David ArikianCraniosacral therapy for babies One of the joys of treating babies is that they tend to respond so well to treatment, and more quickly than adults. Many infant problems may result from Cranio-Sacral imbalances caused during the birth process. Treatments may help to relieve young infants with problems such as – Colic, Sucking problems, Breathing difficulties, Restlessness and Irritability.
I suffered terribly from morning sickness and later had trouble with my back and hips throughout the pregnancy Having cranio-sacral therapy and some nutritional tips made life much more comfortable than it would have otherwise been.
Areas that Cranio-sacral Therapy can Address
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.
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’s 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 moulding 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 Cranio-Sacral therapy: - Asthma
 - Poor immune functioning/ chronic infections
- Special needs (Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, etc)
- Growing pains
- Autism and Autism spectrum disorders
Cranio-Sacral 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. As a trained Cranio-Sacral 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 over stimulation 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: During 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.
Overides: 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 cranio-sacral 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 cranio-sacral therapists note that these unresolved strain patterns in children lead on to over active 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 Cranio-sacral Therapy AddressesAny 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 o f 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.
As a Cranio-Sacral Therapist I am concerned with evaluating and helping to restore the flexibility of the whole of the facial system. We gain insight into the body’s state through light touch and listening to the cranio-sacral 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.
Cranio-Sacral Therapy is such a very light touch that infants feel no trauma during a treatment.  There is an awareness with very young children to the energies of Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and they are happy to receive touch of treatment, especially if the adult present is happy. Very rarely is it necessary to begin the treatment by indirectly treating through the adult in order to give the infant a deeper sense of security. This may be necessary if the baby or child is aggitated or in a cronic or traumatic state on their first visit before any treatment; they settle very quickly once treatment begins.
If we understand the process of fetal development and the child’s birth experience we can better treat them should our touch elicit a flight/fright response in our young clients. By listening carefully to the Cranio-sacral rhythm I know how my touch is working. If the baby does start crying during treatment, often the child is just venting its frustration in the tissues over a difficult birth.  As a guideline treatments can be about 10 to 15 minutes for infants (I would treat young children from 20 to 30 minutes max. – Adults take 30 minutes .
 Different practitioners will take longer to connect, I connect immediately. My connection with Canio-Sacral Therapy is instant and extremely deep, I am able to connect to the DNA. What I can achieve in 5minutes most others practitioners would have difficulty achieving in 40minutes. This is an advantage where babies are concerned. Most babies on their first treatment will lengthen and release wind, much to the amazement of their parent.
A child I worked with just recently had been badly damaged through delivery and its left arm would not work, even after a he had a month of physio treatment. After one CranioSacral Treatment the child had 50% movement in his arm. After 3 follow-up treatments his arm had perfect mobility.
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