by Kara Spencer, LMT, CD, www.MaiaHealingArts.com 

Pregnant women, infants, and children can powerfully benefit from the nurturing  results of Craniosacral Therapy. Treating babies is the first few days, weeks, and months of their life can prevent a multitude of health conditions in later life, as well as treat a variety of common newborn concerns.

CranioSacral Therapy is a very gentle and profound bodywork modality that is beneficial for releasing restrictions in the body and balancing the central nervous system. Craniosacral Therapy can be deeply healing physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Manifesting harmony within the interconnected fluid craniosacral network of tissues at the core of the body improves wellbeing. Craniosacral can treat reflux, colic, breastfeeding issues, headaches, ADHD, learning disorders, post-traumatic stress, chronic neck and back pain, birth trauma, delayed mobility, neurological conditions, and more.

Craniosacral Therapy uses subtle and specific techniques to alleviate tension in the membranes and connective tissue surrounding the central nervous system and to balance the rhythmic flow of the craniosacral fluid within this interconnected core network. The therapist assesses the body for restrictions and uses a very light touch to release the tension and encourage expansion, mobility, and healing.

Craniosacral effectively creates deep change through gentle touch by addressing issues at their source. In craniosacral therapy the practitioner uses no more pressure than 5 grams (the amount needed to hold a nickel) to assess, resolve, and prevent restrictions in the body.

CranioSacral Therapy is very relaxing and is performed with the client wearing all their clothes while lying on a massage table. Infants may be treated in the parents or therapist's arms or on a soft surface. Recipients report feeling increases well-being, increased calm, increased mobility, and mental clarity after Craniosacral Therapy sessions. I believe that people need to receive bodywork less with craniosacral because it actually resolves issues at the core.

Craniosacral therapy assists the pregnant women along her journey into mothering through releasing restrictions in the body and pelvis to co-create an optimal birthing experience. During pregnancy, one of the primary focuses is to release restrictions in the pelvis to resolve back and hip pain and tension, and to prepare for an optimal labor and birth, including promoting optimal fetal positioning. Craniosacral bodywork assists the baby in the womb for an optimal labor, birth, and bonding.

Newborns and babies receiving craniosacral often experience improvement from colic, reflux, digestion, fussiness, hyperkinetic behavior, breastfeeding problems, and more. Craniosacral for infants optimizes the breastfeeding relationship through releasing restrictions the baby experienced being born. This work assists babies in releasing restrictive patterns in the body before they become issues later in life, thus preventing disease and trauma later in life. 

AquaCranial founder Rebecca Goff writes that the only time she has seen newborns without any craniosacral restrictions is when the mother gave birth squatting in water. I dream of a day when all midwives, obstetricians, and pediatricians are trained in Craniosacral Therapy and can provide this gentle and beautiful work to newborns within hours of their birth. I imagine that rates of SIDS, colic, autism, and more would plummet while breastfeeding success and contented babies would be on a steep rise!