Osteopathic treatment through pregnancy is a wonderfully gentle way of helping the body adapt to the changes which are taking place.

The safety of mother and baby is the osteopath’s first concern. After a thorough assessment, osteopathic treatment may help to relieve the aches and pains caused by growth in size of the baby and the accommodation of the mother to this.

Advice from your osteopath can help you to change your posture and learn to use your body correctly through pregnancy.

Osteopaths can also help to ease other side effects of pregnancy such as heartburn, indigestion, constipation and pain in the buttock, groin or leg (commonly called sciatica). Some patients, too, report reduced morning sickness after osteopathic treatment.

• Low back and leg pain
  
• Neck and shoulder pain
  
• Discomfort around the thorax and indigestion
  
• Wrist pain
  
• Post natal problems of the pelvis

Osteopathic treatment during pregnancy is not new. For many years, osteopaths have used their skills to help, employing a variety of gentle techniques to ease supporting muscles and ligaments.

Every pregnancy is ‘special’. Osteopaths focus on the mother as a person and take account of her emotional state and other factors as well as her physical condition.

Treatment may be supplemented by exercises and other forms of self help which the osteopath may prescribe for the mother to do at home.

An osteopath can advise on positions in labour to help prevent back problems later. Pain relief techniques can also be shown to the mother and her partner or friend so that they can help during labour.

After delivery it is advised that mother and child return for structural examinations, advice and check ups and, if necessary, for treatment.

• Look after your back during pregnancy. Take particular care when lifting and carrying – especially lifting or carrying other children. Do not carry a small child on one hip for any length of time. Ask your osteopath for appropriate exercises.
  
  
• If you stand for any length of time, keep your bottom ‘tucked’ in to reduce strain on the lower part of your spine.
  
  
• When sitting, use a cushion for support and don’t sit with your legs crossed. Avoid twisting movements. These may cause torsional strain on the pelvis.
  
  
• Lying on your side, place a pillow under the ‘bump’ to provide support and also put a pillow between your knees to prevent back strain.
  
  
• If you prefer to lie on your back, place pillows beneath your knees to keep them bent.
  
  
• Make sure all equipment (changing table, pushchair, pram etc,) is at a comfortable height for you.

The small amounts of movement that exist in the infant skull permit the baby’s head to adapt to the forces of labour. However, when birth is complicated by being unduly slow or fast, or when other complications occur such as the need for forceps delivery the infant head may not fully recover from the distortion. This may result in subtle changes in function leading to problems such as feeding difficulties, colic and disturbed sleep patterns.

The gentle, skilful application of osteopathic treatment by an osteopath experienced in treating babies can often bring about a significant improvement in these distressing cases and is increasingly being considered as a treatment of choice for some conditions caused by difficult or traumatic birth.

The practise of osteopathy involves the careful and specific application of a highly developed sense of touch in both diagnosis and treatment of mechanical problems affecting any part of the body.

This combined with a detailed understanding of human anatomy, physiology and pathological processes and a thorough working knowledge of classical clinical examination methods, allows the osteopath to treat patients by releasing and promoting the body’s self healing mechanisms.

When you take your child to an osteopath for the first time a full case study will be taken and he or she will be given an examination.

You will normally be asked to remove some of your Childs’ clothing, so a simple series of movements can be performed. The osteopath will then apply a highly developed sense of touch, called palpation, to identify any points of weakness or excessive strain throughout the body.

The osteopath may need additional investigations such as x-ray or blood tests. This will also allow a full diagnosis and suitable treatment plan to be developed for your child. Osteopathy is patient centred; this means the treatment is geared to your child as an individual.

As young people grow up the body frame undergoes a number of changes. Osteopaths with their highly developed sense of touch can help the body framework adjust to the postural demands made on it. This may simply be due to lack of adaptation to a slightly exaggerated spinal curve or to mechanical changes that occur in conditions such as osteochondritis. If these minor problems are left undiagnosed and untreated they may lead to problems later in life.

By analysing, treating and managing problems associated with growth, osteopaths make a major contribution to ensuring that young people become, and stay, fit and healthy.

Teenagers take part in many sporting and recreational activities which carry the risk of sprains and strains. Skilful diagnosis and treatment by the osteopath can prevent problems developing and allow the body’s framework to heal naturally and adjust to the stresses and strains.

For more about helping children with Learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia etc. please see our pages on Sunflower Therapy.