The cranial adjustment that we offer at our practice helps balance out the sphenoid bone (a bone in the middle of your head) which takes pressure off of the cranial nerves that run through or around this bone. This adjustment is extremely mild and takes less than 10 seconds. The doctor puts on a sterile glove and gently presses along the roof of the mouth and gum line in the upper palate of your mouth. This is the best way to adjust this bone as it sits right above the back of the mouth inside the cranial area.

Balancing this bone can help with a wide variety of issues. In babies with nursing problems, it can help the nursing reflux and latch improve. In children that are unable to swallow certain foods or who have problems with food textures, it can help improve swallowing muscle strength and diminish sensory issues. In adults with sinus congestion, it can open up the sinus drainage passages (sometimes immediately!) allowing the patient to breathe better and relieving sinus pressure and headaches. These are just a few examples of how this adjustment helps and usually patients start to see improvements within the first few visits.

Many moms-to-be look forward to a great nursing relationship with their baby as soon as they are born. This will be natural and easy, many would think, but nursing issues are more common than most people know. A baby is born with rooting and sucking reflexes that help them find the breast as well as start to suck. There are a number of things that can get in the way of these reflexes, such as position in-utero and the birthing process. The cranial adjustment we do at AHN helps to balance out the sphenoid bone, where the nerves that control these reflexes go through. Most of the time, this relieves pressure on these cranial nerves, helping improve nursing or bottle feeding.

Many of our little patients that we see for this also co-treat with a lactation specialist and some are evaluated and treated for a lip and/or tongue tie. Our doctors are happy to discuss these options and make recommendations during your visit.