
Fascial Strains and Co-responding Problems
The interesting factor of the infant work is that areas of tightness in the body often match the presenting conditions. It may be possible to examine a baby and explain to mom a general picture of her infant without hearing the history.
A five-month-old presented with many issues. I have broken down each one with the co-responding strain from my examination and later as it released in therapy.
1. The chief complaint was gassiness, so much so that mom consulted a pediatric gastroenterologist. The doctor prescribed a low-dose antibiotic to calm and balance the digestive system.
My exam showed fascial strain in the digestive organs (stomach, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). This is commonplace with infants exhibiting gas and digestive problems.
2. Mom felt the left side of his body was tight from his pelvis into his head. A strain pattern from his left hip to his left shoulder extended into his left TMJ (jaw) and face.
3. Mom said he went seven days without a bowel movement. A fascial restriction in the left-sided descending colon could have been the culprit.
4. Mom reported irregular feeding with tongue clicking where he would just stop nursing. This is probably the result of his left TMJ strain, which ran into his cheek and mouth.
5. His final problem was poor sleeping. I have discovered that infants with a zero-second brain cycle can be poor sleepers. If the brain is breathing well, the nervous system can respond in a more relaxed and calming manner.
For Gillespie Approach Infant providers, please keep this concept in mind as you connect the dots with the presenting conditions and your clinical findings.
The Gillespie Approach is a massage modality that helps the body release its tight connective or fascial tissue from its physical and emotional traumas. We have a special interest working with newborns, whose untreated fascial strains from birth trauma can result in a lifetime of suffering.

