Changes to Fees for Babies and Children
To compensate for the fact that children often require less treatment during their initial consultations than adults, we are delighted to announce that we have now reduced the initial consultation fee for all patients under the age of 16.
First appointments for children will now cost just £34 on weekdays, £38 on Saturdays, and will last for approximately 45 minutes.
Osteopathy for All Children
Osteopathic treatment, particularly using the cranial approach, is very gentle, safe and effective in the treatment of babies and children. Specific gentle pressure is applied where necessary to enable the inherent healing ability of the body to effect the release of stresses. If your baby/child experiences any of the following then Osteopathy may be helpful:
- Excessive crying or irritability;
- Feeding difficulties;
- Sickness, colic or wind;
- Sleep disturbances;
- Infections, such as of the ear;
- Sinus, adenoidal and dental problems;
- Behavioural problems, learning difficulties and certain types of brain damage (see below);
- Headache, aches and pains;
- Asthma.
Osteopathy for Children with Learning Difficulties
If your child suffers from any of the following, Osteopathy at Orchard Clinic may be able to help:
- Down’s Syndrome
- Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome
- Cerebral Palsy
- Profound Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Dyslexia/Dyspraxia
This is by no means an exhaustive list and of course our Osteopaths treat every child as an individual. Please feel free to call the clinic if you would like discuss your child’s symptoms and whether Osteopathy may be suitable for them. In the meantime, you may find the following general information useful.
About Learning Difficulties
Learning difficulties may prevent a child realising his/her full potential. Although each child is an individual with his own unique learning path, there are certain common features. Learning difficulties (including dyslexia and dyspraxia) can be broadly categorised by their two main causes:
Neurological: an inability of the brain to process information correctly.
Physical: an inability of the musculoskeletal system of the body to respond appropriately to orders from the brain.
Osteopathy may be able to help both types to varying degrees. Both can be due to physical strain and discomfort in a child's body limiting the development of both the brain and the musculoskeletal system. The most common cause of this is unresolved strain from the birth process.
Effects of Physical Strain in a Child
A child who is physically uncomfortable may not complain of aches and pains. The stresses have probably been present since birth, and have become 'normal' for that child. He/she may be affected at a subtle level and display any or all of the following characteristics:
- The child may be fidgety and restless, find sitting still
difficult, and prefer to be on the move. - Concentration is often poor and the child is easily distracted.
- Volatile behaviour, in the same way that any person who is feeling tense may overreact emotionally.
- Light sleeper, often finding it difficult to drop off to sleep at night.
- Clumsiness, poor balance. The child may fall a lot, often seeming to bump the same part of their body (such as the head).
- Handwriting is laborious and often untidy.
- Fatigue.
It is noticeable how similar these signs are to many of those classically associated with learning difficulties.
Birth History - Indications of Retained Birth Stresses
Birth is arguably the most stressful event of a child's life. Even a relatively straightforward birth imposes enormous stresses on the baby, in particular on the head. This can readily be seen in the amount of moulding or distortion in the heads of newborn babies. Much of this resolves naturally in the first few weeks of life, but if the pressures have been too great then a varying amount of strain and distortion can remain locked into the child's body as he grows. This can have implications for the subsequent development of the brain.
There are usually indications in a child's history of retained birth stresses. This can contribute to learning difficulties.
Development of the Brain
After birth, there is still much growth and development yet to occur in the brain, and this can be delayed or impaired by bony restriction within the casing of the skull.
The area of the skull behind the ear is particularly vulnerable to distortion during the birth process, and the subsequent growth and development of the temporal lobe of the brain underlying this may be compromised. This is the region that deals with language and word recognition, and is sometimes implicated in dyslexic children.
Common Behaviour Patterns
As a Baby
Babies with retained birth moulding display a number of common symptoms as a result of their discomfort:
Excessive crying: an irritable baby who prefers being carried and needs to be rocked to sleep.
Feeding problems: a slow feeder with a weak sucking action, or a voracious feeder who constantly needs to suck. The baby often has a preferred feeding position.
Colic and excessive wind.
Disturbed sleep patterns: often a very light sleeper, waking frequently.
As a Toddler
Mobility - The child may sit, crawl and walk early, seeking movement to relieve physical discomfort.
Play - The child may not become engrossed in play for any length of time, preferring to be on the move. This may lead to a butterfly type of child, constantly flitting from one activity to the next, and may contribute to poor concentration later on.
Sleep patterns often remain disturbed.
Behaviour is often at the difficult end of 'normal' toddler behaviour.
Teething may be particularly uncomfortable as the already stressed bony structure of the face resists the rapid changes necessary to the eruption of teeth.
Head banging is often an indicator of stresses within the head, and not simply a sign of frustration.
In Childhood
Illnesses - The child often has a depleted immune system and succumbs to many infections. Learning can be detrimentally effected by both a child feeling unwell and increased time lost from school.
Retained birth moulding in the head restricts the development of the nasal sinuses and the ears. In such instances, the child will be vulnerable to chronic ear infections and glue ear, with associated loss of hearing that can delay speech development. They are often habitual mouth breathers.
Physical signs - There may be asymmetries in the child's posture, such as holding the head on one side, or one shoulder being higher than the other. It may be easier for the child to turn to one side than the other. This has implications when choosing the best seating position within the classroom, to facilitate activities such as watching the teacher, copying from the blackboard etc.
Physical discomforts - The child may complain of headaches, growing pains, stomach aches or other physical aches and pains.
Osteopathic Treatment
For best results, osteopathic treatment should be carried out as young as possible, before the physical stresses have caused any further problems. Treatment is most effective before the age of 5 years, when there is still active growth of the head and brain.
After 5 years there is usually an improvement in physical well being and concentration, and teachers and parents often report that the child seems to find it easier to grasp concepts.
On average 4-6 treatments are required, but this varies according to the age of the child and the severity of the problem. The younger the child, the quicker birth stresses are able to resolve.
Other Factors
There are other factors that can cause or aggravate learning difficulties, including impaired hearing or eyesight, and retained primitive reflexes.
Information obtained from Osteopathy for Children with Learning Difficulties, produced by Elizabeth Hayden D.O. and Clive Hayden D.O.