Cranial Osteopathy for Babies and Children
At not just backs… we specialise in treating babies and children. Not all osteopaths are trained in this field. Intensive post graduate study is required to be a competent paediatric osteopath.
Special offer for new born babies:
Half price treatment for babies under 2 weeks old. Please ring us for more details
Why is Cranial Osteopathy good for your Baby?
Every newborn baby can benefit from cranial treatment. A baby’s head is made up of skull bones that are flat and without joints. The purpose of this is to allow the bones to glide over each other during a vaginal delivery. As the baby makes its way down the birth canal it gets squeezed by contractions and rotated. Some moulding of the head can occur. Over the first few days of life this moulding reduces. In some circumstances the moulding remains and these warped bones can increase the tension in the baby’s head giving them a headache. This maybe worse if you have had an assisted delivery with the use of forceps or ventouse.
A similar process can happen from compression inside the womb. This may not just affect the head but also the pelvis and lower back, especially if the baby was in the breech or transverse position. With twins the compression may come from the other sibling. Even with a singleton pregnancy and the baby in the head down position, compression of the head on the maternal pelvis can occur. This can be seen in a baby with a mis-shapen head or if they cannot turn their neck properly.
Some people may say that crying babies stop at 3 months. Many do, but the retained moulding will remain, which may manifest in problems later i.e. glue ear or behavioural problems – sleep disturbances, hyperactivity etc. Also with mis-shaped heads or spine trouble at birth may lead to spinal curve problems for that individual in the future. This may not cause problems until that person is an adult – repetitive back or neck pain.
We aim to give our babies the best start in life.
Osteopathy and Older Children
The Teenage years can be particularly stressful for both parent and child. It is also a vital time for the development of our spines. The end plates of our vertebrae turn from cartilage into bone creating the adult spine. If your teenager has poor posture, it will remain into adulthood if left unaddressed. This can have an enormous effect on self-esteem and confidence and predispose them to spinal problems as adults. Also the massive growth that takes place from 11 – 16 can put strain on the joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. This can be highlighted if your child is sporty. We treat many children who have suffered from sporting injuries. Also we treat many children as a routine appointment following a sporting season i.e. rugby, athletics etc, even if they are not feeling any pain to prevent any problems from arising.
