The Parental Anguish of an Arching, Twisting Baby With Bilateral TMJ
An unhappy five-week-old presented with a shallow latch and poor sleeping habits.
Mom Emails
“Right after birth, I always felt like our daughter was uncomfortable. She didn’t like to be put down at all. It always seemed like she was in pain.
A typical day would start out fine, but, towards the evening, her demeanor soured. Putting her down for bedtime entailed hours of screaming and trying to settle her.
I had a lot of discomfort breastfeeding. I was told that she had a minor tongue tie and that bodywork would help. I heard that the Gillespie Approach was a good place to start.
After our initial conversation with Dr. Gillespie, we, as first-time parents, realized that many of our concerns we thought were just normal newborn behavior were probably caused by fascial birth trauma. She would scream and cry as soon as we put her in her car seat or laid her down on her back.
He immediately identified her back arching along with a body twist to her right and a bilateral TMJ issue. He believed this strain pattern was causing my breastfeeding discomfort and felt, if not addressed now, could cause lifelong issues for our little girl.
Treatment took longer than usual, but we began to see results. First, her twist disappeared, and, eventually, her arching mitigated as well.
Our once-tense little baby began to be more relaxed and at ease. The car seat experience improved, and she could comfortably lay on her back and play for extended periods of time. My breastfeeding discomfort greatly improved. She became a happier baby each week.”
Dad added, “As a former college football player, I left the office in tears at the last visit because I was so joyful over the results.”
Dr. Barry Gillespie Writes
Happy Baby = Happy Mom + Happy Dad
Infant arching, twisting, and bilateral TMJ is a needless triad. Gillespie Approach Training for infants and newborns is a must for all neonatal providers.
Gillespie Approach–Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Articles on Health Conditions
