Osteopathy for Babies & Children
Our aim at Brunswick Osteopathy Clinic is to reduce tension and promote balance throughout the body, allowing the baby to move and grow in comfort and without restrictions.
Babies
The birth process is pretty amazing, however even a relatively simple delivery can still be a traumatic experience for a baby. Newborns can often have strains to the head and neck, especially if external forces have been used such as vacuum or forceps.
In early life, babies can encounter issues as they grow and develop such as reflux, colic, feeding difficulties and neck stiffness or preference to turn one way. Some of these can have musculoskeletal components which osteopathy may help with.
Osteopathy may help to address the musculoskeletal complaints associated with:
Birth trauma
Feeding difficulties
Torticollis and neck stiffness
Plagiocephaly or “flat head” syndrome
Pre and post tongue tie body work
Reflux and colic
Other musculoskeletal imbalances
It is important to note that we do not claim to treat all ailments that a baby may present with, and currently in there is limited evidence in paediatric osteopathy.
We do recognise that babies and children differ from adults, with more delicate bones, joints, nervous and respiratory systems.
Treatment is chosen for what is appropriate to this age group - it uses minimal pressure, usually the same as elicited when holding or changing a baby, and we do not use manipulation on babies or young children.
Dr Mimi Ferrer & Dr Elizabeth Dwyer have a special interest in paediatric osteopathy and often treat babies and young children.
Children
As children grow and develop, they may experience pains, headaches, sporting injuries and postural strains.
Our osteopaths love treating children from toddlers to teens and help to keep their bodies as mobile and pain free as possible.
For little ones, we often see them if they are complaining of persistent pain, if they stop using an arm or leg properly, or after a fall or fracture. You also might ask for advice on their gait or posture.
Adolescents
Older children and teens can present with aches and pains from school or study posture, part-time jobs and too much laptop/phone use.
We also see a lot of sporting injuries in this age group. We are very passionate about kids being able to run around pain free so are very committed to trying to get your child back to sport and activity as soon as possible.
Common sporting injuries we see are:
Neck and shoulder pain from falls/collisions
Leg injuries such as shin splints, heel pain, Osgood Schlatter’s
Ligament sprains of ankles and knees
Treatment after fractures and other injuries
