OSTEOPATHIE IS ER VOOR IEDEREEN!

We see people of all ages and with a variety of complaints in our practice. During the initial consultation, we consider whether osteopathy is right for you. If we can do something for you, we choose the most effective and comfortable techniques, always taking into account the person, age and complaint. We discuss this with you before treatment.

Osteopathy is NOT suitable in case of a bacterial or viral infection, in case of fever, in the acute phase after a brain haemorrhage or infarction, in case of diseases falling under oncology (all kinds of cancer) that are still under treatment and in case of bone fractures. If in doubt about your health, always consult your GP!

About Osteopathy

Pregnancy

Mother and child

Gynaecology and Osteopathy

Many women have complaints in the pelvic area that they do not know there is a therapy for. Gynaecological osteopathic treatment can provide remarkable improvement and relief to these complaints.Most of the time, external techniques are sufficient to resolve the complaint, but sometimes internal treatments are also indicated.

Below are some indications:

  • Painful and/or irregular menstruation
  • Pain during intercourse
  • Pelvic pain
  • restless legs
  • complaints after caesarean section, due to scar tissue or adhesions developing
  • painful stool
  • Pain in the lower abdomen
  • Pain at tailbone
  • Tense pelvic floor
  • Heavy feeling in the pelvis or legs
  • Discomforts after childbirth
  • Complaints after gynaecological surgery including curettage
  • Urination
  • Sagging of bladder or uterus
  • Recurrent bladder infections
  • Fertility problems without medical obvious cause

The osteopath can also help after abdominal and breast(s) surgery by treating scars and adhesions created after breast surgery, radiotherapy, mastectomy, abdominoplasty or breast augmentation.

  • Heavy feeling in the pelvis or legs
  • Discomforts after childbirth
  • Complaints after gynaecological surgery including curettage
  • Urination
  • Sagging of bladder or uterus
  • Recurrent bladder infections
  • Fertility problems without medical obvious cause

The osteopath can also help after abdominal and breast(s) surgery by treating scars and adhesions created after breast surgery, radiotherapy, mastectomy, abdominoplasty or breast augmentation.

Pregnancy and Osteopathy

Being pregnant is a wonderful and special time for most women during which they feel very good for the most part, but not every woman experiences it this way.

A lot changes in the pregnant body in a short period of time. Major changes take place in your body mechanically, hormonally and emotionally. The shape of the body and position of the spine become different, various organs are pushed out of place and, under the influence of the action of hormones, the connective tissues change. If the body is unable to accommodate these changes harmoniously, complaints may arise. These can be very diverse in nature, ranging from extreme fatigue to prolonged and extreme nausea. In addition, complaints in the back and pelvis may also occur. These generally result from the changes in posture.

When you want to become pregnant
For a good pregnancy, good fitness, good muscle tone and a good diet are very important.

Osteopathy can help reduce these symptoms and prepare your body well for childbirth. Osteopathic care in pregnant women focuses on the total body so that the different systems can better cope with all the changes within your body during pregnancy. This is better for you as a mother as well as for your child; both during and after pregnancy.

If you already suffer from lower back and/or pelvic pain before pregnancy, it does not mean that you will automatically suffer more from it during pregnancy. Sometimes we see that these symptoms diminish or even disappear during pregnancy. This is due to changes in the body caused by hormones that, among other things, cause the ligaments in the pelvis to loosen. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the complaints will not return after childbirth. The osteopath can advise and help with this. Many pregnancy-related complaints can be treated osteopathically very well.

Some indications are:

  • Pelvic pain, painful tailbone, painful pubic bone
  • Back and neck pain
  • groin pain
  • Complaints between the shoulder blades
  • Headache
  • neck pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Acid regurgitation
  • Digestive complaints
  • Obstipation
  • Congestion in the legs
  • Tingling in arms/fingers
  • Radiating pain in limbs arms/legs.
  • Bladder problems
  • Excessive fatigue

During pregnancy
When you are pregnant, a lot changes in your body in a short period of time. It starts with hormonal changes to create an optimal environment for the baby's development. These changes that promote the well-being of the growing baby can actually cause problems for the mother. Hormones cause the ligaments in the pelvis to relax and become more flexible. This allows the body to prepare for childbirth. This increasing mobility is not limited to the pelvis, but is noticeable in all joints and can be the reason for complaints in the back and pelvis.

Within osteopathy, there are various treatment techniques for spinal, cranial, organ, fascia-related complaints that can be applied very well during pregnancy. These are safe for mother and child, but of course this is always discussed in detail with you.

A well-functioning pelvis is also important for the baby. Too much or too little mobility in the pelvis can affect the position the baby assumes in the womb such as in breech presentation or other entrapment positions. Osteopathic treatment can optimise movement and tension in the pelvis. Once the pelvis moves properly, this can no longer negatively affect the baby's position and, in turn, the baby can lie in the most optimal position

After childbirth
Even after childbirth, symptoms can remain, worsen or actually arise. Everything is possible. We usually see the mother for the first time six weeks after delivery. By then, the uterus has shrunk to its original size and the body has recovered from any stitches. If there are many complaints, treatment can be given as early as just after delivery. This will always be done in consultation, taking the situation into account.

Preconception treatment

Preconception represents the period between wanting children and a positive pregnancy test. Osteopathy increases your chances of becoming pregnant faster and has a beneficial effect on your physical condition. Thus, osteopathy helps to prevent and or relieve physical complaints before and during pregnancy.

As an osteopath, you treat the body as a whole. In fertility, hormones, blood flow and movement in the body play a crucial role. As an osteopath, I can improve these factors. In women, I can optimise the mobility and circulation of your lower back, pelvis, abdominal organs, in particular your bladder, uterus, cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes and adjacent organs through (gentle) mobilisations. This also positively affects your hormone system and also the transport of the egg towards the uterus. The aim of treatment is to improve mobility and stimulate blood flow to support fertilisation (natural or medical). In addition, osteopathy has a beneficial effect to prevent and or remedy physical complaints before and during pregnancy.

If getting pregnant does not come naturally to you, osteopathy can help you with this. It also goes well with medical treatment/training. For example, in hormone treatments and IVF, the mobility of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes is very important for the treatment to succeed. As an osteopath, I can also help increase the success rate of an IUI insemination, IVF, ICSI treatment.

In addition, you may have had abdominal, pelvic surgery, inflammation or trauma in the past. This affects the mobility of your organs and may hinder successful conception. As an osteopath, I improve the mobility of tissues and organs to support conception. This significantly increases the chances of pregnancy.

In men, good blood flow to the scrotum is important for sperm quality. Osteopathy is suitable for this too.

Osteopathy is the therapy of choice when there is a desire for pregnancy.

Through courses, study and experience, I have mastered specific treatments and approaches in infertility. Depending on the cause of the fertility problems, uro-gynaecological techniques (that is: specific local mobilisations) can add value in spontaneous pregnancy desire, IUI insemination, IVF, ICSI.

If you have any further questions about whether osteopathy can also do something for you please feel free to contact Anne-Marie.

The cause of your complaint often lies somewhere else than you think. Osteopathy is a manual medicine that looks for the cause of complaints. All tissues in our body are connected and can influence each other. It often happens that the cause of a complaint is found in a different part of the body, than where the symptoms occur.

You can visit an osteopath for a variety of complaints, as well as for prevention.

It is impossible to make a complete list of the complaints you can go to an osteopath with. Below is a list of various complaints. If your complaint is not listed, do not hesitate to contact us to discuss the possibilities for you.

  • Back and neck complaints
  • Pelvic pain (including during pregnancy and after childbirth)
  • Joint complaints such as shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, foot
  • Radiation in limbs
  • Heavy legs
  • Jaw problems
  • Whiplash complaints and other post-traumatic symptoms
  • Headaches, migraines, tension headaches, facial pain
  • Dizziness
  • Recurrent sinusitis or ear infections
  • Concentration problems
  • Complaints after concussion
  • Burnout, overstress
  • Chronic fatigue
  • General postoperative complaints, scar tissue or pain
  • Unexplained abdominal pain: upset stomach, intestinal discomfort, constipation/diarrhoea, nausea, bloating
  • Recurrent bladder infections

Osteopathy is a safe treatment method for babies and children. During the general examination, if necessary, the osteopath performs specific safety tests to rule out issues and techniques.
The osteopath treats with gentle techniques. Double-folding your baby or cracking vertebrae in your baby and children is absolutely not part of the osteopathic way of working.
A 2006 study by Hayes and all. on the safety of osteopathy in treating infants and children showed that osteopathy is a safe treatment method.
Reference: Hayes NM, Bezilla TA. Incidence of iatrogenesis associated with osteopathic manipulative treatment of pediatric patients. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2006 Oct;106(10):605-8.
Children are in full movement and development, each child in his/her own way. Each stage of a child's development therefore requires a specific approach and each child has its own unique approach and treatment within osteopathy.

Babies and toddlers

The birth of a baby is a special event. At the same time, it is a stressful moment for mother and child. During labour, enormous forces act on the baby. The mobility of the body and the skull generally ensure that these forces can be absorbed well.

Sometimes childbirth does not go smoothly due to, for example, the absence of contractions, a non-optimal position of the head in the birth canal, a breech presentation, too fast labour, a vacuum pump, forceps delivery or caesarean section . These extra forces naturally also act on the baby. If these forces cannot be processed by the small baby's body, it can lead to various complaints or possibly disrupt the child's development in the future.

The osteopath will take anamnesis (questioning) through the parents/carers: after all, an infant cannot verbalise his symptoms himself, but he will express it by crying a lot, restlessness, a lot of needing to suck, cramping and/or overstretching. By asking targeted questions, the osteopath can explore this further.

Babies who cry for a long time, are easily irritated, have sleep problems, have problems sucking or swallowing, suffer from intestinal cramps, spit up excessively, have throat-nose and ear problems, babies who frequently overstretch, have a preferred posture or babies with a flattened skull are complaints for which an osteopath can often provide a solution.

The osteopath uses his hands to examine your baby's skull and body for possible tensions and blockages. These will then be treated using gentle and safe techniques. The treatments are not painful for your baby.
The aim of treatment is to restore natural mobility in the body and optimise your baby's overall development.

The osteopath is specially trained to assess and treat complaints in young patients (from 2 weeks to young adult). In particular, it is examined whether all structures of the body are moving properly. This includes checking the mobility of the spine, pelvis, skull, muscles, joints and organs. Gentle techniques are always used when treating babies.

During treatment, children react differently. Some children cry during the treatment, while others fall asleep. As the tissues start to relax, the stimuli to the brain start to change, to which the child responds.

Indications babies and toddlers

  • Children with deformed skulls, flattening of the skull (phagiocephaly/brachycephaly).
  • Asthma
  • Allergies
  • stomach / intestinal cramps
  • Eczema
  • behavioural problems
  • Throat, nose and ear problems
  • artificial delivery
  • Prolonged crying, crying babies
  • problems with sucking or swallowing
  • reflux complaints, difficulty burping
  • constipation (blockage) or diarrhoea
  • unrest
  • overstretching
  • sleep problems
  • preferred position, crooked posture
  • KISS syndrome
  • sucking problems
  • flatulence

I also have good contacts with baby consultant Amstelveen. Her name is Mariëtte Bosman and she is a specialised nurse. She has a lot of experience with babies and is trained to answer a variety of questions about babies. She can be reached at www.babyconsulentamstelveen.nl. She also works in hospital Amstelland and this also ensures that the lines are short to consult with a paediatrician, for example.

I also work with lactation expert Nienke van den Ende. She works as a specialised nurse in OLVG West. You can reach her under www.nienkelactatiedeskundige.nl.

Children go through a great development in a short period of time, both physically and mentally. Usually development goes well but sometimes it is not optimal due to a variety of causes. For instance, children can suffer all kinds of loss of movement or injuries due to infections and allergies, surgery or even thumb-sucking, for instance. As a result, this can (negatively) affect their development. This is when an osteopathic treatment can often help by removing the movement restrictions and tensions, making the child feel comfortable again.

There are several complaints where an osteopath can help; for example, headaches, abdominal pain, constipation, sore throat and ear problems, eczema and allergies. In children with motor development problems and behavioural and learning problems, osteopathy can also often make a positive contribution.

Children to young adults

Every child is unique!

The body functions as a whole. If problems occur in any of the systems of development, it can affect the child's overall development. Therefore, each child requires its own and unique approach and treatment. An osteopathic treatment for a baby or child consists of gentle mobilising techniques that children generally find pleasant.

Indications children to young adults:

  • allergies
  • asthma
  • abdominal pains
  • concentration problems
  • eczema
  • jaw problems
  • motor deficiency
  • bedwetting
  • constipation
  • headache
  • joint pain
  • growing pains
  • behavioural and learning problems such as hyperactivity, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, dysplasia
  • throat, nose and ear problems
  • recurrent ear infections
  • scoliosis (schreve back)
  • sports injuries
  • and so on

Treatment

The first time you visit an osteopath with your child, a comprehensive intake will take place. Here, questions will be asked about the complaints and also about any medical history and living habits of your baby or child. This is followed by an extensive physical examination of your baby or child.
The intake, examination and treatment are specifically tailored to your child's developmental stage and sensitivity. Each child is looked at individually to see what he or she can handle and needs. At the end of the intake and physical examination, the findings are discussed with you and your child. When treating children, the osteopath will use very gentle techniques to relax the body in order to eliminate loss of mobility.
The osteopath can also refer you if there is reason to do so. The treatment plan is drawn up after which treatment can begin. The period between treatments varies from one to several weeks. This gives the body's self-healing ability time to achieve a new balance.
Good preparation

It is important that your baby or child is at ease and reassured before and during the treatment.
We recommend when you come with your baby or infant to bring a favourite dummy, cuddly toy. I also advise you to bring a spare nappy and possibly a bottle of formula. Babies often allow themselves to be handled perfectly while drinking from the bottle or at the breast.
In addition, you can contribute to a calm treatment by telling your child beforehand and
make you feel that the osteopath will touch the feet, knees, pelvis, hands, arms, neck and head. And that this will not hurt.