Arching is not always limited to the core structures of the body.
A five-month-old presented with difficulty breastfeeding, colic, reflux, and torticollis. She started to arch on her own during her first day of life.
After six visits, her general full-body arch morphed into a neck arch and twist. This progression is very common where the fascial strain gradually releases up the spine.
The baby was doing much better symptom-wise, but the parents noticed that she was dragging her right arm behind her. She was also not comfortable on her hands and knees in a crawling position. I found that the neck arch and twist were straining down her right arm.
In conventional pediatrics, arching, termed Sandifer’s syndrome, is generally viewed as a nonissue. In our craniosacral fascial philosophy, arching is a huge structural problem.
I often correlate it with core body conditions like colic, reflux, and constipation, but this child additionally showed that the twist in her neck arch can extend down into a hand. I cannot predict a future condition(s), but I would expect some loss of function in her right arm.
Pediatricians need to expand their concept of children’s health into structural issues which are distinct from conditions needing drugs and surgery. Gillespie Approach Training is a must for providers who work with infants.
The work is especially valuable for newborns to mitigate their birth trauma at the beginning of life. We are blessed.
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