Teenagers and Osteopathy

By Kirby Edwards 

Why would a teenager need to see an osteopath?
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Osteopathy for teenagers looks at structure, function and movement in relation to
everything else. We look at those complex relationships through the body, including the
bones of the head, pelvis, limbs and torso. As we transition through puberty, it can be a
challenging time. A lot of changing hormones (and heightened emotions), challenging
environments, growth spurts and often compounding injuries of falls and traumas from
adolescence.Before we put our hands on, we will talk to the teen and the parents about the birth and pregnancy, medical history including any allergies, falls, broken bones and family history,
sleep patterns to gain as much information as we can. We might even ask about your bowel
movements or menstruation (horrified gasp!)

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How do you treat a teenager?
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As osteopaths, we have a variety of tools in our toolkit for treatments and often use a
combination. We may use cranial osteopathy or biodynamics, which is a gentler approach
that helps the body to find better balance optimise movement. We may use soft tissue
techniques such as massage, muscle tension release or stretching. Other techniques we may
perform include joint mobilisation, muscle energy techniques or myofascial techniques.
Education and advice to manage your condition between appointments is often provided, as
well as some take home exercises.

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What can an osteopath do for teenager?

Osteopaths can support teenagers with a variety of issues:
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• Changes with spinal structure – due to the rapid growth changes, hormonal changes, and

increased load (heavy school bags) or possibly scoliosis.

• Changes at local joints – knees, hips, ankles – by maintaining joint alignment and mobility

long term deterioration can be prevented.

• Scheuermann’s disease and Osgood Schlatter’s disease.
• Suboptimal posture from phones/games, heavy school bags, sport or instruments.
• Text neck – yes, it’s a thing, on our phones all the time looking down.
• Headaches
• Sleep issues
• Anxiety and all that comes with it – digestive issues, breathing, jaw issues
• Dental/orthodontic – work within the jaw can affect the cranial bones
• Osteopathy can complement other physicians for any chronic or autoimmune conditions.
• Osteopathy can help to maintain strength and mobility, especially through periods of acute

inflammation.

What can I expect post treatment?

As with any treatment for anyone, there is an adjustment period to the new balanced
normal. Each person can react differently. It can take between 1-3 days to settle down,
although for some may settle down straight away. Feel free to give us a call if you have any
questions.

​We may also send you off with a referral to a GP or another specialist if the issue is out of
our scope.

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