Dear Jay:

Cranial-sacral therapy is a non-invasive approach that aligns the bones in
the  head and spine to allow the bones to move in the manner that they are
supposed to.

The Cranial Academy (317) 879-0713
3500 DePauw Blvd, Suite 1080
Indianapolis, IN 46268-1136

is the credentialing organization for DOs who do cranial osteopathy.  I have
had therapy from a DO.  I also took my son.  To quote him "Mom, I never want
to feel "normal" again (like he did before going).  On a scale of 1-10, I
feel like a 30!"  We celebrated his 1 year anniversary of his last ear
infection on July 22.  To date, he is still free of OM.  Previously, he had
tubes for 3 years.  He continued to get infections with them in and after
they were removed.

Another source of info is the Upledger Instutute, Inc (they do trainings
around the US) 1-800-233-5880  They have a book list that has clinical
readings about this therapy.

Another fascinating book is "Baby Beautiful: A Handbook of Baby Head
Shaping", available from Heirs Press, Inc., Dept 1-A, 2533 N. Carson St.
Suite 1585, Carson City, NV 89706.  This book has simple diagrams and is
written for lay people.

Some PTs do cranial sacral tx, as do some others who do therapeutic touch.

Personally, I think that much care should be taken with babies, especially,
and would not recommend a parent take a baby to a cranial sacral therapist
who is inexperienced in working with babies.  The DO in our city has worked
with many babies and we have been very pleased with the outcomes. Cranial
sacral therapy can resolve reflux without the side effects of drugs.  It also
can resolve poor sucks, if nerve compression is the cause.

My son had a "stuck" palate, a pelvic torsion, and a misaligned  jugular
foramen which probably caused his chronic spitting up (vagus nerve
compression) as a baby.   When Dr. Zeskind spoke about the high pitched cry
of babies being a possible marker for potential neurologic problems (ILCA 94)
he mentioned that the vagus nerve controls the muscle tension in the larynx.
They found an increased incidence in SIDS in "normal" full term babies who
exhibited this type of cry.  The vagus nerve controls heart, lungs,
esophagus,  stomach, much of the intestines and  the diaphragm. Disturbance
of this nerve can result in vomiting, hyperactive peristalsis, cardiac
irregularities, and breathing difficulties.

If you want to dialog more about this, you can e-mail me privately.
Martha Brower
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