Cranial
Sacral Work and Caesarean
Section.
Taken from the article: "A Brain Is Born." By John E.
Upledger.
"...Now consider that this natural birth process is
completely surrendered when the foetus is delivered into the
outside world by Caesarean section. There is no moulding of
the skull, no spinal manipulation and no total-body stretch
and massage. Frequently, the intrauterine pressure is
significantly higher than the pressure outside the uterus.
This statement is confirmed each time a pregnant uterus is
incised with a scalpel and the intrauterine amniotic fluid
geysers up in the air a few inches. Imagine how the foetus
must feel when it's first introduction to the outside world
is one of abnormally rapid depressurization. Divers surface
slowly or they get decompression sickness. On a smaller
scale, wouldn't it be nice to allow the C-section foetus to
depressurise slowly? It seems to me that it would be good
both psychoemotionally and physiologically.
When I was still doing research at Michigan State
University, one of our projects demonstrated that
C-sectioned children had more craniosacral system
dysfunctions than did vaginally delivered children. I blamed
this on the rapid pressure change from inside to outside of
the uterus causing a rapid expansion of the skull with some
strain of the membrane system inside the skull. I also feel
that the child has been deprived of the mobilising effect if
the birth canal journey upon the skull bones as these bones
slip, slide and override in accommodation to this canal with
it's narrowness and it's twists and turns. This deprivation
probably leads to more craniosacral system problems.
…the majority of breech-presenting foetuses are
taken from the mother's uterus by Caesarean section.
Caesarean section, however presents it's own problems for
the newborn. But most of these complications can be more
easily dealt with than those that might occur in breech
delivery.
I have three major concerns with C/section that could be
eliminated if a few treatment techniques were to be carried
out routinely. The first concern involves a simple
precaution during the operation itself. The second is a
treatment of the newborn that would be done either
immediately after delivery or within the first few days of
life. The third can be done almost any time, but ideally it
would be done sooner rather than later.
First, the technique which involves the operation per se
is to reduce intrauterine pressure more slowly. When you
consider that there is often a significant pressure
differential between the inside and the outside of the
uterus, it cannot be good for the foetus to make this change
too rapidly without time for the foetal body to adapt. I
have seen the intrauterine fluid spout out of the uterus
three or four inches into the air when a quick incision is
made in the uterus during Caesarean section. This quick and
dramatic pressure change subjects the foetus to a very rapid
decompression, which in turn induces a very rapid abnormal
expansion of the foetal head within the decompressing
uterus. This rapid increase in head volume can suddenly
stretch the intracranial membranes. The result may be tissue
strains, tiny haemorrhages within the membranes and/or
actual membranous tears. These problems can wreak havoc with
the craniosacral system and it's function. They could be
essentially eliminated by gently and slowly reducing
intrauterine fluid pressure over a period of a minute or
two, thus allowing the foetal body time to adapt.
This situation may be considered as analogous to the
decompression precautions that divers take in order to avoid
the problems caused by rising too quickly to the surface of
the water. I believe that a very small incision in the
uterus, which allows a small stream of intrauterine
(amniotic) fluid to escape over a prolonged period of time
(two to thee minutes), would eliminate a majority of these
problems. In 1976 &endash; 78, while doing clinical research
at Michigan State university, I saw a significant increase
in craniosacral system problems related to Caesarean section
deliveries as compared to vaginal deliveries.
My second concern that accompanies Caesarean section
delivery is one of deprivation. Bye this, I mean that the
newborn is deprived of it's trip through the birth canal.
This passage through the birth canal, I believe, is
tantamount to it's first spinal adjustment and mobilisation
treatment, it's first skin stimulation treatment and it's
first craniosacral treatment. When C/section is performed,
these treatments could be carried out by a well-trained
professional very soon after delivery. I believe that the
newborn would benefit a great deal from the replacement of
the lost natural treatment which normally occurs through the
birth canal, by treatment from a skilled pair of caring
hands.
My third concern has to do with the completion of a
natural birth process. This birth process has been
interrupted for both the newborn and the mother by the
C/section procedure. It is my opinion that natural processes
are programmed within the body sequentially by some
mechanism or system. Quite possible, this program is
imprinted in our genetic structure. My observations have led
me to conjecture that when a woman becomes pregnant, or
perhaps when uterine implantation occurs, there is an inner
intelligence that says that the process is not completed
until vaginal delivery (with all of it's therapeutic
benefits) and bonding with the mother have occurred. These
processes are interrupted for both mother and child by the
C/section delivery. We have found that by use of therapeutic
imagery ;and Dialogue and/or Somatoemotional Release
techniques, these processes can be effectively completed,
and certain frustrations that relate to lack of vaginal
delivery and bonding can be effectively resolved."
Yuthika Smith (B.S.W.) Osho Craniosacral Balancing
Practitioner. ©
Note from the Editor &endash;
All my children receive CranialSacral treatments. My eldest
more frequently than the others as he has fine motor
coordination and speech problems. I believe I have seen
improvements in all my children since I discovered this
wonderful therapy. My youngest wasn't talking at 2 years of
age, and he was extremely underweight (below the bottom
percentile on the stupid "growth charts", and not the least
bit interested in eating!) but within weeks of beginning
treatments he started talking and now at 2 1/2 he can say
EVERYTHING and never stops! He is also gaining weight and
growing and never stops eating. Ryan (my eldest) is
improving at school, Callan (my middle child) is just
Callan, know what I mean. There is nothing really wrong with
him, he's just a bit fidgety and hyper' but that's probably
his personality.
I started the treatments because
they made sense for children born by c/section, and I
continue them (about 3 monthly, more frequently for Ryan)
because they seem to work. They aren't invasive and the boys
find them very relaxing. They do no harm!
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