This case example was contributed by Nancy Lawton-Shirley, OTR, Instructor for Session G: The Healing Power of Your Hands: CranioSacral Applications for Pediatric Populations.
Even after thirty years of using craniosacral therapy and myofascial release, I am still amazed at the profound changes that can occur…..so very quickly. One such case happened on a trip to a Chinese orphanage. We were working with the orphanage staff on screening the babies for developmental delays. They brought in a 3 month old boy who was failing to thrive. He cried 24/7, had difficulties eating and was not sleeping. During the screening, he screamed as if he was in pain. He held his hands fisted, his arms tightly flexed. He was constantly writhing and arching his back. His movement patterns and how he held his body looked like severe cerebral palsy patterns. I had noticed that he had a severe compression in his cranium across the bridge of his nose, which also indented in a line from his nose to his jaw.
I stopped the screening and initiated a craniosacral therapy session. We worked for 20 minutes. He fell asleep in my hands. His hands opened. He went back to the nursery and slept. He fed well that night. I saw him the next day. He was quiet and calm. There was no writhing or arching movement. I treated him again for 20 minutes. He again fell asleep during the treatment, which indicates deep relaxation of tissue. I trained the rehabilitation staff to be able to use some simple craniosacral therapy/ myofascial techniques to continue work with him. 6 months later he was adopted. His physical development had turned around and he met his developmental milestones.
Although we commonly see profound changes from this work, this case demonstrated how significant tightness in connective tissue and the cranium can effect development and functioning.
Recently I have been seeing numerous newborns with poor suck and feeding functions. With compressed craniums, the pallet can be elevated and tight, the tongue can be limited in mobility, and the suck/ swallow/breathe synchrony is compromised. Typically, within just 1-3 visits (depending on the severity of cranial compression) the suck/swallow/breathe synchrony improves and ease of feeding is attained. It would be wonderful if a craniosacral therapy session could be part of every baby’s wellness program.
Visit Nancy's website: www.pointsofstillness.com to learn more about her experience and treatment modalities.
Even after thirty years of using craniosacral therapy and myofascial release, I am still amazed at the profound changes that can occur…..so very quickly. One such case happened on a trip to a Chinese orphanage. We were working with the orphanage staff on screening the babies for developmental delays. They brought in a 3 month old boy who was failing to thrive. He cried 24/7, had difficulties eating and was not sleeping. During the screening, he screamed as if he was in pain. He held his hands fisted, his arms tightly flexed. He was constantly writhing and arching his back. His movement patterns and how he held his body looked like severe cerebral palsy patterns. I had noticed that he had a severe compression in his cranium across the bridge of his nose, which also indented in a line from his nose to his jaw.
I stopped the screening and initiated a craniosacral therapy session. We worked for 20 minutes. He fell asleep in my hands. His hands opened. He went back to the nursery and slept. He fed well that night. I saw him the next day. He was quiet and calm. There was no writhing or arching movement. I treated him again for 20 minutes. He again fell asleep during the treatment, which indicates deep relaxation of tissue. I trained the rehabilitation staff to be able to use some simple craniosacral therapy/ myofascial techniques to continue work with him. 6 months later he was adopted. His physical development had turned around and he met his developmental milestones.
Although we commonly see profound changes from this work, this case demonstrated how significant tightness in connective tissue and the cranium can effect development and functioning.
Recently I have been seeing numerous newborns with poor suck and feeding functions. With compressed craniums, the pallet can be elevated and tight, the tongue can be limited in mobility, and the suck/ swallow/breathe synchrony is compromised. Typically, within just 1-3 visits (depending on the severity of cranial compression) the suck/swallow/breathe synchrony improves and ease of feeding is attained. It would be wonderful if a craniosacral therapy session could be part of every baby’s wellness program.
Visit Nancy's website: www.pointsofstillness.com to learn more about her experience and treatment modalities.
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