The Birth Story

Q: Why does my Manual Osteopathic Therapist ask about me about my birth story?

A: During an Initial Assessment, your "birth story" refers to your unique experience of growing in your mother's belly to taking your very first breath! While many of us have not had our birth stories shared with us in much detail, these stories sometimes hold significant events that can affect our health throughout our lives. Birth can stories can be relevant if someone is suffering from chronic conditions with unknown causes. 

Here are some examples of how events during pregnancy and birth can have long term effects...

1. A birth involving forceps or vacuum extraction can leave an impression on the mailable bones of a baby that sometimes can carry forward into adulthood. 

2. Prolonged labor or over-due pregnancy is known to contribute to patterns of tension including chronic muscle tightness, caused by being in cramped positions for long periods of time. 

3. Conditions like torticollis (stiff neck) or cranial asymmetries can be linked to birth canal injuries that occur during the natural birthing process.

4. Chemical or physical impacts can affect specific areas of the body depending on the stage of fetal development. For example, A fetus's arms and legs are the most susceptible to major structural dysfunctions between weeks 3-8 of a pregnancy.  

Birth Stories can be a sensitive topic for some, but it is an important aspect to cover in an osteopathic assessment; especially if you have have chronic issues without a clear cause. 

Early intervention can often override problems during fetal development or delivery, However, many cases go untreated, and symptoms continue into adulthood. Techniques like cranial osteopathy or myofascial release can benefit birth-related strains by gently unwinding the impacts of the birth trauma bit by bit.