What is your Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a region of the body comprised of muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, joints, fascia, nerves, blood vessels, visceral organs, and skin. Both men and women have pelvic floors. The pelvic floor is located at the bottom of the torso and it acts as a sling or hammock to support the organs and physiological function of the organs held within this region, including bowel, bladder, and genital function.

The pelvic floor is made up of over 20 different muscles that move and function as a unit. To have a properly balanced and functioning pelvic floor, there must be adequate strength, movement, and pressure management.  The pelvic floor is designed to provide support, as it acts as the postural alignment for the pelvic organs, and stability, as it is the bottom of the trunk/core muscles. It provides sphincter control for bladder and bowel function, acts as a drainage system for fluid and the lymphatic system, and is responsible for sexual function.

What are Pelvic Floor Disorders?
A pelvic floor disorder occurs when the functioning of this region of the body is not optimal. When there is a dysfunction with the support or stability of the pelvic floor, there may be organ prolapse (ie fallen bladder or uterus), core instability, diastasis recti/mommy tummy, as well as, low back and pelvic pain. Pelvic floor disorders also include sphincteric problems, such as urinary or fecal incontinence, overactive bladder, retention, and constipation, sexual problems, such as pain during intercourse and infertility, and drainage problems, causing such concerns as pelvic congestion and lymphedema.

This is an area that many women and men feel a disconnect with and do not know where to go to seek help. Often when individuals are experiencing difficulty and have concerns like pelvic pain, dysfunction, and incontinence, they believe that the only ways to help are to “live with it,” take medication (that has multiple side effects), or have surgery (which may or may not ultimately help). Many times, when an individual has pain in the pelvic floor, multiple tests are ordered and the pain is misdiagnosed without really understanding the problem. On some occasions, a patient is told to do 100 kegels a day and that should solve the problem. But, what if the problem isn’t weakness, but tightness, malalignment, or compression? What if you are not utilizing the correct posture and musculature to help yourself?  Everyone should not get the same “dose” of an exercise nor should everyone be doing strengthening using this method.

How can Physical Therapy and CranioSacral Therapy help?
Since the pelvic floor is comprised of muscles, tissue, bone, and fascia, and is an area that moves, this is an area in which Physical Therapy and CranioSacral Therapy can help. The pelvic floor can become malaligned impacting function. Muscles internally and externally can become tight or weak through posture, position, childbirth, trauma, overuse/too much pressure, just like the other muscles of the body. The muscles attach to bones and can pull the bones out of alignment, the muscles and the bones can compress nerves and blood flow, causing pain and dysfunction, the ability to contract the pelvic floor can be compromised decreasing stability and control.

When treating the pelvic floor, it is important to look at structure and function. What is the posture of the muscles, bones, tissue, and fascia in the pelvic floor and the entire body? What does the strength look like? What are the patient’s concerns (pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, incontinence, weakness, prolapse)? What is the patient’s history (childbirth, trauma, heavy lifting, endometriosis, surgeries)?

It is hard to function in an optimal state of wellness when you are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction or pain and it is also hard to get well, when you don’t know that there is help for your symptoms. By assessing the entire body and the pelvic floor, a Physical Therapist and CranioSacral Therapist is able to create an individualized plan of care to address a patient’s weakness, tightness, malalignment, posture, scar tissue adherence, organ dysfunction, fascial restrictions, lymph/blood flow, nerve compression, and overall well-being.

When helping individuals with pelvic floor disorders, it is important to look not just at the physical symptoms, but also at the emotional symptoms CranioSacral Therapy can help the body to release somatoemotional experiences (from life experiences or trauma, where emotional symptoms that the body holds on to can create physical symptoms) that may be limiting progress and/or causing an individual to be stuck in a pain cycle. Working on connecting within, releasing these emotional experiences, and on balancing the mind, body, and spirit can also assist with improving pelvic floor disorders.

If you are experiencing pelvic floor pain, weakness, incontinence, and dysfunction, please know that hands on, manual therapy with Physical Therapy and CranioSacral Therapy can help to decrease your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Find the balance within your body and work to restore the health of your pelvic floor and your physical and emotional well-being.   

(Featured in Natural Awakenings, November 2017)

Please call or email to schedule your next appointment! I am back to work! :)

I am happy to share that my beautiful baby boy has arrived! I will be out of the office for the next 6-8 weeks. I will be available through email at this time and will also return phone calls as I am able.

Thanks,
​Dr. Jackie

​

SptThe celebration of pregnancy begins with conception. At that moment, everything changes. A mother-to-be is created and a new life begins to grow. Pregnancy is a beautiful and magical time. With all the joys of conception, pregnancy, and finally birthing, potential aches and pains, emotional shifts, and detours on the planned path may occur. Creating and maintaining a strong foundation, physically and emotionally, for a baby to create the most perfect home is essential for a healthy pregnancy and birthing experience.

As the baby grows, the mother’s body changes. Hormones are secreted that allow the ligaments to soften and the pelvis to widen. This is necessary to prepare the women’s body for birth. When the ligaments become more lax and the bones become more mobile, instability, especially in the pelvis, may occur. This can cause pelvic asymmetry where the right and left side are posturing differently (meaning that one side may be higher or rotated forward/backward) and nerve compression may occur leading to pain in the lower back, down the lower extremities, or into the pelvic region. Additionally, as the mother’s belly grows, postural alignment changes. The lower back’s lordotic curvature typically increases with the baby’s growth to support the mother’s growing belly. This also can lead to lower back and pelvic pain.  Pain radiating into the pubic bones can occur with these changes. Pregnant women may also experience upper back and neck pain from the weight of the mother’s growing breasts and belly, which changes postural alignment. Headaches may also result from the postural changes, as well as from stress and hormonal shifts. Swelling may occur during pregnancy, causing such conditions as carpal tunnel syndrome with numbness, tingling, and weakness into the hands. Swelling can also restrict mobility, such as in swollen legs and feet. Increased pressure on the feet can lead to a decrease in the arches in the feet, causing foot pain.

Physical Therapy and CranioSacral Therapy can be helpful to alleviate the discomfort from physical symptoms that may occur during pregnancy. With a thorough evaluation and hands-on treatment, a pregnant woman can experience a relief from pain, numbness, tingling, and swelling that may occur. By working using gentle manual therapy techniques, the pelvis can be realigned, neural compression alleviated, pressure can be relieved from the postural muscles, and the fluid in the body can flow better without edema. The goal is to help the mother-to-be experience a healthy and pain-free pregnancy and to optimize pelvic alignment for a positive birth.

Emotionally, a pregnant woman may experience a variety of emotions throughout her pregnancy. Among all of the joy, there may be fears, distress, and worry. There can also be a disconnect between the mother and her baby in utero. It is important to address these emotions to allow for an ideal pregnancy. The emotions that arise during pregnancy may be related to experiences from the past or they may be new emotions.

When working emotionally and on the connection between a mother and her growing baby, it is so important to have the two in sync with one another. CranioSacral Therapy can help the mom to release past experiences, through somatoemotional work, to allow for resolution and healing, and to create more space for her love and connection to her baby. It can also allow for the mom to connect with her baby through creating an ideal environment where mom and baby have aligned craniosacral rhythms, calmed nervous systems, and removal of barriers in communication.

As birth becomes closer, it is important for a pregnant mother to have a plan, but also to recognize that her plans may change. The mother-to-be should communicate her desires to her growing baby and listen to hear her baby’s plan as well.  Having the mother and the baby on the same path is helpful in achieving the desired birth. It is also essential for the mother to surround herself with those who support and empower her, personally and with her selection of health care providers, and to plan to bring her baby into the world in an environment that is comfortable and secure for her.

CranioSacral Therapy can help to open a mother’s pelvis to prepare for birthing, can assist with realigning the baby positionally, and help ready the body to prepare for a vaginal delivery. The gentle hands on treatment of CranioSacral Therapy can help during labor to keep the mother’s central nervous system regulated. This will help the mother to remain grounded, without stress, to achieve a state of calm during labor.  This will also allow for relief during the surges of labor as the body moves the baby closer to the mother’s arms.

Being able to conceive, support a growing baby in utero, and to birth a baby into this world is a joy and a blessing. During this precious time, a pregnant woman needs to be supported physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She needs to feel healthy and well. She needs to be able to be mobile and functional in her environment. She needs to connect with her baby. Fears and stress need to released to allow for space within the mother to prepare for the birth of her baby. The craniosacral system and the nervous system need to function without compressions to allow an optimal flow of cerebral spinal fluid, regulation of all of the systems of the body, and for optimal functioning for the mother and her baby.

CranioSacral Therapy is a great way for a pregnant mother to support her body along the course of her journey, from conception to birthing. A greater sense of balance, physically and emotionally, are possible with this gentle hands-on approach creating a calm body to serve as a home to her growing baby. Pregnant women should enjoy their journey through pregnancy and birthing, by receiving hands-on compassionate treatment and surrounding themselves with a supportive team of friends, family, and professionals.

(Featured in Natural Awakenings, April 2017)
 

Spring is here and with it brings the desire for spring cleaning; a time to go through our homes, organize, declutter, and clean out what we no longer need. Have you considered spring cleaning for your body? There are many detoxes and cleanses on the market where you nutritionally work to clean your body, which is very helpful in eliminating toxins and waste and to assist with starting a new healthier lifestyle. However, the spring cleaning for the mind, body, and soul is much more than that. It is about looking within and clearing out unwanted and unneeded burdens to allow for a healthier you on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.

CranioSacral Therapy is a treatment technique that is highly effective in this type of cleanout. It works on the nervous system and on the deeper layers of tissue, which can be the storage place of emotional trauma, distress, anger, sadness, resentment, regret, fear, etc. Through CranioSacral Therapy, you can work on releasing somatoemotional experiences that are causing an imbalance in your body.

SomatoEmotional Release work recognizes that each of us has an Inner Physician. You may recognize your Inner Physician as the voice within, God, your gut instinct, or your subconscious. When we can disconnect from our cognitive thoughts and listen, we can tune into our Inner Physician. During the SomatoEmotional work, it is important to feel safe and comfortable to be able to find a place where you can be calm and still to let go and allow your Inner Physician to help guide you in your healing.  When looking deep within, you may notice that you compartmentalize, store, or bury your emotional experiences away until you are able to deal with them, when you have more time, when you are not as stressed….when you can….and then, that time does not come or it comes, but not before it has created an imbalance within your body.

As a CranioSacral Therapist, when placing my hands onto an individual’s body, I am able to feel the muscular, fascial, and neural tension and compression patterns, the flow of cerebral spinal fluid, and the movement of energy in the body. By assessing the body’s state through touch, areas where the energy has shifted into a state of discord, usually due to emotional trauma or the holding onto of an emotional experience, can be palpated. Through manual therapy techniques and dialoguing with the patient’s Inner Physician, we work together to clean up these areas of disorganization to help achieve balance within the body. Releasing these energetic areas may bring up emotional experiences from the past, trauma that has not been addressed, and old injuries to allow an individual to explore these feelings and experiences and to release these burdens to achieve a greater sense of mental and spiritual well-being. A sense of calm and lightness comes with the freedom of releasing and letting go of things that no longer serve us, just like cleaning out our junk drawers or packed closets.

On a physical level, by clearing out these blockages in the body that have impacted muscle and tissue activation and function, impaired blood and cerebral spinal fluid flow, and caused neural compression, it allows the body to be in an improved state for healing. This can allow improvement in chronic pain, range of motion, function, and quality of life. Our emotions and state of mental health greatly impact our physical well-being and experience of pain vs. health/wellness. Through CranioSacral Therapy, the nervous system achieves an improved state of function to allow all of the systems of the body to achieve homeostasis and function at a more optimal level. The body can be in a calmer state, decreasing stress and adrenal overdrive, which is necessary for healing physical ailments. CranioSacral Therapy also assists with improving sleep duration and quality, which allows for healing and restoration.

Since it is impossible to separate our emotional, physical, and spiritual selves, we must recognize that all of these areas must be addressed in spring cleaning for our bodies to achieve the best outcomes. With CranioSacral Therapy, individuals feel more grounded and more present in their bodies. All parts of our bodies are able to blend together harmoniously to allow for our best and most beautiful selves to shine. This spring, do yourself a favor and clean out more than your home; clean and balance your body so you can bloom into your most perfect self! 

​(Featured in Natural Awakenings, March 2017)

Cancer is not a diagnosis that is uncommon in our world today. If cancer has not directly impacted you or your family, it is very likely that you know someone who has been diagnosed, is undergoing treatment, or even who has died as a result of a cancer diagnosis and/or cancer treatment. The National Cancer Institute reports that approximately 39.6% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes.  With different treatments, life with cancer can be lived beyond the diagnosis. It is estimated that 14.5 million people are living with a cancer diagnosis as of 2014 and this number is expected to increase to 19 million by 2024 as per The National Cancer Institute.

If more people are battling cancer and living with cancer, then how can their bodies be supported to stay strong, calm, and healthy? One way that patients with a cancer diagnosis can be supported is through a hands-on holistic technique called CranioSacral Therapy. CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a light touch manual therapy technique that works to balance and facilitate healing in the body, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. CST works on the craniosacral system starting at the cranium (head) and running through to the sacrum (at the tailbone). This system includes the cranial bones, the brain, the spinal cord, the cranial and spinal nerves, and the cerebral spinal fluid that flows through the dural tube surrounding the spinal cord and nourishes the brain. Treatment with CST impacts fluid and blood flow to the brain and body, impacts the Nervous System, and all of the systems of the body (ie. Musculoskeletal, Lymphatic, Respiratory, Endocrine, Urinary, Reproductive).

CranioSacral Therapy can work to calm the Nervous System, which would most likely be on over-drive following a diagnosis of cancer. By calming the Nervous System, it allows the body to function better without operating in a state of high alert, also known as fight-or-flight. When the body operates in fight-or-flight, the entire function of the body is shifted to survival mode. Blood flow is shifted to the major organs, respiratory and heart rates change, fluid flow changes, etc. as the body prepares itself for what is being perceived as danger on a hormonal level. When the body is unable to come out of this state, consciously or unconsciously, it can negatively impact health and function. In order to maintain a healthy immune system that is capable of fighting cancer cells, co-infections, and handling traditional medical treatment for cancer, the nervous system and immune system must operate well. They are essential to healing and wellness.

With a cancer diagnosis, there may be restrictions throughout the body. These can be from posture, positioning, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, pain, and emotional trauma. Holding on to these restrictions puts stress onto the craniosacral system and impacts the entire body. Structurally, there can be bony compression and malalignment, muscular and fascial tightness, and nerve compression. With CST, these structural restrictions are eliminated to improve the body’s ability to function at a systematic level. Cancer pain or pain from traditional cancer treatment can be decreased significantly improving a patient’s quality of life.

With a cancer diagnosis and treatment, there are many emotions that may arise, including fear, sadness, anger, and anxiety. The body can hold on to these feelings and to stress and trauma. The body often compartmentalizes or represses feelings and trauma, which can create a cascade of negativity in the body. Through the hands-on compassionate treatment of CranioSacral Therapy, patients can work on releasing these somatoemotional blockages, which improves the body’s ability to release and rebalance to heal and be well.  Removing emotional trauma and improving the emotional and mental well-being impacts the whole body physically and spiritually.

Sleeping and resting are important in helping the body heal from cancer. By calming the Nervous System, eliminating restrictions throughout the body, and releasing somatoemotional blockages, sleep will be improved. Sleep is vital for restoration as the body works hard over night to repair and heal. A well rested body will have a greater ability to battle cancer.

Cancer cells are cells that have been altered or mutated. Dr. John Upledger, an Osteopathic Physician who studied the craniosacral system, treated a multitude of patients in his lifetime, and began The Upledger Institute to educate others about CranioSacral Therapy, believed that through CST a patient can communicate with their body on a cellular level and can make changes to those cells. Through treatment, he worked with patients who had a decrease in tumor size and disappearance of cancer following CST.

Upledger trained CranioSacral Therapists believe in the body’s innate ability to heal and the desire of the body to achieve and maintain homeostasis. In each person, there is an inner wisdom that can assist in the healing process on a structural and cellular level.  Through CST, patients battling cancer can work on their physical, emotional, and spiritual selves with hands-on loving care to help facilitate healing, health, and wellness. CranioSacral Therapy improves the body’s immune system, decompresses the nervous system, is beneficial for decreasing pain and discomfort, and complements the body’s natural healing process.

Currently applications are being accepted for Dr. Jacquelyn Hines’ scholarship program, The Susan Villapiano CranioSacral Therapy Cancer Scholarship, providing 6 months of free CranioSacral Therapy treatment for someone battling a cancer diagnosis. Please submit your story to Connectivity Therapy and Holistic Health at [email protected] by March 1, 2017. One individual will be selected by the committee by March 15, 2017.

(Featured in Natural Awakenings, Feb 2017)

Have you ever experienced ringing in your ears? If so, you are among 1 in 5 people who have been affected by tinnitus. Tinnitus is a noise disturbance heard in the ears of the person affected. It has been described as different sounds, tones, and pulsations and heard as ringing, hissing, buzzing, and static. Tinnitus can be acute or chronic and can occur constantly or intermittently.

Although it is often given as a diagnosis, tinnitus is actually a symptom, not a true medical condition. An exact cause for tinnitus remains unknown. Medically, it is postulated that tinnitus may be due to inner ear damage, age related hearing loss, exposure to loud noises, bony changes, ear wax build-up, increased fluid in the ears, Meniere’s disease, TMJ disorder, head/neck injuries, and acoustic neuroma. Additionally, it has been proposed that blood vessel disorders, such as atherosclerosis and high blood pressure, may also cause tinnitus. Medication may also cause or increase the symptoms of tinnitus.

When seeking out assistance with tinnitus, patients may be referred to an audiologist or may undergo imaging to examine the blood vessels or to look for a tumor. It is helpful to rule out if there is a medical cause for tinnitus. Medications may be altered to try to change the symptoms. Some practitioners do recognize that tinnitus can be impacted by the musculoskeletal system (ie. muscle tension, teeth grinding, clenching of the jaw).

What the medical field typically fails to recognize is that tinnitus often appears after an intense or prolonged period of increased stress, exertion, excitement, challenges, or changes. It is during these times that the nervous system becomes over-loaded and the body begins to operate in a state of “fight or flight.” In this state, the adrenal glands are working over-time, producing an increase in hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which creates changes throughout the body to improve the body’s “survival” ability. The nervous system becomes over-sensitive when in this state, which can impact hearing. When in “fight or flight”, the ears may begin to pick up nervous system impulses along the auditory nerve in addition to hearing external noises.

Some signs that your body may be in adrenal overload can include:

• Poor sleep patterns - waking groggy or frequently throughout the night
• Driven, ambitious, busy
• Impatient
• Easily irritated, reactive, oversensitive
• Struggles with anxiety
• Difficulties with gastrointestinal system
• Dependent on stimulants – coffee, chocolate, alcohol
• Poor circulation to extremities
• Muscle tension and spasms in neck
• Tingling into upper extremities
• Low energy, but presents self with high energy

When in adrenal overload, some people may be aware of their state, but often most people are only in tune with their symptomology. In looking at and treating the whole body, individuals can turn off the alarm system that is ringing constantly in their ears or translating throughout the body.

CranioSacral Therapy can help with improving adrenal symptoms, assisting the body to transition out of a state of “fight or flight,” to allow the nervous system to recover and function in a state of homeostasis to eliminate tinnitus. CranioSacral Therapy is a holistic and gentle hands-on treatment technique that works on the nervous system and on improving the body, mind, and spirit. CranioSacral Therapists work with patients to facilitate release of tension and strain patterns in the body, to improve structure and bony alignment, and to assist in releasing emotional trauma stored in the body to allow for healing and improved wellness.

Resolving tinnitus can be a slow, gradual process as the body is working on releasing chronic patterns. These patterns can be physical and structurally based, such as releasing muscle tension and spasms, improving bony alignment, decreasing compression of cranial and spinal nerves, and improving postural alignment. They can also be emotionally based, such as releasing trauma and stress, to assist the central nervous system in transitioning out of a high alerted state.

In addition to CranioSacral Therapy, patients struggling with tinnitus should consider also reducing stimulants (coffee, chocolate, alcohol), increasing mindfulness (meditation, yoga, tai chi), and improving their mental outlook (reframing feelings regarding tinnitus, having patience with symptom resolution).

Transformation will occur when an individual can reflect and give attention to how the body feels. With CranioSacral Therapy, patients can quiet their minds and listen to the voice within that helps guide healing. CranioSacral Therapy allows the body to calm, to slow down on a physiological level with decreasing adrenal overdrive and “fight or flight” and can improve sleep, digestion, musculoskeletal alignment, and neurological symptoms which can assist with the resolution of tinnitus.

(Featured in Natural Awakenings, January 2017)

     November is a month where we celebrate Thanksgiving and reflect upon the things that we are grateful for having in our lives. Gratitude is the quality of being thankful and the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. By being grateful, research has shown that people experience an increase in positive emotions, have improved sleep, and a stronger immune system.  
     Neurologically, gratitude can impact hormone and neurotransmitter levels in the brain and body, which can alter the mental state. When an individual is grateful, it impacts the part of the brain stem that produces dopamine. Dopamine helps control the reward and pleasure centers in the brain and helps regulate movement and emotional responses. Gratitude also has the ability to increase serotonin levels. Even if it is hard to think of a specific thing for which you are grateful for, research has shown that the simple act of searching for gratitude can increase serotonin production in the brain. Serotonin plays a role in constricting smooth muscles, transmitting impulses between nerve cells, regulating body processes, and contributing to well-being and happiness. Research has shown that seratonin is responsible for maintaining mood balance, and that a deficit of serotonin can lead to depression.
     There are times in life when it seems like there is a barrier to feeling gratitude; sometimes there is a life event happening that makes it hard to feel grateful or a health crisis or it just feels like there is a road block. What happens if you can’t feel gratitude?
From a CranioSacral Therapy perspective, it is important to go within to seek answers. Dr. John Upledger, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, believed that each of us has an Inner Physician within us. This Inner Physician (IP) is the inner wisdom that provides you with a sense of knowing and your IP knows your whole story, from conception to your current situation. By enlisting the assistance of your IP, you are assisted in unlocking blockages that may be impacting your physical, emotional, and mental health, and that may be dampening your ability to feel gratitude. Using CranioSacral Therapy with the guidance of your IP, you may learn to release these barriers and enjoy a greater sense of well-being and thankfulness for your body’s ability to heal, be well, and to be the home for your soul.

     This November, let’s be grateful for our Inner Physicians and our bodies!

(Featured in Natural Awakenings, November 2016)

Breastfeeding is a dynamic biological process where physical, biochemical, hormonal, and psychological exchange takes place. The mother not only transfers nutrients to her baby, but also creates a lasting bond between her and her baby. (Breastfeed Med. 2011 Oct; 6(5): 257–259.)
There are many benefits to breastfeeding for both the baby and the mother. The World Health Organization reports that breastmilk is the ideal food for newborns and infants and that it provides all of the nutrients that a baby needs for healthy development. Breastfeeding transfers antibodies from the mother to the baby and can enhance the baby’s immune system. Later in life, a baby who was breastfed is less likely to be obese or have type-II diabetes. The mother’s health benefits from breastfeeding as it reduces the risk for breast and ovarian cancer, type II diabetes, and postpartum depression.
Although breastfeeding is a natural and amazing way to nourish a baby, sometimes mothers encounter challenges, such as painful feeding, difficulty with latching, a baby who pops on and off the breast, a baby with reflux, increased gas, difficulty with swallowing, and colic. Additionally, some babies have tethered oral tissues know as lip and tongue ties. When babies have lip and tongue ties, the above symptoms can be seen. Also, a baby with tethered oral tissues often presents with various strain and tension patterns throughout the body, anatomical malalignment, structural changes, decreased range of motion in the neck, and flattened areas on the head.

What is CranioSacral Therapy and How Can It Help with Breastfeeding?
CranioSacral Therapy is a light touch, gentle, hands-on treatment technique that looks holistically at the body and works to decrease restriction and tension patterns, improves mobility, and function. In a baby with breastfeeding challenges and with tethered oral tissues, there are often restrictions elsewhere throughout the body. The baby may present with restrictions at the occipital cranial base (where the head meets the neck), may be tight throughout the neck and present with favoring one side of the neck (torticollis) or with decreased neck length, may have a recessed chin, difficulty with breathing, may be stiff and tense throughout the body, may have an asymmetrical face, plagiocephaly or flat spots on the head, and cranial bone overriding.

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) can help to improve mobility of the tissues by decreasing the restriction and tension patterns throughout the body, improving the anatomical and structural alignment, decreasing tension on the membranes of the brain, and improving oral motor mobility and function.
Through the use of CST, fascial restrictions are released, muscles are lengthened, bony realignment occurs, the baby becomes calmer, less tense, has improved jaw and tongue mobility, and latch and milk transference typically improves. CST can help the mother and the baby, improve and save their breast feeding relationship.

Tethered Oral Tissues and Revision
There are times when the frenulum (attachment) of the upper lip and tongue are restricted to a greater degree and the baby has been referred to a Pediatric Dentist for an assessment and procedure, called a revision, is recommended to laser or cut the ties. CranioSacral Therapy plays an important role pre and post revision of lip and tongue ties. CST helps to decrease restrictions and prepare the body for the releasing of the tethered oral tissues. Greater success occurs when the tension patterns are decreased throughout the muscles and fascia in the body and there is improved structural alignment before a revision.
Post-revision, CST continues to help release restriction and tension patterns, improve structural alignment, improve mobility, improve the baby’s latch and milk transference, and to assist in increasing mobility of the revised frenulums. Additionally, CST helps with pain management, helps with releasing trauma from his/her body from the procedure, and it calms the central nervous system, improving systematic functioning. CST can restore a bond between a mother and her baby by helping to facilitate a healthy, enjoyable breast feeding relationship.

Bottle Fed Babies Also Benefit from CST
If a baby is bottle fed either breast milk or formula, the baby’s physical alignment and oral structures are important as well. The same challenges may be seen such as increased gas, colic, reflux, increased tension throughout the bottle, difficulty with sucking, difficulty with latching, increased gag reflex, decreased jaw range of motion, and restrictions in the lip and tongue. CST can address all of these concerns to allow for more successful bottle feeding, while decreasing challenges for the baby.
Tethered Oral Tissues after Infancy
Having lip and tongue ties can impact not just infancy, but can cause lifelong issues, such as an open mouth posture with sleeping, a retracted jaw, breathing difficulties, sleep apnea, difficulty with food manipulation, speech difficulties, ADD/ADHD, neck pain, migraines, and there is a correlation of tethered oral tissues to allergies.

​(Featured in Natural Awakenings - August 2016)