation (out of balance), or digestive and organ-function issues.

A SORSI-certified craniopath is trained to evaluate cranial bone motion and dural membrane tension. They assess the relationship between the cranium and the sacrum at the other end of the spine. Treatment is gentle, low-force, and precise — no cracking, no thrust. It's closer to a careful tuning than a forceful adjustment.

Patients searching for a "gentle, no-cracking chiropractor" in San Antonio often end up at Pura Vida for exactly this reason. Dr. Foss combines cranial work with Chiropractic Manipulative Reflex Technique (CMRT). This is an SOT-related technique that uses specific spinal reflex points to support healthy organ and visceral function. This addresses the body as an integrated whole.

Conditions a Craniopath Treats That Most Chiropractors Do Not

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is one of the most painful conditions in medicine. It causes sudden, electric, stabbing facial pain. This pain is triggered by chewing, talking, or even a light breeze. Conventional care relies on anticonvulsant medication or surgical intervention.

Cranial chiropractic offers a different path. Dr. Foss gently restores motion to the bones surrounding the trigeminal nerve. He releases dural tension. Many patients see meaningful reductions in episode frequency and severity. Dr. Foss has multiple patients who have been able to come off pain medication after a structured course of cranial care.

TMJ Disorders

The temporomandibular joint connects the jaw to the skull. TMJ dysfunction often arises from cranial bone misalignment — particularly the temporal and sphenoid bones. Standard dental care addresses jaw mechanics. Cranial chiropractic addresses the surrounding skull architecture that influences how the jaw moves. Patients commonly report measurable jaw mobility changes and pain-scale improvements within four to six visits.

Chronic Migraines

Cranial bone restriction directly impacts cerebrospinal fluid (the cushioning fluid around the brain and spine) flow and intracranial pressure. Both are well-established migraine triggers. SOT cranial work addresses these mechanical contributors. It also addresses upper cervical alignment and dural tension. Patients with long histories of medication-dependent migraines have documented frequency and intensity reductions over eight- to twelve-visit care plans.

Postpartum Cranial Dysfunction

Childbirth places extraordinary stress on a mother's pelvis and cranium. It also stresses the newborn's skull. Mothers often present postpartum with persistent headaches, jaw pain, or pelvic-floor dysfunction. Cranial chiropractic offers gentle, safe care for both mother and baby in this critical recovery window. Dr. Foss is also Webster Technique certified for prenatal patients.

Infant Head Shaping (Plagiocephaly, Brachycephaly, Torticollis)

A growing number of San Antonio parents notice their newborn developing a flat spot on one side of the head (plagiocephaly). Others notice an unusually wide or flattened back of the skull (brachycephaly). Some notice a persistent head-turn preference that signals torticollis. Conventional medicine often defaults to a wait-and-see approach or a cranial helmet referral.

The underlying issue is frequently cranial bone restriction and cervical-spine asymmetry. Gentle craniopath work can address this directly. Often this work happens in the first months of life when the skull is still highly malleable.

Dr. Foss uses extraordinarily gentle SOT cranial techniques. There is no thrust, no force — only the lightest touch needed. He invites the cranium back toward balance. He releases the cervical patterns that create asymmetric head-shape development. Many families come to Pura Vida as an alternative to or in conjunction with helmet therapy. Many report visible head-shape changes within weeks of starting care.

Tongue Tie and Lip Tie — Cranial Adjustments for Infants

Tongue tie (ankyloglossia) and upper-lip tie are often discussed solely in terms of the frenulum. But the cranial mechanics around the tongue-tie presentation matter just as much. Restricted cranial bone motion — particularly at the temporal and occipital bones — can compound the effects of an oral tie. It contributes to latching difficulties, poor weight gain, fussiness, and reflux symptoms.

Pura Vida is one of the few San Antonio practices offering cranial chiropractic care specifically integrated with tongue-tie cases. We provide pre-frenectomy work to release surrounding cranial tension. We provide post-frenectomy follow-up to support the new oral motor patterns. We collaborate with IBCLC lactation consultants, pediatric dentists, and ENTs. Their patients benefit from the cranial component most providers don't address.

Pediatric Cranial Concerns Beyond the Newborn Period

Children grow into cranial work as well as out of it. Beyond infancy, kids may benefit from cranial care for:

• Ear infections
• Sleep difficulties
• Behavioral and sensory regulation
• Headaches in school-age children
• Developmental concerns

The cranial techniques used with infants and children are extraordinarily gentle. There is no thrust, no force, only the lightest touch needed to invite the cranium back to balance.

What a Cranial Chiropractic Visit Looks Like

The first visit at Pura Vida begins with a thorough history and evaluation. This includes:

• Palpation of cranial bone motion
• Assessment of cervical and pelvic alignment
• Observation of cranial-sacral rhythm
• Identification of which structural patterns are contributing to your symptoms

Treatment is calm, deeply relaxing, and almost meditative for many patients. You will not hear the dramatic cracks of a forceful adjustment. Cranial work is far more subtle. It's often described as "barely feeling like anything is happening — until you stand up."

Care typically includes some combination of:

• SOT pelvic blocking
• Cranial bone mobilization
• Upper cervical correction
• CMRT organ-reflex work where indicated
• Webster Technique adjustments for prenatal patients

Bilingual care is available throughout. Dr. Foss treats English- and Spanish-speaking patients with equal fluency.

Reclaim Comfort, Function, and Quiet Days

San Antonio deserves the chance to find specialists for conditions that have not responded to standard care. If you are searching for a cranial chiropractor in San Antonio — whether for trigeminal neuralgia, TMJ, migraines, postpartum recovery, or your child's cranial concerns — Pura Vida Chiropractic invites you to learn what a craniopath visit can offer.

Pura Vida Chiropractic is offering a free initial evaluation for new patients. Call Dr. Dan Foss at (210) 685-1994. Visit 2318 NW Military Hwy Suite 103, San Antonio, TX 78231. Bilingual care available. Pura vida.