18
VCOM-VC
by Samantha Falls
Chapter National Representative
At the end of last year we held a great event focusing on OMM techniques for pediatric patients. Our fellow students volunteered their children for a morning of demonstrations with Dr. Hope Tobey D.O. FAAP FACOP. We had patients ranging from 6 weeks to seven years old. Dr. Tobey taught us the differences in the tissue texture changes and tissue responses to treatment in children in general, as well as, treatments specific for different age groups.
Using our youngest patients, Dr. Tobey showed us a thorough osteopathic newborn exam, as well as, techniques for persistent molding and plagiocephaly including, condylar and lambdoidal suture decompression to resolve compression and balance the reciprocal tension membrane at the hypoglossal canal and resolve persistent overlap of the lambdoidal suture, respectively. We also learned techniques for sucking dysfunction, including peri-oral myofascial unwinding and BLT for the omohyoid and mandible. The children that were at the event were only treated by their parents and Dr. Tobey, so these techniques were very interesting to try on our fellow students, but we had some great helpers!
In addition to treatments for infants, we learned treatments that can be used on children of all ages and even adults. These treatments included gastric release for GER, colonic stimulation for constipation, rib raising, thoracic lymphatic pump, and CV4 for asthma, and auricular drainage and gallbreath technique for otitis media.
It was a great workshop for both the students and the kids. Parents learned to treat some common and not so common complaints in their children and we all learned ways to potentially help future patients. We may have even inspired some future Osteopathic Physicians along the way! ❉