Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy

Over the weekend of the 13th and 14^th of October Christophe, Pierre and myself (Claire) attended the first conference held by the Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy. It was a very stimulating weekend which we all felt we got lots from and as a result all felt quite exhausted by the end.

One of the themes that ran through the various lectures was the concept of us, as Osteopaths, always looking for our patient’s health, no matter the age. This might sound strange but in essence no matter the illness/condition that our patients present to us with we are looking to promote their health and through strengthening this aspect we help our patients heal.

One of the founding principles of Osteopathy is “the rule of the artery is supreme”. If the body has a good blood supply then it can heal. This can be disrupted by increased muscle tone or by an area of the body functioning poorly. Also disease is a process which displays a body’s health. If we didn’t show signs of illness then our bodies wouldn’t be trying to get better!

The developing human. X week old embryo.

For the younger patients unfortunately things can go wrong at a very early stage, before they are even born. The conference gave us some very good reminders of how we develop in the uterus and how delicate this process actually is. If anything disrupts the development of the foetus during the first few months a change can be seen in their physical development. This is the reason that we question parents about the pregnancy of the infants they bring to us. We need to know what happened during those nine months, including any mental or emotional strains (ie: the death of a close friend or relative). All the cells that will form the foetus are dividing and migrating at an incredible rate to form the child. The heart is the first functioning organ and it begins beating at day 21. That is at three weeks, before most women know they are pregnant! The formation of the foetus is controlled by the cells migrating to where they should be and then changing into what is needed. This can be disrupted by any change in chemical levels within the mother’s blood, artificial or natural.

http://virtualhumanembryo.lsuhsc.edu/videos/morph1.html

The complexity of how a human is formed is amazing to watch and the opportunity to be reminded of that is always a good thing; seeing how the heart and face form next to each other and then move apart with the concept being the heart stays in its position and the face moves away creating the great blood vessels that start to move blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. It is amazing things don’t go wrong far more often. However to listen to my peers reminding me and my fellow colleagues what an important role we have in allowing the body to navigate past any of these growth phases that have gone wrong, appreciating that from the beginning the body is finding its own way past any road blocks, renews my enjoyment of the job and the challenges that wait for me in my treatment room.

Each human being is a unique set of building blocks and with our patients as our partners we Osteopaths want to improve that human quality of life by finding their health, their ability to function, despite the structural challenges that lie in their way.

Claire Cousins

(BSc (Hons) Ost. - Registered Osteopath)