Babies

It is commonly believed that babies and children should be free of structural imbalances in their bodies due to their youth. In reality, signs of physical and neurological stress and strain may be evident from birth onwards. Birth itself is a highly stimulating journey with many twists and turns and compressions as the baby comes through the bony pelvis. The baby’s head is designed to withstand these forces in a normal delivery. The infant’s skull bones overlap and bend to reduce the size of the head as it descends. At birth the infant skull commonly looks misshapen which gradually self-corrects in the first days after life assisted by yawning, suckling and crying. The cranial unmoulding process may not resolve completely in more difficult births, resulting in the baby living with head and body stresses and strains. Some babies appear to cope happily with these strains in their system, but others present a variety of problems including:

Feeding Difficulties.

Breastfeeding latch problems may be evident due to mechanical stresses throughout the head, face and throat. Difficult or uncoordinated sucking can occur due to the nerves to the tongue and face being irritated.

Colic & Reflux.

Bouts of prolonged crying from colic and gas and regurgitation of milk may be signs of irritated nerves to the stomach and digestive system. If the vagus nerve to the stomach, which exits from the base of the skull, is irritated, it can impair digestion. The diaphragm, upper chest and throat may be distorted or under strain from the birthing process which can impede digestion and retaining contents of stomach.

Sleep Disturbances.

Tension in a baby’s nervous system and strain on the membranes of the head may lead to over-stimulation, or being overly alert. This may result in restless sleep, or very brief patterns of sleep, with baby appearing “jumpy”.

Children

A growing child may have unresolved physical strain problems from birth or have developed new patterns of strain from childhood injuries or trauma.

Ear Infections.

Fluid drainage from the ear with blockage in the Eustachian tube can lead to recurrent ear infections. This may be caused from unresolved cranial molding leading to compression of the bones and membranes of the ear impeding fluid drainage. Infections may never fully resolve leading to persistent, chronic ear infections with a compromised immune system.

Learning Difficulties.

Poor concentration, fidgeting and hyper-activity may all be the result of a nervous system under stress. Cranial compression can feel uncomfortable leading to a child wanting to move to find more comfortable positions; over time, restlessness becomes a habit. Severe compression can affect normal patterns of learning.

Dental and Sinus Problems.

Blocked or running nose can result from impaired drainage of the sinuses and bones of the face from mechanically imbalanced cranial bones. Dental crowding and mouth breathing can also be addressed by getting at the underlying patterns of bony distortion from infancy or childhood injuries.

Headaches.

Areas of focused pressure in the skull may begin around age 7 as the joints of the skull fully form. Patterns of retained tension in areas of the body may manifest as head pain or headaches and fatigue.

Other childhood problems which may benefit from CranioSacral therapy:

Asthma

Poor immune functioning/ chronic infections

Special needs (Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, etc)

Growing pains

Autism and Autism spectrum disorders

CranioSacral treatment is gentle, safe and effective for babies and children. The natural ability of the body to release held patterns of stress is assisted by light pressure applied specifically where necessary.

Often after a treatment the baby or child is very relaxed and may sleep well. Reactions to treatment are variable; some children display a temporary burst of energy or unsettled behaviour for the first 24-48 hours.

copyright 2008. All rights reserved   Rosemary Brown-Tucker RMT