Our therapists are all the more often asked to treat children with disorders caused by mechanical strains acquired in the prenatal or postnatal period, at the time of birth or during the first years of life.

When children grow, problems resulting from previous strains may become more visible. Functional therapy stimulates the return of the young to functional balance, which guarantees their proper development.

OsteoMed therapists use the highly developed sense of touch with great sensibility for examining and treating locomotor dysfunctions in children.

Babies
Childbirth, especially with complications, may cause hardly noticeable changes in the functioning of the baby's scull, which may lead to problems such as difficulties in feeding, stomach pain, and sleep disorders, among others.

Gentle techniques used by a therapist experienced in treating infants may cause a visible improvement in these troublesome cases.

Children 
In the case of growing children, it is easier to notice problems resulting from previous strains or bumps on the head, falls and parents' negligence (baby walkers, shoes, potties).

The time when a baby learns to walk is very important, especially the crawling period. And yet, it is often shortened or completely omitted. Parents, 'caring' for their children not to sweep the floor, make them use baby walkers, lead them by the hands, placing the body in a vertical position, for which it is not yet ready. It is then that balance disorders begin, both of static (incorrect posture) or dynamic character (muscular imbalance, distorted movement patterns).

In addition, parents make babies use the potty too early, which leads to higher muscle tension in the pelvic and the hip-joint area.

The use of shoes, especially high shoes (above the ankles), introduced too early or used too often may cause balancing reflexes not to develop in full. It may also lead to incomplete development of the functions of the foot and to defects in this area.

Locomotor dysfunctions very often progress without any symptoms, or their symptoms are simply not seen as connected to locomotor dysfunctions - e.g. lower energy levels, recurring nose and ear infections (professor K. Lewit). Nevertheless, they always cause static or dynamic functional disorders of locomotor organs, mostly in the pelvic and spinal area. The consequences of these disorders are:

• Asymmetric position of the pelvis - twisted or inclined pelvis
• Buckled hip
• Abnormal spinal curvatures
• Changes in natural spinal curvatures - e.g. excessive thoracic kyphosis
• Apparent irregularity of lower limbs length
• Disorders in the foot - among others: flat feet, club foot
• Disorders in the lower limbs - among others: lopsided knees
• Unequal shoulder height, protruding shoulder blades
• Muscle imbalance
• Movement pattern disorders
• Other

Many therapists working with children believe that mechanical body strains may also be an important causative factor in the case of children with retarded development (retarded speech, movement coordination disorders, movement development disorders, trouble with learning). These children often make big progress after beginning therapy.

The above mentioned consequences of locomotor dysfunctions may be recognised through detailed functional tests and treated with success.

Functional therapy also helps to eliminate discomforts specifically connected with young age, which are most commonly related to locomotor functions: stomach ache, headache, lack of energy, chronic tonsillitis and other inflammations.

Adolescents

In adolescence, the motor organs go through many changes and are vulnerable to dysfunctions, which may cause body posture disorders (e.g. scoliosis), disorders similar to overstrains (e.g. osteochondritis), and other symptoms.

The therapist can recognize the causes of the dysfunction and help the organism to restore dynamic balance that guarantees fitness and health of the adolescent. The negligence of such situations may lead to serious health problems later on in life.

Young people are very active and often participate in sport or recreational activities which carry a risk of overstrain. A proper biomechanical analysis of a given sport and adequate recommendations allow to avoid overstrains and make it easier for the young organism to adapt to requirements.

Posture defects in children and adolescents

In the treatment of posture defects, we offer individually adapted therapy, taking into consideration the child's development from the earliest years, and give a set of exercises to do at home. OsteoMed therapists use the highly developed sense of touch with great sensibility for examining and treating motor dysfunctions in children.

We also teach parents how to observe their children and recognize the symptoms of static and dynamic functional disorders, and how to exercise with their children in order to restore their static balance. If there is such a need, we also help to choose the right orthopaedic equipment.

• Hyper-lordosis
• Lop-sided hips, knees, feet
• Torticollis
• Uneven length of lower limbs
• Static imbalance of the pelvis
• Protruding shoulder blades
• Kyphosis
• Flat feet
• Abnormal spinal curvatures
• Deformed hips, knees, feet
• Raised shoulders