Pediatric Osteopathy
Children are common to have new bumps and bruises every day. It is part of the normal development and falling is a way of learning. Sometimes however the physical traumas, even if small, can cause to body excess stress and multiple ones on the same area, might be too much for the body to totally heal them. The body of a child is normally very flexible and can easily compensate most stresses. During the growth the body will come stiffer because of the ossification (i.e. bone formation) and the compensation might not be enough anymore so the symptoms start. Osteopaths will look at these problems from a different point of view as the medical doctor will. Medicine is good for saving lives, but osteopaths are good in finding optimal health.
The problems are easiest to treat while still acute and have not been there for too long. That is why it is recommended to take the baby to an osteopath once or twice a year for a check up, or always after worse physical trauma or in the beginning of the symptoms.
Father of the Osteopathy in Cranial Field
William Garner Sutherland DO
(1873-1954)
Especially with children we use so called cranial techniques. These techniques are extremely gentle but also very effective. Treating children we will try to avoid causing unnecessary pain. With these techniques the therapist will use pressure only equivalent to few grams.
Common Problems on Children treated with osteopathy
- Accidents (biking, automobile accidents, falling...)
- Asthma and allergies
- Behavioral problems (ADD, ADHD)
- Birth traumas
- Brain damage
- Chronic otitis media (middle ear infection)
- Developmental disorders
- Eating disorders
- Headaches
- Infantile colic
- Scoliosis
- Sleeping disorders
