Apart from my profession I live a busy life - I love gardening, and I am a bit of a bookworm, I own several kindles, holding about 900 books plus, and Just for the thrill of enjoyment I read quite a bit of science fiction and fantasy. After decades of making excuses, I started painting as a way of relaxation.
1. Neck, Upper back and lower back pain.
Spinal pain is one of the most common reasons for people to consult an osteopath. This does not mean we only treat backs, however spinal pain tends to be a constant complaint from people of all ages, especially adults. Children can present with neck and wrists pain from overuse of mobile phones and tablets.
What I have learn after thirty two years in practice, is that a variety of issues may result in back pain. Every case being unique in its presentation. Back pain can mask psychological disorders or something more serious, and in the majority of cases, may be caused by mechanical problems in the structural body, such as non freely moving spine, muscle imbalances, faulty posture among others. In most cases, those structural and postural problems can be assessed and treated with osteopathic techniques, specific exercise according to age and fitness.
2. The osteopathic care of children from birth to adulthood
The child's body is constantly changing, maturing, and gradually adapting to physical, hormonal, and emotional changes. There will be times when even the healthy child feels that he is not himself. Certain disruptive behavioural problems, such as throwing tantrums and disobedience can develop in a previously well behaved child. Children's psychologists often see these outbursts as expressions of growing up and learning to be independent. At the same time these expressions serve to vent out stress or tension that builds up inside the body.
Osteopathic treatment can have a calming effect by releasing tight compressive forces within the body, especially in the head and chest.
Osteopathic assessment and treatment is a hands on approach, concentrating on the spine where the spinal cord runs from the base of the skull to the bottom of the spine, where several areas may be tense or misaligned, causing irritation to the nerves. Also, from the base of the skull emerge some of the cranial nerves going to the neck, chest and the abdomen.
Osteopathy can assist in the well being of the child from before birth, through the growing and maturing phases and into adulthood.
3. A rewarding area of interest is the osteopathic approach to babies with possetting, or regurgitation after a feed.
During the preparatory work for my dissertation, I had the opportunity of studying and treating about two hundred children during a period of two years. Several threads emerged: Lactose intolerance, immaturity of the gut to digest even mother's milk, and irritation of the central nervous system in the child due to unknown causes, or sometimes following a stressful birth. Also I learned that most children with developmental delays usually have respiratory and feeding problems. The role of the osteopath in these instances is to help the body by releasing tension, obstructions and torsion in different areas, such as the abdomen, the head, the spine, the face, the pelvis.
As a registered osteopath, it is compulsory to attend yearly a minimum of thirty hours of professional development. My choice of seminars are those that keep my knowledge up to date. There are always fascinating developments within the osteopathic, acupuncture and physical therapies field. On reflection, I must acknowledge that I have learnt and discovered many wonders through patients who sought my help.
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