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Go with the flow…

Reclaiming the body’s natural balance is the key to healing for you and your baby with this gentle, non-intrusive therapy.

The therapy
Cranio-Sacral therapy (CST) is a holistic treatment centering on the idea that the flow of spinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cold has its own distinct rhythm (around 12 beats per minute), known as the cranial sacral rhythmic impulse (CRI).

Practitioners believe that the free-flowing movements of this fluid, and the establishment of a steady CRI, is essential to our wellbeing, helping our bodies heal themselves. According to Rob Williamson, a Cranio-sacral therapist at the north London holistic centre Karmaa, physical and emotional trauma is trapped within the body’s tissues, leading to a variety of health problems.

Using very gentle manipulations (which makes this therapy ideal for pregnant women and the tiniest of babies), Rob can monitor the CRI around the body to pinpoint any sources of fluid obstruction or trauma. Once a source of stress has been found, Rob helps to re-establish the natural flow of the fluid with gentle pressure applied to key points, helping the body to heal itself.

The treatment
Our tester, Jane Taylor, gave birth to her first child, Isabel, five months ago by Caesarean. Although she is a cheerful, healthy baby, Jane is concerned that the delivery may have left her disorientated. “She doesn’t like me dressing her, and always sleeps squashed up at the very edge of her cot, which seems a bit odd” And baby aside, after a last-minute Caesarean, Jane’s in need of a bit of attention herself! Her scar is stiff and uncomfortable, and she’s been suffering lower-back ache.

Rob decides to treat Isabel first, laying her on the bed and letting her wriggle around – “This shows me how her spine is moving, and the sort of positions she finds most comfortable.” By pressing gently at the back of her neck and down her spine, Rob quickly establishes that Isabel has an issue with her right arm and shoulder, and attributes it to problems with the birth.

“It may be that Isabel wanted to push with her right arm out of the womb at the birth, and was denied that by Caesarean”, explains Rob. “This is probably why she is constantly turning onto her right side, and twists to her right when Jane is trying to dress her. It also may explain why she sleeps at the edge of her cot – the lip of the mattress reminds Isabel of the pelvic edge, and her craving for a vaginal birth.” Jane is impressed, and Isabel is responding well to Rob’s light touch. After 20minutes of gentle manipulation and ‘freeing up’ of the spinal fluids around her shoulder, Isabel is a calm and contented baby! She drinks an entire bottle of milk and drifts off to sleep while Rob turns his attentions to Jane.

Following a de-briefing on her symptoms and the exact details of the birth, Jane lies down on the bed and Rob begins his treatment. Focusing on the abdominal area, Rob gently feels around the Caesarean scar to pick up on the CRI, and quickly notices that the abdomen is stiff and constricted. “The abdominal muscles were severely damaged at the birth, which in turn is having a knock-on effect on your back muscles, shortening them and causing the back pain.” Rob presses down on the abdomen muscles to try and re-integrate them with Jane’s back muscles, whilst balancing her CRI to trigger the self-healing process.

The verdict
After a 30-minute session, Jane feels relaxed and “like I’m floating on air, weirdly elated.” In most cases, Rob recommends four treatments before real and lasting results can be felt, although even one session will have helped Jane’s abdomen relax and will have started the self-healing process.