Why choose CranioSacral Therapy for your Infant or Baby?
Well, whatever your baby lacks in
talking skills, she definitely makes up for by communicating in other ways!
Infants and babies can’t help BUT communicate. They cry
when they’re hungry, tired or just sore. Their discomfort comes through quickly
in the forms of infant eczema, rash, colic and
many other “stay awake at night” types of symptoms (for both baby and parents!).
Some infants have had a comfortable and natural birth, and yet show some of the
symptoms above. Other infants have worked their way through a lot of birth
complications and show them too.
I have seen CranioSacral Therapy at its most effective when working on Infants,
babies and toddlers - in other words as early as possible in the lives of your loved ones.
I'd like to give some examples of approaches to infant health using
CranioSacral Therapy for a variety of conditions but first I'd like to run
through some background as to how (and why) craniosacral therapy can be a very
effective intervention to restore your baby's well-being.
Key Areas that CranioSacral Therapy Addresses
Some babies endure long and difficult births which necessitate the use
of drugs to start or speed up labour. Many may then need intervention (vacuum,
forceps or C-section) for their safe delivery. A baby’s head and body is
adapted to compression during labour and indeed benefits from this pressure.
What leads to difficulty, are the excessive forces of artificially-induced
contractions or the use of medical instruments. These place overwhelming
pressure on the delicate bones and membranes of the baby’s head and body. These
interventions, while necessary for a baby’s safe delivery, can result in
unwanted side effects which lead to a cranky and unsettled baby. The light
touch of craniosacral therapy is appropriate and effective in relieving these
compressions and allows the baby’s systems to balance and relax.
As a trained craniosacral therapist I address the following principal
areas:
·
Cranial
base: The area where the back of the
neck meets the head, is an area that is most susceptible to distortion during
birth. Compression in this area irritates the vagus nerve which provides the
main parasympathetic nerve supply to the digestive organs.
This nerve is responsible for the body’s ability to rest and digest. Its
compression can lead to overstimulation of the nerve causing spasm of the
digestive organs and, consequently, colic. Also located at the cranial base is
the upper sympathetic ganglion. This nerve supply runs along the whole spine
providing sympathetic nerve supply to the viscera. It seeks to close down
digestion and close food pathways. Compression on this nerve causes
restlessness, over-stimulation and hyperactivity. So, when both the nerves are
restricted simultaneously the body is getting a mixed message to relax and be
stimulated at the same time. The result is conflict, obstruction and spasm, and
the many manifestations of colic.
·
Mouth, Neck and Shoulder Strain: In
delivery the baby’s neck and shoulders may be forcibly rotated leading to soft
tissue damage and strain. If there has been a strain on neck and mouth these
nerves may become inflamed and irritated making sucking and feeding
problematic. Many babies with colic are often suffering from irritation of the
nerves of the neck and mouth. These babies have difficulty in latching on, will
only use part of their mouths to suck, gulp their feed and pull suddenly off
the breast. They will also show a preference in lying on one side and so
favouring one breast.
Working lightly with the bones of the upper palate frees up the mouth by
releasing bony restrictions, relaxing muscle tension and facilitating nerve
release. This improves the “suck, swallow, breathe” pattern for the baby and
assists breastfeeding. Freeing up these strain patterns clears up wry neck
(torticollis) and allows the baby to feed comfortable from each breast.
·
Overrides: After vacuum or forceps delivery,
or resulting from the position baby lay in the womb, babies may have pronounced
bumps on their head. These are overrides where the underlying cranial membrane
tension has caused the cranial bones to ride over each other. While many of
these bumps disappear naturally, others need assistance to release the
underlying tension that is holding the bones in an unnatural position.
With very delicate techniques, the craniosacral therapist can palpate where the
strain in the tissue lies and follow this strain pattern, sometimes travelling
from the cranial membranes along the dural tube down the spine.
Restoring the balance in the baby’s
head and body is important for future health as craniosacral therapists note
that these unresolved strain patterns in children lead on to overactive
children ,who cannot sit still in school and may have learning difficulties. As
babies their ability to fight infection, especially of the eye, ear and throat
is compromised. Increased pressure on the temporal bones during delivery
reduces the functioning of the Eustachian tube and hinders the ability of the
sinuses and ears to drain mucus leading to re-occurring infections.
Key Conditions that Craniosacral Therapy Addresses
Any condition where the body’s self-healing
mechanism can be supported through improved fascial flexibility. That covers
the majority of conditions that involve pain, restriction, increased
susceptibility to infection, and poor circulation and breathing.
Early evaluation and treatment of newborns is recommended as colic, feeding
difficulties and hyperactivity will often be quickly reduced or eliminated.
Strains introduced before, during or shortly after birth are quickly eliminated
which may otherwise lead on to later dysfunction which would take much more
time with a less fluid and flexible mature adult.
Summary
As craniosacral therapists we are concerned with evaluating and helping
to restore the flexibility of the whole of the facial system. We gain insight
into the body state through light touch and listening to the craniosacral
rhythm. By listening and feeling this fascial wisdom we are taken to the deeper
causes of pain and dysfunction instead of being distracted by symptoms and
their apparent causes. Put simply, we treat as we find.
Jeannette Raskin is at Family First Chiropractic on Wednesday evenings and Saturday. 403-347-3261. 142 Erickson Dr. Red Deer. family1stchiro.ca
