Mothers & Babies and Cranial Osteopathy

Many babies in the breach position are held by tension in the pelvis and uterus. Gentle relaxation of the relevant areas allows the baby to dive down into the birth canal,  usually in 1 or 2 sessions.  If not, there may be another cause, such as placenta previa  and I would promptly inform your GP.

Gentle treatment, usually cranial work, is particularly useful in this case. It is an extremely gentle treatment that works in harmony with the body so it can seek out its most relaxed state. The treatment benefits patients of all ages and works well in conjunction with other therapies.

Cranial is particularly useful in assessing dysfunction in the skull.

The skull is a structure comprising 22 bones which have a small degree of movement between them, allowing for a level of shock absorption. It is a semi-sealed container filled with the brain, connective tissues, cerebrospinal fluid and with blood – circulating in and out. It is my opinion that regulation of this blood flow maintains the intra-cranial pressure to a constant level. This pressure creates a desire for the skull to align to a level of maximum available expansion. It is at this state that the skull is most relaxed and works best. (For further information, read my research paper in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapy (2008) inc 10.1016/j.jbmt.2008.04.046)

BABIES

Diagnostically, babies share similar anatomy to adults but with softer bones and some post embryonic differences that develop as the baby grows. They can suffer similar mechanical strains although the presenting symptoms can be different. The treatment is very gentle, usually causing the baby to fall asleep. The most common spinal joints to be injured in babies are the uppermost spinal joint (atlas), the upper thoracic spine and the L/S joint at the base of the spine. The bones of the skull can also be compressed and occasionally locked into an incorrect shape during birth. (This would seem to be a precursor to plagiocephaly). As with adults, these mechanical problems can lead to pain lying down, pain with the neck in certain positions, disturbed sleep and other problems as detailed on the Conditions Treated page. The earlier the trauma is detected, the easier it is to treat.

MOTHERS

Not only does the mother have the postural problems with carrying the baby, but her ligaments become progressively more lax in the build up to birth so it is more easily traumatised. Management of musculo-skeletal function, if needed, during pregnancy can ease pain. Post partum treatment can realign her body so that as her ligaments return to normal tone, she will be working as well as possible to be able to cope better with the stresses of motherhood.