The Infant Fascial Web Is All Connected
Sometimes God sends you a patient just to confirm a basic principle in your mind—the infant fascial web is all connected.
A two-week-old presents with nursing issues. Mom waited too long for her first to have his tongue tie surgery, so this baby had the surgery right after birth. It had no effect on his breastfeeding problem.
The infant also had burping and hiccuping issues. Mom noted that his hips were tight because she had difficulty changing his diapers. At only two weeks of age, more future fussiness issues had not yet surfaced.
For 6 to 8 weeks, he had been rolled up in a ball in-utero and never moved (but kicked a lot). On my exam, his pelvic floor was stuck (diaper change issue), his diaphragm was tight (burping, hiccuping), his neck was strained (nursing), and he had left TMJ fascial tightness (nursing).
I told mom the usual 5 to 8 visits of therapy and started with his legs and pelvis. It took me a number of sessions in the visit before a twist and his low back strain worked out. When he fully loosened up, an angelic peace came over his whole body.
I went up to his diaphragm, and it was dramatically looser. I said to myself that his pelvic floor was probably pulling on his diaphragm.
I checked his neck, and it, too, was significantly looser. I said to myself that his diaphragm was probably pulling on his neck.
I went into his left TMJ area and found no fascial strain. I said to myself his neck was probably pulling on his jaw. The periodontist in me had to double check that to make sure I was feeling it correctly.
I truly felt this was God at work. I told mom to forget the 5 to 8 visits, and let’s reevaluate him on the next visit.
Two universal lessons are presented here: Please free up the fascial web first as close to birth as possible before rushing into oral tie surgery. Since getting stuck in utero may create lifetime issues, a few minutes of therapy at the beginning of anyone’s life can be a game changer.
Gillespie Approach–Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Articles on Health Conditions
