Children's Health - Pediatrics

As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.

Posture Screens and Analysis

Are you tired of telling your children to “sit up straight”?

The number one cause of physical disability worldwide is back pain. Prevention is key! Hereditary and lifestyle habits both contribute to this, so having children and babies screened and treated early is important. If there are no problems, no treatment is required. Early awareness and intervention creates the most success.

General postural trends of our youth are declining at an alarming rate partially due to use of electronics, and incidence of pain in children is climbing because of it. This can have lifelong impact on their spinal health and may even affect their learning. Some postural experts are now confirming posture’s link to overall health and life span.

Yearly checks on posture are advised for all children. As a society we often focus on children’s teeth, and have yearly medical check ups. We should also focus on spinal health, as their spines will affect everything they do. Children can learn healthy spinal habits from a young age, if taught.

Especially important times to screen children are

- newborns

- Prior to growth spurts Girls: ages 9-10

- Prior to growth spurts Boys: ages 10-12

- after significant falls or if playing contact sports

Babies as young as 6 weeks old can show postural patterns that can be linked to scoliosis or poor movement patterns. Early treatment and exercises can help prevent these problems.

Telling your children to straighten up likely won’t help because joints and muscles may no longer be able to ‘straighten’ up easily on their own. Movements patterns are often established and difficult to change. Our physiotherapist or chiropractor will do a full posture analysis and spinal evaluation to determine what your child needs to turn their poor posture habit around.

Children's conditions treated

Concussions and sports injuries
Poor posture
Scoliosis
neck and back pain
Headaches
Joint pain
Sports performance
Physiotherapy special interest and experience in treating:
Difficulties in nursing, fussy baby, and colic
Delays in reaching baby milestones
ADD / ADHD and Autism - can be linked to physical restrictions and nervous system development
sensory processing disorders
Neurological conditions - spina bifida, cerebral palsy, stroke, developmental delay, poor coordination, central coordination dysfunction
Oral/facial problems which can affect speech, breathing and teeth alignment.
Crooked teeth and bite problems? Considering braces? Have braces or invisalign now or in the past? Don't want to wear a retainer forever? Crooked teeth or bite problems are often the end expression of tightness somewhere in a complex neuromusculoskeletal system. Straightening teeth without considering these other factors may increase tension and compensation in other areas, like the spine or head. Consider evaluation from our physiotherapist Mary Lynne Jones prior, during or after braces or invisalign, to speed the correction of teeth and bite.

Treatment includes, but is not limited to, a combination of

Spinal joint stretches by the physiotherapist or adjustments by the chiropractor.
Muscle massage and retraining
Correct posture education teaching the child the importance of good lifelong posture.
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS), a core strength and postural retraining program by the physiotherapist.
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) to release deeper tissue restriction in the spine by the physiotherapist.

As a mother of 4, Mary Lynne has a special interest in working with children and babies. Many children suffer with the same aches and pains as adults. Posture in children is challenged first by increased time spent in car seats (Baby bucket), and later by long periods of sitting, the use of electronics, and heavy backpacks.

Many children and babies have mild structural and neurological problems that can affect their movement, coordination and posture, which can in turn, affect their ability to focus and learn. These mild to moderate delays often don’t get picked up until grade school. Mary Lynne has specialized training in assessing and treating children’s neurological and movement delays from the Prague School of Rehabilitation.

Mary Lynne can assess your child at any age, even a few months old for early signs of problems. If your child seems to be slower in development than their peers, it can be cause for concern. Many parents are told that their child will catch up but this wait and see approach can lead to more permanent hard-wiring of the nervous system in poor movement patterns. This may show up later as musculoskeletal pain, scoliosis, poor coordination and learning delays. Treatment programs for children combine orthopedic techniques, craniosacral therapy and DNS (dynamic neuromuscular stabilization). See below for treatment description

Pediatric CranioSacral Therapy

Common baby and childhood problems can be treated using the gentle approach of craniosacral therapy. By gently loosening tensions in the body and nervous system, your child can feel and function their best. It also generally has a calming effect, which can benefit sleep, digestion and mood.

Like adults, babies and children can experience physical and emotional injuries. The birth process, falls, bumps and bruises can cause subtle to severe trauma in children, and sometimes unexplained crying, poor sleep or digestion, and behavioural problems may be the only way your child is able to communicate that something is bothering them.

Colic, breastfeeding and sleeping difficulties, developmental delay, mis-shapen or flat head (plageocephaly) in babies can be concerning for parents. Craniosacral therapy can contribute greatly to alleviating some of these symptoms. It can also help a premature baby’s body and nervous system adjust better.In older children, postural problems such as scoliosis, flat feet, clumsiness, and slouching posture along with DNS can make a big difference

Pediatric Neuro Rehabilitation

Conditions treated

Cerebral palsy
Spina bifida
Developmental delay
Autisum
ADD/ADHD
Central coordination dysfunction
Stroke
Traumatic brain injury and concussion

Children who are diagnosed with a neurological condition can benefit greatly from receiving physiotherapy. Our physiotherapist has traditional and unique skills that are typically not offered within the same treatment setting.

Mary Lynne Jones specializes in pediatric neuro rehabilitation as taught by the Prague School of Rehabilitation using dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS).

Mary Lynne also enhances neurological recovery using craniosacral therapy (CST) and Sensory Enrichment Therapy with techniques specifically related to the brain and brain plasticity. Sensory, motor skills and sensory processing are also evaluated and treated.

Focus of treatment includes parents and families as much as possible to learn the treatment to do at home, combined with Mary Lynne performing specialized techniques that can not be done by parents.

Mary Lynne has a great rapport with babies, children and parents, having raised 4 children of her own.