First Place Children's Clinic
Week one (07.03.2013)
I had heard about all the good things that 1st place was doing to support parents and children both at the centre and at home yet I did not know what to expect from the osteopathy service. Sam Fennell is one of the practitioners at the centre and she showed us what a standard case history looked like and what sorts of presentations are common.
- The first patient was a 14 year old boy with parkinson's disease who was wheel chair bound. He had recently had a gastrostomy tube fitted as he was no longer capable of feeding himself and came for regular treatment at 1st place. Sam performed involuntary motion studies to his cranium and thorax as his cranium felt compressed. After 15-20 minutes of this, he became physically calmer, appeared happier and Sam palpated a change within his cranial membranes.
- The second patient was an 8 month old girl who had suffered from reflux since birth, although it was mild. As a result, she would frequently arch her back into extension after feeding and was also constipated. Sam used techniques to treat her lower ribs as this has a strong connection with the digestive tracts and she then did cranial work whilst I palpated her anterior and posterior thoracic cavity. The shift from anterior arching to all her weight on my posterior hand was amazing during and after treatment!
- The third child was a 18 month old boy who was showing potential signs of autism, because he was choosing to walk only on tip toes, did not seem engaged with his surroundings and was not attempting to talk or make sounds. Sam tested soft touch and babinski's reflex to check for any more sinister reasons as to way he walked on tip toes however all appeared 'normal'. She explained that in the UK, autism is not labelled until 3 and even then, it is only monitored before referring for speech therapy lessons. As the child was only 18 months old, she gave advice on how to build up sensitivity to his feet using different textures such as grass and sand, to encourage him to walk on his whole plantars over time.
- The fourth and final child was a 4 year old girl who frequently had colds and fever and presented with bags under her eyes despite adequate sleep. Her cranium felt really compacted with increased tone to her suboccipital region. With Sam, we used cranial techniques to create more movement within the cranial sutures and a change was made straight away.
Week two (14.03.2013)
No 1st Place placement due to CCA date.
Week three (21.03.2013)
This week I saw the 8 week old girl (now 10 weeks) who was suffering with mild reflux issues. She had grown and was arching into extension far less then when I initially saw her. I was able to place my hands on her thorax again and it felt much more centred rather than pivoted. The mother reported an improvement in bowel symptoms and general well being of her daughter in comparison to previous treatment. I was really pleased to see the follow up.
I also saw a new patient who was a 16 month old girl presenting with loud snoring and waking from sleep every night. We noticed that she had a very narrow head, which may have lead to sinus and airway narrowing causing the snoring. she was also a vaginal breach baby which may have forced the cranial sutures into extension, giving the narrow appearance. The tutor attempted to do some cranial techniques on the child whilst she played with toys, which is a talent that must require experience and practice as I wasn't able to palpate without a still patient!
I am gutted that I only had two weeks observing some fantastic osteopathy on children, and it was incredible to palpate a difference on each child from before and after treatment. The external clinic has inspired me to look into courses focusing on treating children and pregnancy at a post graduate level. Thank you first place!
I also saw a new patient who was a 16 month old girl presenting with loud snoring and waking from sleep every night. We noticed that she had a very narrow head, which may have lead to sinus and airway narrowing causing the snoring. she was also a vaginal breach baby which may have forced the cranial sutures into extension, giving the narrow appearance. The tutor attempted to do some cranial techniques on the child whilst she played with toys, which is a talent that must require experience and practice as I wasn't able to palpate without a still patient!
I am gutted that I only had two weeks observing some fantastic osteopathy on children, and it was incredible to palpate a difference on each child from before and after treatment. The external clinic has inspired me to look into courses focusing on treating children and pregnancy at a post graduate level. Thank you first place!