Osteopathy for Children

18th February, 2021

Tara Turgoose (Paediatric Osteopath) writes about treating Babies and young children.

Many of our patients at Springbank Clinic are babies, young children and teenagers. Osteopathy has a variety of gentle techniques appropriate for helping the younger generation.

Muscular tension in babies can present as favouring turning their heads one way or difficulties with digestion. Young children may experience aches and pains, and teenagers develop injuries through playing sport or poor posture. Pressures are on all school age children at present with home schooling leading to strain from increased screen time and lack of activity.

As with our adult patients, a full case history is taken during the initial consultation and a treatment plan is made depending on the child’s needs and preferences. Advice on posture and exercise can also be included. Referral to the GP or another practitioner is recommended if this is a more appropriate course of action.

Osteopathy for babies

Why do babies need Osteopathic treatment? During their time in the womb, during the birth process, during the post natal period the body structure of a baby is uniquely vulnerable to stresses, strains, moulding and trauma.

Before a baby is born its position in the uterus can affect its head and body shape causing moulding or restrictions of movements post-natally, this may be a particular issue with babies in breech or oblique positions or where the head has engaged early.

Whichever way a baby is delivered it will affect them. During a vaginal delivery enormous compressive forces have to be applied to the baby by the muscles of the uterus to squeeze them through the birth canal and their skull bones have to shift and overlap, changing the shape of the head to help it fit through. Some babies get stuck and require ventouse or forceps which may cause specific strain or trauma.

Being delivered by planned caesarian section does avoid these problems but can be associated with other issues, the lack of squeezing by the uterus means these babies may have more retained intrauterine moulding and positional problems as well as more difficulties with initial breathing and adjustment to the external environment, their transition into the outside world is very sudden.

During the immediate period post birth babies have to make huge physiological adjustments, getting used to gravity, breathing air, suckling, digesting food, releasing the compressions and strains from the delivery, all processes that are dependent on good alignment and function of their body structure.

All in all, being born is one the most physically and metabolically demanding times in our lives…

Osteopaths are able to assess the physical balance, shape and symmetry of the whole of a baby’s body and can advise on whether they have retained problems related to the neonatal period. We can gentle release physical restriction and help their bodies make the best adjustment to the outside world.

Osteopathy for children and teenagers

Osteopathic treatment can be of great value throughout childhood and on into adolescence. This is a period of great physical change and growth, often a time when accidents and injuries occur, illness is frequent…all of which can affect the physical structure and function of the body. Damage or alteration to the body structure while someone is still growing can have lifelong effects. Osteopathy can be an effective way to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal and other physical problems during this time.