Scoliosis: Using CranioSacral Therapy to support the treatment of Scoliosis.

Some time ago, a client of mine in her mid-20's - Carol - mentioned that she and her sister both had Scoliosis (spine curvature).

This condition was most pronounced during their teens and led them to having many medical interventions at that time. It occurred to me that CranioSacral Therapy may have helped to prevent this problem which became more pronounced as their bodies developed.

Causes of Scoliosis.
There are many causes of Scoliosis, for example, pelvic imbalances. Some causes are amenable to Craniosacral therapy and some are not.

However, it is suggested by Dr. Upledger (founder of CranioSacral Therapy) that this problem may have arisen by an upset of the craniosacral system as the body pushes through the birth canal at the time of birth.

So, right from birth, the imbalance has begun, which may later lead to spinal curvature.

How does this happen?
If the birth is one of the following: long; very quick; forceps/vacuum assisted; breech delivery - then a situation may arise where strain is placed on the joints in the baby's pelvis and spine or skull bones.

This strain is then reflected along the length of the spine and may place an imbalance on muscles, thereby influencing the positions of ribs and vertabrae (spinal bones) - pulling them into an "s" or "c" shape typical of spinal curvatures.

Treating Babies and Infants.
When infants/babies come for CranioSacral Therapy, I am presented with an opportunity to help the infant (idealy avoiding what happened to Carol above) - by mobilising the joints of the spine and ribs, pelvis and balancing the cranium (headbone) so that no undue stress is placed on the spinal column. This allows the newborn to develop an erect posture.

So, a simple CST treatment offers an excellent, gentle and therapeutic approach to discovering the underlying causes of scoliosis. While it is ideal to treat spinal imbalances when the problem is still "fresh" in newborns, it is worth noting, that adults with long-standing spinal problems can also be assisted - though the progress is often slower than that of a child.

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