Osteopathy gives children alternative to better health
By Seth D. Torregiani, D.O.
Osteopathy is a gentle, anatomically focused, hands-on treatment for the whole body. Performed by doctors of osteopathy, or DOs (fully licensed and accredited physicians), osteopathy is particularly effective in infants and children. It is often used as adjunctive treatment for a wide range of pediatric conditions, including otitis media, asthma and neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and cerebral palsy.
Osteopathy takes a unique approach to the treatment of acute illness and chronic disease in children. At its core is the belief that the body has its own intrinsic healing mechanisms that, when functioning optimally, greatly aid in the body's capacity to heal itself and overcome illness.
This is particularly true in children, who have a tremendous capacity to heal because they are constantly growing and developing. Even children who suffer from conditions associated with cognitive, neurologic or motor delay often make significant advances in their ability to function after osteopathic treatment.
The goal of osteopathic treatment is to ensure that the structure of the body is aligned properly, thus allowing for optimal function. In infants and children, this goal is achieved through the use of very gentle, hands-on techniques to remove areas of restricted motion wherever they are encountered in the body. This approach differs from traditional medical practice, where a prescription medicine is often the first line of treatment.
An osteopathic physician will first examine the child for areas of restriction, then seek to remove those restrictions. For example, from an osteopathic point of view, a newborn with colic, reflux, poor latch or suck, or who spits up frequently may suffer from compression on the vagus nerve by the occiput, the rounded bone at the back of skull. As a baby descends through the birth canal, the occiput often compresses against the back of the neck as a result of pressure from the uterus. This may compromise function of the vagus nerve, which exits at the base of the skull and helps regulate a baby's digestive tract as well as the baby's ability to suck and latch.
Careful osteopathic treatment aimed at releasing the occiput and allowing free function of the vagus nerve often results in improved latching and sucking, decreased reflux and a calmer baby.
Numerous studies have also demonstrated that osteopathic treatment can be an effective adjunct therapy for otitis media (middle ear infection) in children and may prevent or decrease the need for antibiotics or tympanostomy tubes.
The temporal bones (the bones in the head that encompass the inner and middle ear) in infants are often restricted, often as a result of birth trauma. Because a small amount of motion in these bones is important to facilitate drainage of the middle ear, a restriction in one or both may cause stasis of the fluid in the middle ear, fostering the growth of bacteria and resulting in otitis media.
Osteopathic treatment directed toward this area of the head, as well as toward the face, the lymphatic channels in the neck and torso, and the diaphragm, is often effective in reducing the intensity and duration of otitis media. Done on a regular basis, such treatment may help prevent episodes of otitis media from occurring at all.
Osteopathy is also effective in children who suffer from headache, musculoskeletal pain and sports injuries of all kinds, asthma and allergies and a wide range of developmental concerns, from Down syndrome to cerebral palsy to autism. Parents of children who undergo osteopathic treatment often notice an improvement in a wide range of parameters, including improved sleep, fewer episodes of illness, improved cognitive and motor function and greater comfort in their bodies.
For more information on osteopathic treatment in children, contact the American Academy of Osteopathy at www.academy ofosteopathy.org or the Cranial Academy at www.cranialacademy.org.
Dr. Seth Torregiani is an attending physician at Christiana Care's Center for Integrative Health and maintains a private practice in holistic medicine, osteopathic manipulative medicine and acupuncture in Newark.
This article originally appeared in The Delaware News Journal on June 24, 2008
Dr. Seth Torregiani practices osteopathic manipulative medicine, acupuncture and integrative medicine in Newark, DE. He has recently added facial rejuvenation acupuncture to his practice. For more information, call (302) 266-9010 or visit www.dr-seth.com.