Craniosacral Therapy

I first came across craniosacral therapy when Logan was about 2 years old.  I read about it online, and it sounded intriguing.  Someone started integrating it into their therapies for their child with cerebral palsy and swore that it made a difference.  I knew Logan didn’t have CP, but if it worked for someone else, why not for her?  I started researching it more, and asked our therapists and doctors for their opinions.  Some were on board, and some thought I was crazy and that it would be a waste of time (those who were not for it really did not know anything about it!).  When there is a possibility of helping your child, no matter what the circumstances are, you will do everything you can to make it happen.  Plus, this is a non-invasive therapy, so it couldn’t hurt to try.  Basically, light touches are used to “move” things around to promote self healing.  I know, it sounds bizarre.  Read more about it here, and you might be convinced too!

I looked for the top therapist, and was willing to travel to give it a try.  Guess what.  Dr. Tad Wanveer, the guru, the man who worked side by side with the creator of this therapy was right here in NC, about 30 minutes away!  It took a while to get an appointment with him.  He was currently traveling the world holding seminars on the therapy.  When we finally met with him we realized our world was getting smaller.  He was from Brooklyn, NY (I am from Long Island) and we worked only a few blocks away from each other in NYC.  He had relocated to Cary, NC about the same time I came down!

Our first session was very interesting.  David and I were sitting on the edge of our seats while watching him quietly evaluate Logan on the table.  He placed his hands on Logan’s head and torso, then opened our eyes to what could be going on.  Here is an email I sent out to our “team”about it:

“Hi Everyone!

We had Logan’s Craniosacral therapy today, and it went really well.  She did great for the entire hour, and everything that he did was very gentle (no head/neck manipulations like in the videos).  Here are what his thoughts were, the best way I can relay them (sorry for the length!):

  • her head shape is not symmetrical, and a bit flat in the back (we already knew this).  He said he could feel a bulge on one side, which means that the way her brain formed is causing some crowding and slight pressure of the brain.  This can be alleviated  through the therapy, and the way he was doing it was basically holding her head and applying light pressure.  This would allow for the cartilage to expand and for things to “space out”.  He said hers is not severe in any way, but this could help her development.
  • we talked a lot about her vision, which is related to this “crowded” brain space.  He said that the optic nerves travel through caverns in the brain, and when there is crowding the nerves cannot fully transmit what and where they need to be.  In most cases this is the reason for many strabismus situations.  And, this could be the reason why the first surgery was not a complete success.  Very interesting!
  • her upper rib cage was tight, and one side of her rib cage was more dense than the other.  He said that this inhibits her movement, which makes sense.  And that it is all tied to her head.
Basically, what is going on in her brain is holding her development back, and once the nerves get into their correct places, things will start to move along.  I asked if this was something that she would need for a long time, and he said no.  Once there is enough room for everything to get into the proper place, then her body will take over and naturally heal itself.  He suggested 6-8 sessions, half an hour every other week.  He gave me a name of a woman in Durham who we can go see if we do not want to make the drive.  I haven’t checked her out yet…Lisa Werness.  He said she is fantastic.
This is definitely worth a try, and he had theories that were new to us that make sense.  Logan was also very relaxed through this…no tensed up moments or throwing herself back.  He really worked with how she wanted to be, except for in the end when he had her on all fours, which she did surprisingly well with!  She even passed out in the car before we left the parking lot – never happens!
Fingers crossed for any amount of success 🙂
Brooke & Logie”
We did 8 sessions after this first one – 3 with him, and 5 with the woman in Durham (who was fantastic!).  We saw improvement after each session.  Her vision was spot on, she was more engaged in playing, she would manipulate toys better with her fingers, she would move her torso better and she was overall happier!  We went back to Dr. Wanveer for the final check, and he was amazed at how things have “spaced” out in not only her ribcage, but her head.  Things didn’t feel as crowded.  Each session was eye opening for me.  I learned how to “tune in” to my own energy to help Logan.  I know what you are thinking.  You are starting to think I’m heading down the path of “the white healing light”, or that I’m losing it.  I promise you I’m not, and in further posts I’ll prove why 🙂