Osteopathy for babies and children
Birth is one of the most stressful events of our life. The baby's head has the remarkable ability to absorb these stresses in a 'normal' delivery. Some babies retain moulding from birth in their head and areas of stress and strain throughout their body. This may lead to:
crying irritable baby
feeding difficulties
sickness and wind (sometimes referred to as 'colicky' babies)
sleep disturbances
In toddlers and older children retained moulding can lead to other problems like:
recurrent infections of the ears, chest, throat and colds
head pain
breathing difficulties
challenging behaviour and learning or concentration issues
sinus and dental problems
Osteopathy can help children to maximise their potential and improve their quality of life, by helping to release and minimise strain and tension throughout the body.
As the head is compressed greatly during birth, the very soft and mobile bones of the skull bend or overlap to accommodate being squeezed through the birth canal. A long or difficult birth can be even more stressful for the baby.
Although many babies have oddly shaped or bruised heads, usually the head rights itself after birth - this unmoulding process is assisted by breathing, sucking, crying, yawning and a 'memory' held within the bones of 'where they should be'.
A prolonged birth, a ventouse or forceps delivery and foetal distress can all affect this righting process.
Sometimes, birth or intra-uterine stresses are not fully resolved - these stresses often manifest within the head or the body within weeks or months.
Many of the usual childhood ailments can be traced back to unresolved intra-uterine or birth strains as some patterns within the system combined with genetic predispositions manifest as the child grows older with varying symptoms.
After taking a detailed case history, finding out about the birth and performing neurological testing and a gentle structural examination, treatment is given by applying specific gentle release techniques on the head, torso, pelvis or limbs to encourage the body to release strain patterns and return to a more balanced and normal state. Gently releasing any tensions in the baby's body can often relieve discomfort that might otherwise be put down to stomach pain, wind, or fretfulness.
Equally, the birth process may lead to problems for the mother - the most frequent being back pain - a gentle treatment soon after the birth can help the mothers body return to a state of balance more quickly.
Early treatment often helps to prevent imbalances from becoming chronic musculoskeletal problems.
Osteopathic treatment of pregnant and postpartum mothers, babies and children is a very gentle, safe method of easing problems Many problems often resolve with 3 - 6 treatments, some chronic conditions do best with regular check-ups.