Within the massage paradigm, is a most intriguing and subtly powerful discipline known as CranioSacral Therapy.
CranioSacral Therapy is derived from osteopathic manipulation and is focused about the central nervous system, particularly the cranial sutures, the sacrum (which is unfused in infants), and the flow of cerebral spinal fluid within the ventricles and spinal canal.
Gentle and non-invasive, CranioSacral Therapy can be utilized immediately after birth to minimize the effects of less-than ideal prenatal conditions, such as compression due to fetal positioning in-utero, maternal biochemistry, gestational diabetes, and toxemia, as well as to reduce common birth-associated trauma, such as IVs, shunts, needle sticks, and compressive forces on the fetus during normal delivery.
The effects of birth trauma may be unrecognized initially, but may later be associated with increased tendency towards ear infections, childhood illness, as well as sensory, motor, and cognitive delay.
CranioSacral Therapy potentially benefits any structure or function governed by the central nervous system, instills calm in infant demeanor, and strengthens interpersonal bonds, which may prove to be profoundly beneficial to wellness as well as social function throughout the child’s lifetime.
© Salvé! Be Well!, 2013
References: CranioSacral work on infants. MTJ. 45:4.Winter 2006. www.amtamassage.org www.upledger.com