Osteopathy for babies and children

Osteopathy has been used for over a century to successfully treat a wide variety of paediatric problems. It is frequently considered the safest and most gentle way to care for common problems in children, including newborns.

Osteopathy for babies and children can help with:

Not all babies cope well with the powerful processes of birth as they pass down the birth canal. Problems can arise from too much compression to the cranium and neck causing headaches and recurrent ear infections, and irritations to the nerves causing feeding problems, reflux and irritability. Compression can also affect the gastric nerves causing colic. Tension in the skull can keep the baby in an alert state so the baby has difficulty sleeping.

Babies and children are commonly treated using Cranio-Sacral Therapy. This is a light touch treatment which helps to restore balance in the nervous system, musculo-skeletal system (including the cranial bones) and organ system. Problems are usually resolved with up to six treatments and it is then advised to return for a check-up six to twelve months after.

We believe that it is important for all babies to have a check-up after birth, as some structural imbalances can be subtle and accommodated well by the infant. It is these imbalances that can eventually lead to problems later on when it becomes increasingly hard to accommodate the strain on the body. Problems can eventually arise including learning difficulties, behavioural problems, curvature of the spine, digestive problems, dental problems and overcrowding of the teeth.