Babies can go through a lot of compression during the birthing process. They are also in a small space for a long period of time, and so may get a few tight areas from their positioning in the womb. Osteopathy can help with symptoms that result from these pressures, making your baby more comfortable.
Want to talk to us about osteopathy for your baby? We’re here to help. Call 020 3759 6474 or email info@osteowellbeing.co.uk to book an initial consultation with an experienced osteopath.
What symptoms might you be noticing in your baby?
You may notice the following symptoms in your baby:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty burping and winding
- Looking one way more than the other
- Going red and scrunching their legs up when screaming, sometimes specifically after a feed
Osteopathy can help solve these issues and make your baby more comfortable. We are calm and gentle when treating them – many of our younger patients really enjoy the experience!
What may be causing your baby’s issues?
- Compression throughout the cranial bones
- Tightness in muscles along the spine or around the shoulder
- Irritation or strain within the diaphragm
- Torsion throughout the cranio-sacral base
It’s always worrying for parents if babies seem unhappy, especially if they’re young and can’t tell you what’s wrong. Talking to a professional can help ease your mind and you’ll often notice a difference in your child’s behaviour straight away.
Book your initial consultation
Call 020 3759 6474, email info@osteowellbeing.co.uk or fill in our form, and we’ll be in touch to discuss your symptoms and book your consultation.
How can osteopathy help your baby?
Osteopathy can:
- Release any strains or torsions throughout your baby’s body, for example, within the cranio-sacral base and diaphragm.
- Release any compression throughout your baby’s cranial bones that could have been caused during the labour process.
- Release any tight muscles that could be causing constipation or making it difficult for your baby to look one way.
Some of our osteopaths can also teach you a baby massage routine to do at home daily. This will help soothe your baby, not only physically, but mentally too. It’s a great way of connecting with your little one and giving them your full attention.
Tips for helping your baby
Encourage babies to look both ways by changing the way they face when sleeping, so they have to look to both sides to see mum and/or dad. You can also do this with toys during the day. Tummy time can help to strengthen neck muscles – however, it’s good to loosen off any tight muscles first with the help of a trained osteopath.
Gentle massage can help your baby feel comforted, calm, secure and relaxed. It’s a lovely addition to bedtime routines, helping with tummy pain and bowel movements. Your osteopath can teach you this during your session.
Ensure baby has burped after each feed to ease reflux symptoms and tummy pain. Sometimes winding halfway through a feed can help – osteopathic treatment can be useful if your baby is still struggling.
Case study:
helping an uncomfortable four-week-old baby
Find out how we helped baby feel more comfortable so both her and mum could rest.
Problem
A four-week-old baby was brought to the clinic by her mum who said her little one had trouble winding. This meant she was uncomfortable, particularly between 3am and 5am. They had recently switched formula, which had helped the patient, however she still struggled to pass wind and on occasion would scream to the point she was bright red in the face. The mum had also noticed that her little one preferred looking to the left and rarely looked to the right.
Solution
After some gentle examination we found that our patient’s diaphragm was a little tight, and her neck was also tight on the left. This is very common in babies, as they go through a lot of compression during the birthing process and in the womb. Using some cranial osteopathy techniques and very gentle massage, we helped release the tension in the diaphragm and neck. We also showed mum how to do some gentle massage on the shoulders so she could continue to help baby at home. Mum reported that baby was a little unsettled for a couple of days, but after that she was sleeping fully throughout the night and was moving her head more easily. This little one only needed two treatments and was doing much better.
What did our patient’s mum think?
I booked in for my four-week-old daughter to see Süheyla as she was suffering with trapped wind. Süheyla was totally welcoming and I immediately felt my daughter was in safe hands. Süheyla took a full pregnancy and birth history first before then “examining” my baby girl. We discovered that she was a bit tight in her diaphragm, so Süheyla worked on that and my daughter was absolutely still, you could tell she loved it!! She was also a bit tight on one side of her neck (resulting in her favouring to look to the left) and so some massage was done to relieve this. Süheyla talked to me throughout to let me know what she was doing and what she found. I booked a follow up appointment where Süheyla re-examined my daughter and did some more massage and other techniques to alleviate the issues. It definitely worked for my daughter and very soon after she didn’t struggle with her wind (such a relief!!) I would recommend every new mother and baby to visit an osteopath if they’re able to and I would 100% recommend Süheyla. I felt comfortable, relaxed and fully involved.
How else can we help?
Shoulder, hip and knee pain
Do you get pain in your shoulder, hip or knee? We can help correct these issues for you.
Lower back and neck pain
We can help with back and neck pain by decreasing pressure on the spine and correcting your posture.
Slipped discs
We can help with these issues by decompressing your spine, allowing your damaged disc to retract.
Plantar fasciitis
Osteopathy can improve foot and ankle alignment so that plantar fasciitis can heal. We can also provide you with insoles to help prevent problems reoccurring.
Headaches
We can help improve neck posture and release the surrounding muscles to ease those headaches.
Stress
Osteopathy can balance out sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, helping you feel more relaxed and able to get on with your day.
Sciatica
Osteopathy can help to release the sciatic nerve which could be causing your symptoms, giving you relief and helping with your recovery.
Tennis and golfer’s elbow
Osteopathy can help increase your range of motion and decrease the pain you’re feeling in your elbow.
Posture correction
Bad posture can cause a huge range of symptoms. Osteopaths can help to diagnose these issues and correct your posture.
Neuralgia
Osteopaths can help diagnose what is causing damage to nerves, treating the affected area and referring you to the right specialist if needed.
Arthritis
Osteopathy can help slow down the process of degeneration that leads to arthritis.
Sports injuries
Osteopathy can help the body to repair sports injuries quicker and prevent them happening again, getting you back to your training.
Aches and pains during pregnancy
Osteopathy can help restore posture and offer relief from pain during pregnancy, as well as getting the body ready for labour.
Why not treat yourself?…
We’re here to aid your wellbeing.
Complementary therapies
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Get in touch
Contact OsteoWellbeing and book an appointment with a qualified osteopath.
We have effective treatment options for your little one.
Call 020 3759 6474 or email info@osteowellbeing.co.uk.
