Parents visit osteopaths for many reasons to support their child’s health. Children, like adults, can be affected by general joint and muscle issues, which is one of those reasons people visit an osteopath.
As osteopathic care is based on the individual needs of the patient, it will vary depending on your child’s age and the diagnosis. Osteopaths generally use a wide range of gentle hands-on techniques that focus on releasing tension, improving mobility and optimising function. This is often used together with exercise and helpful advice. Some osteopaths have been trained in very gentle techniques which are particularly used to assess and treat very young children, including new-borns. You do not need to consult your GP before you visit an osteopath, although you may wish to do so.
At the Bexley Osteopathic Clinic, although we have 8 osteopaths, younger children are only ever booked in to see the ones with specific experience and training in this area. With some teenagers and some problems this may not always be necessary, for example a footballer aged 14 may be better off seeing one of our team experienced in football and sports injuries. If you are not sure if osteopathy is appropriate or who your child should see, don’t worry, just call the clinic and we will try to advise you.
The osteopath will take a full case history, examine as appropriate and then tell you their diagnosis along with what sort of treatment they think would be best so that you can decide what you would like to do. If the osteopath thinks that another type of treatment would be better or further investigation is needed, they will tell you.
Please remember that for legal reasons, children up to the age of 16 coming for an appointment must be accompanied by a parent named on the birth certificate or by a legal adoptive parent/ guardian.
