Osteopathy / Bodywork
What is Paediatric (cranial) Osteopathy / Bodywork?
Cranial Osteopathy/Bodywork is the specialism of using gentle osteopathic techniques specifically for treating babies and perinatal mums.
Bodywork is used to bring long-term relief of pain and discomfort by diagnosing & treating the underlying cause.
Combined feeding support from both an experienced lactation consultant & paediatric osteopath can provide more effective results for both mum & baby.
How it works
The whole body works in a dynamic balance, so the body compensates for tensions found in specific areas. For example, a baby may have trouble opening its mouth wide enough, which may make you think there is a jaw problem, but in fact, jaw tension could be arising due to tension elsewhere in the body.
Osteopaths use gentle yet effective methods, to help the body relax and restore to a balanced state. We can gently read the tension and strain patterns throughout the whole body using a highly skilled sense of touch.
We also use our expertise and knowledge of the body to create tailored exercise and rehabilitation plans to complement treatment. Each case is unique, so we draw upon relevant techniques to provide treatment that’s as individual as you or your baby.
Cases we see
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Instrumental deliveries such as forceps, ventouse and caesarean section might be impacting feeding ability and causing discomfort for the birthing parent
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History of prolonged suboptimal fetal positions in pregnancy and labour such as breech, twin pregnancy, prolonged engagement of head, posterior position, prolonged 2nd stage
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Release of soft tissue tensions to avoid unnecessary surgical tongue-tie release
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Bodywork alongside the surgical release of a tongue-tie to help the baby adapt to increased tongue mobility
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Biomechanical issues such as neck and jaw tension