Pediatric osteopathy: what is it and what is it for?
When we talk about Osteopathy we think that it is only for the ailments due to age, but this is not the case. In fact, Pediatric Osteopathy allows us to help the newborn develop at his best during his growth path.
Find out what problems a pediatric osteopath deals with by continuing to read this article.
1. Osteopathy Meaning
The word osteopath literally means 'manipulator of bones' from the Greek ostéon «bone» and páthos «suffering».
However, osteopathy does not only involve the manipulation of bones, but also of the muscular, articular, visceral and neurological systems.
The World Osteopathic Health Organization ( WOHO ) defines osteopathy as follows:
“Osteopathy is an established and recognized system (also in Italy by the National Health System) of health prevention that is based on manual contact for diagnosis and treatment” and “''respects the relationship between the body, the mind and the spirit (psyche) both in health and in illness: it places emphasis on the structural and functional integrity of the body and on the intrinsic tendency of the body to self-heal.”
In fact, the Osteopath has a 360° approach in treatment to recognize all the psychosomatic influences that cause disturbances and pain to the patient.
Osteopathic principles
We can summarize the principles of Osteopathy in 7 points :
- The body is a functional unit.
- The structure and function of each body region are interrelated and influence each other.
- The body is able to self-regulate through different mechanisms, for example homeostasis.
- Dysfunction occurs when the body fails to adapt to external environmental events.
- The movement of body fluids is important for health (vascular-lymphatic).
- The autonomic nervous system plays a fundamental role in regulating musculoskeletal, visceral and fluid well-being.
- Some bodily manifestations of the disease are not only a consequence of the disease, but also causes that contribute to the maintenance of the disease itself.
2. Pediatric osteopathy: what it deals with
Pediatric osteopathy deals with solving and preventing various problems in newborns through delicate and effective manual techniques .
The mission of the pediatric osteopath is to accompany the child in the best motor and postural development from the first days of life.
Check-up visit for preventive purposes
Pediatric osteopathy is in itself a preventive therapy .
In fact, through an initial visit that can be performed (and I recommend) from the first few days, it is possible to identify contractures or joint stiffness that could lead to more serious consequences.
Furthermore, osteopathic treatments are much more effective in young children than in adults, because their system is still very plastic and receptive. This allows problems to be resolved quickly.
But how can such a small newborn have contractures?
Your baby stays inside your belly for 9 months in often forced positions. In addition, in the case of complicated and long births, muscle stiffness or contractures may occur.
Find out what to expect during a pediatric osteopathy visit for a 2-month-old baby by watching the video below of the treatment of little Matteo, a baby who is only 2 months old.
Sucking and breastfeeding problems
Unfortunately, here in Italy, no real support is provided to new mothers in the first days of their baby's life to ensure the correct start of breastfeeding .
This is the main reason why many mothers decide to stop breastfeeding within the first 3 months due to problems related to pain, mastitis or ineffective suction.
The fact is that we do not take into account that there are two people involved in breastfeeding: the mother and the baby.
Often we focus only on the mother , forgetting to help the baby too . In fact, contractures in the mouth, jaw or neck can often cause the baby to have sucking problems that turn into pain for the mother and lack of adequate nourishment for the baby.
Pediatric osteopathy , by treating and understanding the biomechanics of these regions, allows us to intervene and resolve any difficulties in order to proceed successfully with breastfeeding.
This is why I created Breastfeeding11Days , an obstetric-osteopathic support to effectively start breastfeeding by solving any problems within the first days of the baby's life.
Positional cranial alterations
The pediatric osteopath also allows to prevent and treat plagiocephaly and other forms of flat head in children.
In fact, through the visit he is able to identify any contractures , such as myogenic torticollis , which force the child to assume incorrect positions for a prolonged period, leading to deformation of the head.
If the problem has already manifested itself, it is absolutely necessary to intervene as soon as possible through osteopathic treatments to resolve it effectively and in a short time.
To the parents who come to my office I explain all the incorrect positions to avoid to promote optimal growth of the skull and I teach osteo-massage . The latter represents a series of massages that can be done to the newborn to promote relaxation and postural development.
Back and pelvis treatment
Pediatric osteopathy applied to the back and pelvis of the newborn allows for several benefits :
- relax the muscles, improving the tissue condition;
- improve the mobility of the spinal column, promoting correct development of the physiological curves of the back (lordosis, kyphosis) and excellent posture;
- relax the child and promote a correct sleep rhythm;
- improve rib excursion, breathing and digestion;
- promote bonding and the parent-child relationship.
Lower limb treatment
The pediatric osteopath also intervenes in all problems related to the muscles and joints of the lower limbs.
By solving problems such as positional clubfoot , overlapping toes or contractures in the ankle, calf and leg, it is possible to ensure that the little one has correct foot support when he or she begins to stand up.
In fact, this will allow the child to reach the stage of independent walking without problems and will promote optimal posture .
Colic and Reflux
Finally, pediatric osteopathy also intervenes in gastrointestinal problems such as colic and gastroesophageal reflux.
In fact, the cause of these is an intestinal inflammation resulting from various factors that must be verified and improved such as:
- maternal diet in case of breastfeeding;
- the type of milk, the flow, the rhythm and the bottle in case of artificial feeding;
- objectifiable tensions of the gastric and intestinal smooth muscles;
- mobility of the thoracic and pelvic diaphragm;
- and many other parameters.
Only by resolving the parameters that inflame the stomach and intestines is it possible to correctly and truly resolve reflux and colic in newborns.
3. Volunteer service offered for breastfeeding initiation
Since June 2021 I have decided to open a pediatric osteopathy volunteer clinic to offer timely help in the breastfeeding initiation phase for the mother-child duo .
This is because I am convinced, based on my experiences, that every mother can exclusively breastfeed her baby if she is given the right support from the very beginning.
Every month I dedicate 2/3 free first visits for newborns under 11 days . If you are an expectant mother or a new mother, you can request the visit by clicking here .
It is important, however, to clarify that the aim of this voluntary service is to testify the therapeutic successes that can be obtained by documenting them through videos/photos .
If you don't feel like participating in the documentation of this revolution, I recommend you book a regular osteopathic visit and I will be happy to support you in the development of your little one.
4. Conclusions
Pediatric Osteopathy can help your child develop at his or her best.
I always say that prevention is better than cure; therefore, the importance of an osteopathic visit in the first days of the child's life can allow you to discover any problems and solve them before they become more serious.
On my site you will find all the video courses designed to provide the correct information to parents to best promote the growth of your child.
In addition, I give you my Ebook on Pediatric Osteopathy to discover better and more deeply how it can help your child.