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OR call Dr Liz Johns - Osteopath
+61 435 896 176

Osteopathy for Babies & Children

Although I have been treating babies and children for over 18 years, I’m still thrilled each time I am reminded of the innate intelligence all babies and children possess. The intelligence that guides them to twist and turn to make their way through their mum’s birth canal. The simple phenomenon where their heads mould to their mum's pelvis to allow for descent. And most incredibly, the fact that when they eventually come earthside, with their first breath, as well as the crying, sucking and yawning, they are able to release any strain absorbed during labour and re-establish health and balance in their tiny bodies! All this without a manual. Mind blowing!


In some cases, especially if it was a difficult birth. A baby may not be able to release this strain on their own and therefore not be able to find that ideal state of health and balance without some assistance.

As we know, during birth, both the head and body are compressed and squeezed throughout the baby’s journey, and therefore any part of your baby’s head and body can absorb stress and retain strain. What this means for your newborn is that they may experience discomfort in their little head or anywhere else in their tiny body. Little bubs may then communicate that there is a problem by being unsettled, irritable or wakeful. Symptoms to be aware of in a newborn are:

  • stiffness of the neck muscles

  • favouring the head to one side

  • jaw restriction that may impact their ability to suck or feed

I have been trained to detect any strain patterns in a baby’s body that may be affecting a variety of muscles, ligaments, nerves and fascia. Using a very gentle technique called cranial osteopathy, I am able to release any strains or restrictions in your bub. Be assured that there is absolutely NO manipulation performed on any baby, infant or young child that I see as a patient.

In 2011, I graduated with a Post Graduate Certificate in Neonatal and Paediatric Manual Therapy from Victoria University. This provided me with the knowledge and skills necessary to diagnose infant musculoskeletal disorders, assess spinal and primitive reflexes, and monitor developmental milestones.

Osteopathy and Infants and Older Children


Unfortunately, over the years it has become apparent to me that strains from a stressful birth, can persist with time or can become more apparent once the baby has grown into a young child. This can especially occur if the restrictions were not treated as a baby.

INJURIES IN CHILDREN

As an osteopath, I highly recommend bringing your child in to see me if they have had a major fall or even several smaller falls. Having an osteopathic assessment and if necessary some treatment at this stage, can help your child with their long term health and wellbeing. Even though we all know that children have an amazing ability to ‘bounce’ when they fall, trauma can still be retained within the tissue, creating a strain pattern. This strain pattern not only tells us the story of this injury but also has the potential to subtly reduce the flexibility of their muscles and joints, predisposing them to strain later in life.

Using gentle techniques, I am able to identify stress and strain that may be present in ligaments, fascia, muscles and tendons. I am then able to remove stress and strain, improving the flexibility of the ligaments, muscles and joints and improving the overall balance of your child’s body.