Wellbaby - Children Osteopaths

Children’s bodies have an amazing ability to cope with stresses and strains. This is just as well considering how many bumps and tumbles occur whilst they are learning and growing. However, this ability to adapt may eventually lead to a compromise in the child’s development, as they begin to grow within an unresolved strain pattern. The saying ‘as the twig is bent so grows the tree’ illustrates this point.

Strains in a child’s body may occur during their everyday rough and tumble play or whilst maintaining a prolonged posture, for example; sitting at poorly designed school desks or carrying heavy school bags, or sitting for long periods playing computer games or watching TV.

Recurring illness such as asthma also result in compensative adaptations in the child’s body. As the body’s adaptive ability is taken up by layer upon layer of strains the body may begin to fail to cope. This can be exacerbated by growth spurts, which further requires the body to adapt as the child suddenly ‘rockets up’.