Craniosacral Therapy for babies

This is a nice explanation of why Craniosacral Therapy, and CranialSacral Therapy (they are very similar but have slightly different approaches), can be so good – if not essential – for babies - from The Body Group, a multi-therapy clinic in Hong Kong.

Why should my baby have Craniosacral Therapy?

A balanced, symmetrical head and face structure is not just about aesthetics.  It is also an important factor to consider in infants because lack of symmetry of the cranial bones can cause serious problems in terms of alignment of the head, spine and neck (and later the proper positioning of the teeth), pinched nerves, and proper drainage of the sinuses.  Needless to say, these problems, if left untreated, become progressively more serious as the child grows into adulthood.

Does the treatment hurt?

The treatment is very gentle and newborn babies will often sleep through it.

How do I know if my baby needs this treatment?

In many cases, the lack of balance and symmetry will be easily apparent.  Very often the baby’s head will return to a normal shape within 72 hours after birth, but if your baby is not sucking well or taking as long as, say, 45 minutes to feed, there is a possibility that correction through gentle pressure is needed.  Bruising of the head, colic and non-projectile reflux are similarly indications that reshaping might be needed.  Even if these symptoms are not present, however, your baby can benefit from treatment.  Difficulties can arise from the baby’s position in utero, especially in cases of multiple babies in the womb, and the shape of the mother’s pelvis.

How does misalignment of the cranial bones occur?

Forceps delivery may result in compression of the sphenoid bone, which can restrict normal rhythmic skull bone movement.  But even in a natural delivery, there can be facial misalignment.  One of the most common examples is a left facial slant, where the left eye is smaller and higher, the cheekbone on that side is depressed, and the corner of the mouth droops slightly.  Misalignment of the cranial bones can also occur after birth if there has been prolonged lying on the back, torticollis (a crick in the neck), or misalignment of the body.