Going somewhere new, meeting new people and doing actions and exercises you’ve never done before can be a bit daunting to adults let alone the younger members of our family. 

At Osteo for Families we love treating children of all ages and have many different skills and tricks to help your child become more comfortable in the treatment room but often find if they’re given a bit of heads up about the appointment it can help them ease into this new environment. 

Here are some tips to help you and your child be comfortable in our clinic:

• 
  If they are young, you can bring in a favourite toy for them to hold or play with while they get a treatment
• Tell them that they will always be listened to, can ask questions or say when things are sore or if they are uncomfortable
• Wearing clothes that your child is comfortable in and that allow some movement is also helpful
  
• Reassure your child that you or another guardian will always accompany them in the treatment room
  
• It can also be helpful to discuss what will happen when you and your child arrive, including filling in some paperwork, meeting the Osteo who will ask both your child (if appropriate) and the guardian, about what is happening and other health questions. Then complete an assessment and some hands on treatment and maybe some exercises
  
• During the assessment the Osteo will look at the area or the activity that you’ve mentioned is uncomfortable for your child. They will also look at surrounding areas to address any compensating or contributing factors. This may involve some movements performed by your child including bending down to their toes, twisting to the side or moving their arms. The Osteo may also test how well your child moves by moving a part of their body. 
  
• Treatment often involves hands-on approach and techniques, therefore the Osteo may use their hands to feel the area and treat it after they have got permission from you and your child.
  
• Our Osteos always loves hearing from your child, so your child can tell them when it’s a sore spot or even tell them a story or favourite joke 
  
• Something that can be helpful to discuss with your child is that although Osteos will be using gentle pressure. It can be a natural instinct for a child to protect the area and not want someone to touch it. But we sometimes need to gently touch sore spots to assess and to complete some types of treatment to make it feel better.

During the appointment we will constantly talk about what we are doing and why and seek constant feedback to ensure everyone feels comfortable and can get the most out of treatment. 

If you have any concerns you can reach out to us before the appointment but children of all ages are welcome here at Osteo 4 Families. 

-- 

Dr Mariella Berry (Osteopath)

BSC (Osteopathy), MHSc (Osteopathy)