Osteopath for Children

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Osteopathy can be used to treat children of any age. In fact you could see an osteopath from conception to your death bed! The gentle and flexible nature of osteopathic treatment makes it a safe method to use on even very young children. Usually the younger the child, the quicker they will respond to osteopathic treatment (due to the fact that they are still developing).

Osteopathy to Treat Very Young Children

If you have a very young child then you might want to consider taking them to an osteopath. The benefits of osteopathy for very young children include treatment for pain caused by teething, monitoring of muscular development, increased efficiency in joints and the holistic benefits brought about by enhance blood flow, increased nerve supply and relaxation. You might be particularly interested in visiting your osteopath to treat particular childhood illnesses (such as colds and colic) as osteopathy can act to enhance the natural recovery process by stimulating the lymphatic system.

Osteopathy for Glue Ear (Otitis Media with Effusion)

Glue ear (also known as otitis media with effusion) is a common illness in young children that occurs when the middle ear fills up with a liquid (that is thought to resemble liquid glue) instead of air. The glue reduces the movement of the ear drum and small bones in the ear and subsequently reduces your ability to hear. Osteopathy can reduce the frequency and severity of glue ear by providing movement in the bones of the skull that allow the fluid to drain.

Osteopathy for School Children

School is a time for learning and also a time when children are exposed to many illnesses and diseases from their fellow class mates. Both of these aspects can be enhanced and treated (respectively) by osteopathy.

Osteopathic treatment acts to enhance the blood flow and nerve supply to the brain which can help your child to learn more effectively. In addition, the stimulation of the lymphatic (immune) system caused by osteopathy will help your child to fight off infection and bugs. This will potentially reduce the length and severity of any illnesses that they catch (as well as possibly preventing them from catching some illnesses that they were exposed to) and this could subsequently reduce the number of school days that they have to miss due to illness. 

Osteopathic treatment can be used to reduce growing pain (which is often felt as pain in the joints). This is done using massage and gentle stretching to reduce the inflammation in the offending joints and increase the blood flow to the surrounding tissue. As with very young children, your osteopath will be able to monitor your child’s development. This could include using massage and palpitation to help your child’s muscles to develop in a balanced way which will reduce the potential for future problems with their posture. Osteopathy can also be used to reduce the discomfort caused when your child loses their baby teeth and develops their adult teeth.

Osteopathic visits can also be a good opportunity to relax after a stressful and busy day at school!

Osteopathy for Teenagers

As a teenager your body goes through a number of changes, including physical, chemical and emotional alterations. This places a lot of stress on your body which can manifest as pain or discomfort. The holistic view of the body used by osteopaths mean that osteopathy is very suitable for treating pain or discomfort caused by puberty. This is because puberty produces changes that affect the entire body so it is rare for a point of pain (or a single symptom) to act alone and a number of different causes may be responsible for a single symptom. 

Osteopathic treatment can be used to sooth any pain caused by changes that occur due to puberty. Dysmenorrhoea (period pain) is often treated with the gentle method of palpitation used by osteopaths. This massaging technique with increase your blood and reduce the tension in your muscles which will reduce the tension in the surrounding area and alleviate your pain. Erectile problems in young men (including too much, too often or not enough) can also be treated by an osteopath as the problem can often be the result of entire body misbalance (as supposed to a specific problem with your penis itself). Your osteopath will be able to advice you if they think that your particular problem has a more specific or disease related cause.

Osteopathy is by its nature a very relaxing treatment so if you are a teenager suffering from mood swings or depression; you might consider visiting an Osteopath. They will treat your body as a whole and be able to offer you advice on how to manage your mood in ways that will allow you to enhance your well being.

Osteopaths can be a useful person to turn too if you are too embarrassed to talk to anyone else about the nature of your discomfort. They have a professional standard that binds them to confidentiality and you will often find that they have had other patients who have presented with similar problems. No symptom is too small, too big or too embarrassing to an osteopath!

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