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Oral Motor Series |
Physical or Massage Therapy
Labor sometimes leaves a mother and baby feeling stiff and sore. For mothers, a good therapeutic massage may be just the ticket to help that sore neck or back. Two special therapies are frequently beneficial for a mom and a baby who is having trouble breastfeeding, CranioSacral therapy and chiropractic treatment. CranioSacral TherapistCranioSacral therapy can be described as a light-touch therapeutic massage. Some mothers report that it helped their breastfeeding relationship, reduced their baby’s crying, or turned around their baby’s breast refusal. CranioSacral Therapy was defined by its developer, Dr. John Upledger, as a “gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of ... the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. CranioSacral Therapy can be especially important for babies with mechanical feeding problems. When used in conjunction with speech, occupational or physical therapy it can hasten the resolution of oral motor issues. Chiropractic/Osteopathic TreatmentMany families have seen marked improvements in their infant’s feeding skills after chiropractic or osteopathic evaluation and treatment. While Chiropractic and osteopathic care for adults can be somewhat forceful, chiropractors and osteopaths who work with infants use gentle hands-on treatment, and focus on helping the baby overcome discomfort that originated before, during or after the birth process. Chiropractic and osteopaths were among the first professions to use gentle hands on treatment for infants and have been at the forefront of treating newborns. Reactions to “bodywork” from a Cranial-Sacral therapist, osteopath, chiropractor or other massage professional may differ from time to time and from child to child. It is not uncommon for the baby to be calm and extra sleepy after the treatment, but don’t count on it. Some babies will cry during the treatment, even though it is not a rough treatment, and others are energized by the therapy and may forgo their next nap. As a general rule the child should be seen at least twice, once for an initial treatment, and a second time, to evaluate how well the initial treatment has held. Sometimes the changes are dramatic and other times more subtle. Often it is two steps forward and one step back, so that a series of sessions may be called for.
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