Your teenage children are experiencing an important and rapid developmental and social period. Staying healthy and healing quickly from injuries helps them succeed during these formative years.
Osteopathy is becoming more common among teenagers. It supports a holistic approach to their growth and development, physical and sports performance, study habits, and emotional well-being. With regular osteopathic visits, teenagers can help prevent common teen injuries and establish lifelong healthy habits.
Keep reading to learn about Osteopathy for teenagers and how to address teenage health concerns holistically.
Osteopathy for teenagers supports physical growth and development
Teenagers are growing rapidly. Their puberty growth spurts are triggered by the release of three hormones around the same time: growth hormones, thyroid hormones, and antigens. This usually happens between 8-13 for girls and 10-15 for boys.
During this time, they may experience growing pains, musculoskeletal imbalances, and other physical discomforts. In girls, they may start experiencing heavy or painful menstrual cycles.
Osteopathy can help support the physical growth and development of teenagers, including:
- Supporting spinal alignment to promote better movement patterns
- Balancing hormones to support overall wellness
- Boosting blood circulation to minimize painful menstruation symptoms
- Support faster musculoskeletal healing from common sports injuries
With regular appointments throughout their teenage years, Osteopathy can also help keep their spine and joints healthy to support a healthy range of motion and mobility as injury prevention measures.
Osteopathy enhances sports performance and injury recovery
Teens in sports and other physical activities often get injured more often. They are especially at risk of strains, sprains, and repetitive-use injuries. At Thuja, I usually see a high incidence of teenage patients with:
- Stress fractures
- Osgood Schlatter Disease (swelling in shin bone due to running or jumping)
- Tendonitis
- Hip, knee, and ankle pain
- Lower back and shoulder pain
The good news is that Osteopathy can help reduce swelling and increase circulation caused by sports injuries. Our non-invasive approach means less downtime compared to surgical methods. However, if surgery or a more invasive approach is necessary, we can work with your other healthcare team to support your recovery.
Through preventative care, Osteopathy can help you avoid many common sports injuries by optimizing your mobility, breathing, and overall wellness and mobility.
Osteopathy for teenagers addresses postural issues from studying
Spending long hours studying on the computer or doing homework can take a harsh physical toll on a teenager’s growing body. Many teenagers experience poor posture, back pain, and neck strain, and some develop carpal tunnel syndrome or scoliosis.
Osteopathy can help counteract the adverse side effects of sitting or studying for long periods. We can help realign your spine and provide techniques to ensure proper posture and healthy ergonomic habits. Teenagers can work with their osteopath to learn stretches and strengthening exercises to prevent long-term postural issues and pain.
Osteopathy helps manage stress and emotional well-being.
There’s no denying your teenage years are full of stress and anxiety. In a Canadian 2019 study, 12% of surveyed teens aged 12-17 reported fair or poor mental health. In 2023, when these same teens were 16-21, this rose to 26%.
Between academic, social (including social media), and emotional stress, many of today’s teenagers are unequipped to deal with the effects of emotional stress. An osteopath can help them learn calming techniques to:
- Reduce muscle tension
- Improve nervous system function
- Calm the mind
With gentle osteopathic techniques like cranial osteopathy, teenagers can find relief from other stress symptoms such as headaches, trouble sleeping, brain fog, or struggles remembering information.
Osteopathy for better sleep
Teenagers often struggle with irregular sleeping patterns. They stay up late on school nights to do homework, sleep-in late on weekends, or struggle to sleep because they’re anxious or stressed. Irregular sleeping patterns affect the body’s circadian rhythms, leading to sleepiness, depression, impaired memory, decreased hand-eye coordination, or more serious health conditions.
Your osteopath will likely first recommend that your teenagers do their best to maintain a regular sleep schedule as much as possible. Recognizing this may be difficult for many teens, they may also suggest nutrition and hydration to keep their bodies healthy. Additionally, several manual practices, like gentle massage or cranial sacral therapy, can help calm their minds and help them sleep better.
How to support your teen’s growth with Osteopathy
Your teen needs your support throughout their confusing teenage years. You can equip them with the tools and support they need to stay physically and mentally healthy by recommending an Osteopath.
Osteopaths can help teenagers navigate their teenage years preventatively or curatively.
- Through preventative measures, we can help you align your musculoskeletal system so your body functions optimally, minimizing your chances of avoidable pain and injury.
- Through curative measures, we take a whole-body, holistic approach to healing. We look for the root cause of the injury, not just treating the symptoms (although we do that, too).
Every teen is unique, and so is their approach to health. We’ll work with you and your teen to uncover their health concerns, provide gentle, non-invasive therapies to support healing and symptom relief, and suggest lifestyle changes to help them achieve optimal health and well-being.
It’s never too early or late to seek osteopathic care for your teenager. Talk to your teen about their health and book an appointment at Thuja Wellness. I’ll discuss your individual concerns and potential treatment plans with you.
