Osteopaths at The Amber Practice Osteopaths Richmond are happy to help patients with any treatment listed above.

Birth Trauma and accidents whilst a child

Psychiatrists and psychologists are well-known for stressing the importance in understanding what happens before a child is born, during the birth process and what happens in the early years. Cranial osteopaths have long recognised that the birthing process imposes enormous strain on babies, particularly if the birth is difficult or elongated. The baby's skull stretches to accomodate the narrow birth canal, but only gradually recovers its shape. After a difficult birth the process of "unmoulding" may be incomplete, leaving residual stress within the head and impacting on the nervous system. These stresses can give rise to various conditions such as colic, trapped wind, regurgitation, feeding difficulties and sleep problems. In addition childhood is a time of slips, trips, falls and scrapes, each of which can potentially impose a similar burden of stress.

Neck stiffness

Neck stiffness is one of the most common conditions presented to ostoepaths. The most typical presentation is a muscle in spasm which is a reaction by the body to protect a deeper primary cause which may be an indication of a more serious neck complaint. Frequently the cause of the pain is a single violent trauma such as a whiplash or sports injury. More worrying would be an underlying degenerative condition weakening the discs in the spinal column. An osteopath will treat this condition most effectively after the worst of the spasm has passed so that the underlying condition may be effectively diagnosed and addressed. Typically rest and ibuprofen will be recommended in the interim. Once the muscles have relaxed manipulation or mobilisation are likely to be beneficial.