Cranial Evaluation and Treatment Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep Guide

In cranial osteopathy, strain patterns describe how the sphenobasilar joint deforms during the primary respiratory mechanism. A lateral strain is when the sphenobasilar line shifts to one side, with the sphenoid and occiput glide in the same lateral direction. When the shift is toward the left, the pattern is described as left lateral strain. This term is the best description for that pattern because the defining feature is a lateral displacement to the left, not a rotational torsion about an axis or a global compression. Torsions involve opposite rotations of the sphenoid and occiput about an anterior-posterior axis, and compression dysfunction presents with overall constriction rather than a directed lateral shift. So the observed leftward lateral shift is best described by left lateral strain.