Stevenage & Gamlingay Clinics
Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire
Hannah Walder, Rob Hill & Associates
Children's Clinic
Our Children's Clinic is run every Wednesday by Osteopath, Mrs Claire Cousins at our Gamlingay Clinic.
Every parent’s priority is to provide the best environment to support their child’s health as they develop and grow. Osteopathic practice is safe and effective and you can be confident in the level of professional care your children can expect to receive.
How can Osteopathy help?
Parents visit Osteopaths for a range of reasons to support their child’s health. Children, like adults, can be affected by general joint and muscle issues, which is one of the main reasons that people visit an Osteopath.
As Osteopathic care is based on the individual needs of the patient, it will vary depending on your child’s age and the diagnosis. Osteopaths use a wide range of gentle hands-on techniques that focus on releasing tension, improving mobility and optimising function. This is used together with exercise and helpful advice.
Claire has completed Post Graduate training in Specialist Paediatric Osteopathic Practice at the University College of Osteopathy and uses very gentle techniques which are particularly suitable to assess and treat very young children, including new-borns.
What to expect when you visit
When you first us, you’ll be asked about the reason you have brought your child and their medical history. For babies and young children, this may include information about their birth. All information will be treated as confidential in accordance with the standards of practice set out by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Claire will complete a thorough examination to determine if Osteopathic care can support your child’s health. After this examination, Claire will discuss the care available and you will then jointly decide an appropriate and suitable plan. This care plan may involve several visits and will often include relevant health advice. If it is clinically appropriate to do so, your child’s treatment can begin at the first appointment.
Claire uses gentle Osteopathic techniques which includes massage, cranio-sacral techniques, and gentle articulation/movement to balance any musculoskeletal strains that have developed because of pregnancy or birth. Treatment is supported by informing parents how they can help manage any of these musculoskeletal strains themselves.
Read this review from Katrina: "From my first contact with Osteopathy First, I was impressed by the speed of their responses to me and putting me in touch with the correct person. Claire was also very prompt and comprehensive with her emails. She answered all my questions and was so helpful without ever promising to ‘fix’ my babies problems. On meeting her, Claire was very friendly and professional. She asked appropriate questions, made thorough notes and took photos making sure she completely understood all of my babies issues before even attempting to treat him. She explained everything and gained consent from me before each different exercise. She gave us exercises to do at home so I could feel as if I was helping my baby too and always made me feel like nothing was too much trouble, including contacting her between appointments with any questions. I would absolutely recommend Osteopathy First and particularly Claire to anyone with a baby considering osteopathy. I have seen such an improvement in my babies symptoms in just two treatments with Claire. She has magic hands!!"
“As a result of having two unsettled babies I fully understand the mental strain this puts on parents. I feel privileged to have a small role in helping to support parents through those first few challenging months.”