craniosacral for babies, children and teenagers
Babies
Babies who have had a difficult/fast/slow birth or a Caesarean can suffer with a variety of difficulties that make it hard for them to settle into a good routine and CranioSacral Therapy is a wonderfully gentle and non-invasive way of helping babies with such problems.
- fussy hard to soothe babies
- babies who seem uncomfortable in their bodies, constantly fidgety or wriggling
- digestive problems, constipation, reflux colic
- any breast feeding problems, latching on, making Mums nipples sore, constantly coming on and off the breast . All of this can be a sign of a poor suck reflex that can be helped with CST
- Babies who dislike intensely changing nappy or clothes
- Babies that favour turning their head in one direction, for feeding or sleeping. This could be due to restriction of neck movements following birth
- over sensitive babies ie to noise
- babies that hate tummy time
- Babies that cry a lot for no apparent reason
- abnormal head shape
All of these problems can be the babies way of telling you they are uncomfortable, having restrictions in their cranium or bodies all of which can be gently and effectively helped with CranioSacral therapy. If you are unsure if this amazing therapy would help your baby please do contact the Therapy life centre to talk through your concerns.
Young children
Young children respond very well to the gentle re-balancing of the CranioSacral system. All ages can be helped by this therapy and some of the conditions treated are:
- sleep problems
- poor/ delayed development
- anger/anxiety problems
- noise sensitivity
- poor coordination
- chest infections/ conditions
- change in behaviour following a fall or accident
- autism
- chronic ear infections
Teenagers
Teenagers can gain great benefit from the gentle release of the CranioSacral system.
- depression
- dental/orthodontic work
- anger/anxiety
- back/neck pain
- fears and phobias
- headaches/ migraines
- sinusitis
- scoliosis
- autism / aspergers
- growth spurts
“We have found that our son, who suffers from both a sensory integration disorder and a digestive disorder, has benefited from a multi-faceted approach combining diet, behaviour therapy ,occupational therapy and physical therapy, including Cranial therapy. These has helped to reduce stress and anxiety in our son, which in turn helps to mitigate the effects of the disorders from which he suffers. Whilst no one method can completely erase or overturn spectrum disorders in our opinion, a multi-faceted approach including Cranial therapy, can help a child to make genuine progress in recovering from such disorders.”
What to expect from a Upledger CranioSacral session
For a very young baby the treatment can be carried out either lying on the therapy couch or while being held by the Therapist or parent. Sometimes the babies do cry during the treatment which is a natural response.
Young toddlers/children are often treated while they are playing sitting on the floor or on a parents lap.
Once the child is happy to lie on the treatment couch, treatment will mainly be in lying.
Older children usually still have a half hour session however depending on their needs this may have to be a one hour session.
A typical session will last approximately one hour. The patient will remain fully clothed (it is a good idea to wear comfortable clothing) and lie down on a padded couch. The therapist will evaluate by gently touching various parts of the body in order to locate areas of tension and restrictions, which are then released by delicate manual techniques.
What is Upledger CranioSacral Therapy for Children?
The fluids and soft tissues which protect the brain and spinal cord are known as the CranioSacral system. If these do not work properly, it will affect almost every other system in the body. CranioSacral Therapy for children is a safe, gentle, hands on therapy which uses light touch techniques to ease any tensions or restrictions in the body and promote balance in both the central nervous and endocrine systems.
The technique (which has also been referred to as CranialSacral therapy or cranio-sacral therapy) was pioneered and developed by Dr John E Upledger, an American osteopathic physician, who was working as a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University in the mid 1970s. He founded the Upledger Institute l in 1985 to teach the effectiveness of this treatment around the world.
HOW CAN CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY HELP WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM
february 23 2021
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) Has been shown to help the autistic individual find great ease, both with themselves and in the world around them, by decreasing the structural stress and strain on the central nervous system. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is considered to be a result of biological and/or neurological disorders that can affect the functioning of the brain. To Date, There is no know single cause of ASD.
In 2007 the John Hopkins University conducted a study of the physiological structures of the skull, cranium and cerebral spinal fluid of participants with ASD, showing increased levels of prioinflammatory cytokines, neuroglial activation and inflammatory changes. In simple words, ASD is partially caused by a loss of flexibility and probable inflammation of the membrane layers surrounding the brain.
This compromise can create restrictive force on the brain tissue, leading to adverse strain on the internal body-regulating components of the hypothalamus (small area of the brain responsible for controlling many hormones of the body) , the reticular activating system (helps the brain to focus), the autonomic nervous system (Brain's control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions i.e. heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response and sexual arousal); irritation and hypersensitivity of neurons, glial cells and neurological pathways, abnormal pressure change within the brain tissue, adverse effect on the Limbic (emotional system); over-heighten central nervous system immune response; brain tissue congestion and toxicity; endocrine system compromise.
What we observe over the surface as a typical Autistic Spectrum Disorder behavioral impairment in social relationships, social communication and imaginative thought might be the effect of inner chaos created by the effects of abnormal grasp, queeze and irritation of the membrane on the brain. Combining the extreme tension caused by an abnormally inflexible brain container with inflammation can lead to a brain confined with biomechanical and biochemical turmoil.
The Craniosacral Therapy approach to Autism Spectrum Disorder
Thr focus of CranioSacral Therapy is to enhance the balanced motion of:
- The membrane layers surrounding the brain;
- The fluid (blood and cerebral Spinal Fluid) moving into the cranium and throughout the brain tissue: and
-The areas of the body that do not show normal response to craniosacral rhythm, which might be straining the craniosacral system and the brain.
When working with an ASD individual, the initial focus is on the cranium to locate an area that has the greatest motion response to the craniosacral rhythm. Delicate release and pumping are used to create more motion in that area.
The increase motion is used as a dynamic biomechanical tool - one hand is used to continue to increase motion and didrect fluid flow, while the other hand is used to encourage motion in non-moving areas.
Little by little, small changes create larger changes that enhance the mobility of the brain's container (the craniosacral system) .
The Benefits:
-Increased balanced motion of the membrane surrounding the brain.
-Helps flush toxins and inflammation out the brain tissue. As this occurs, it naturally elevate biochemical processing, which increases the function of neurons and neurological pathways.
- The newfound motion of the brain tissue and fluid helps decrease the abnormal and often enormous strain the brain has been under. This allows the brain cells a greater ability to process and react to information of all sorts, such as:
- Newfound tolerance to light, sound and touch.
- Newfound desired for social interaction
- Newfound interest in self care and engaging in curricular activities.
- Newfound levels of tolerance, understanding and response within themselves and the world around them.
Can I combine Craniosacral Therapy with other forms of therapy?
Craniosacral therapy also combines well with and can enhance other forms of therapy the ASD person might be using. such as sensory integration therapy, neurodevelopmental therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, diet programs , detoxification programs and hemeopathy.
When working with a child, it's helpful to maintain a program of consistent craniosacral therapy, since there is a tendency for the membrane of an ASD child to tighten as growth spurts occurs.
Craniosacral Therapy is a sensitive pathway to nervous system correction.
Craniosacral therapy gently and fully embraces each individual as unique. Through this type of acceptance, sensitive touch and delicate application of technique, pathways of change can form. CST can help the brain decrease levels of abnormal inflammation, sensation, tension, toxicity and chaos. This therapy can lead to greater ease and efficiency of nervous system processing, which often manifest as a reduction of ASD symptoms.
DETOXING FOR BRAIN HEALTH
RESEARCH FINDINGS: CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY IMPROVES GLYMPHATIC CLEANSING OF BRAIN TISSUE
New research provides evidence the body has a fast-track brain cleansing system that prevents diseases such as Alzheimer’s and maintains brain health. Finding ways to support and enhance this cleansing process could lead to improved outcomes in brain injury and brain disease. Read on to find what scientists have discovered and how craniosacral therapy effectively promotes brain health by invigorating this active fluid cleansing system. Most of us have heard of the lymphatic system, the collection of vessels and nodes running throughout the body that helps cleanse waste products and is part of the body’s immune system. Now a team of neuroscientists at the University of of Rochester Medical Center has identified a fascinating fast-track cleansing system in the brain called the glymphatic system.
Their findings, published online in the August 2012 issue of Science Translational Medicine, were only possible using the new technology of two-photon microscopy. This allows researchers to study and track the flow of blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and other substances in live brain tissue. The glymphatic pathways only operate in a living brain, so they were not scientifically observable until now. Scientists named it the glymphatic system because it functions much like the lymphatic system but is managed by the glial cells within the brain. Glial cells are non-neuronal brain cells with several regulatory and protective roles including destruction of pathogens and removal of dead nerve cells.
What the two-photon microscope shows is glymphatic pathways circulating CSF efficiently throughout every part of the brain, along specialised anatomical structures. Previously scientists hypothesised that CSF slowly trickled through brain tissue and filtered out waste material gradually, but this is only part of the picture. Now we know the glymphatic system is pushing large volumes of CSF very quickly and very deeply into the brain, much faster than was previously thought, to transport waste away under pressure. Specifically, a bulk flow process moves CSF via the arterial system right into the brain tissue, exchanging with the interstitial fluid inside the brain. As it does, it washes through the tissue collecting waste particles that are sitting in between the brain cells. The CSF then enters the venous system via veins within the brain tissue, taking the fluid and the waste it picks up away from the brain. In this way waste material is efficiently removed from the brain tissue, by the CSF, via the circulatory system. We know accumulation of waste and toxic matter in the brain environment adversely affects brain function. The discovery of the glymphatic system opens up the research field. Neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard said, “We’re hopeful that these findings have implications for many conditions that involve the brain, such as traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease”. The focus is finding how the glymphatic system might be implicated in cause and/or recovery. Here’s one example.
The Glymphatic System and Alzheimer’s Disease
One of the first extracellular waste products researched in the context of glymphatic cleansing was amyloid β. Amyloid β is a protein made and secreted by the brain cells in an on-going process and used to perform several regulatory and protective functions. Because the brain is continuously producing this molecule it needs to clear out any amyloid β it’s no longer using.
In Alzheimer’s disease the amyloid β builds up in the brain, clogging up the spaces in between the cells. Researchers think it’s these amyloid β plaques that kill the neurons and cause the dementia that is a primary symptom of Alzheimer’s. In Alzheimer’s the glymphatic cleansing pathway may be failing, causing the increasing deposition of amyloid β. The fast-track cleansing pathway may have stopped working properly due to deterioration through ageing processes, or the effect of a previous infection or injury. It may be possible to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s by increasing the rate of flow of the glymphatic system, thereby flushing the amyloid β out more quickly. Where deposits of amyloid β have accumulated, improving the glymphatic flow and its cleansing effect could break down and reduce these deposits and clear them more quickly from the brain via the circulatory system. The good news is we already have an effective therapy for improving glymphatic flow. CranioSacral Therapy Enhances Glymphatic Cleansing Although glymphatic cleansing is a newly identified process, the concept of a stronger fluid motion through the brain is not new. Craniosacral therapy pioneer Dr. John Upledger hypothesised his “Pressurestat Model” of fluctuating CSF production within a semi-closed hydraulic system back in the early 1980s. This model of CSF moving under pressure within the dural membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord was the basis of his evolving research and development of craniosacral therapy. There is now an extensive body of evidence of the health-promoting effects of craniosacral therapy, published by craniosacral therapists among a worldwide network of practicing clinicians. Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on body therapy that engages with the body’s craniosacral system, the interactive physiological environment surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord. The focus in craniosacral therapy is encouraging the release of trauma locked within the tissues, improving physiological function and promoting the body’s natural healing processes. Craniosacral techniques restore and enhance fluid movement within the brain and spinal cord and throughout the whole body. During craniosacral therapy cerebrospinal fluid motion is increased, improving glymphatic flushing of the brain tissues. Adequate flushing of the brain environment is essential for brain detoxification, nutrition and normal range of function. Scientists’ recent discovery of the glymphatic system’s mechanism informs Dr. Upledger’s earlier hypothesis. Just as importantly, it affirms craniosacral therapy as an effective and established treatment option for enhancing brain cleansing in cases of brain disease or injury and as a preventative measure.
WRITTEN BY CAROLYN SIMON
References: http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/147/147ra111 Research publication Science Translational Medicine http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120815142042.htm?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=li nkedin&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmind_brain+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Mind+%26+Br ain+News%29&goback=%2Egde_4156796_member_153332887 ScienceDaily report Jeffery Iliff – The Glymphatic System video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci5NMscKJws Dr John Upledger: http://www.upledger.com/content.asp?id=246 http://www.bewellbuzz.com/journalist‐buzz/detoxing‐brain‐health‐research‐findings‐craniosacral‐ therapy‐improves‐glymphatic‐cleansing‐brain‐tissue/
Eugenia Jansen, CMT.
(310) 923-2642