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What We Do and Why
by Viola Frymann, D.O., F.A.A.O., F.C.A.
The Osteopathic Center for Children and Families was founded in 1982 in La Jolla as a development of the private practice of Viola M. Frymann, DO, FAAO at the "little yellow house" in La Jolla.
This deep concern for children with problems emerged from a personal experience. Our first baby suffered from repetitive, uncontrollable vomiting despite all the recommendations of established medicine. This baby lived for 3 months, but at autopsy no explanation could be found. William Garner Sutherland, DO presented a course in Osteopathy in the Cranial Field. His first lecture described babies such as mine and explained how a long or difficult labor might injure the delicate structure of a baby's head, impair the function of the vagus nerve which controls the digestive system of the baby and cause this frequent vomiting. My baby was the product of a long and difficult labor, he did have an elonged narrow head, rather pointed in the back, and he vomited repeatedly. Dr. Sutherland described a simple technique whereby the osteopathic physician with his trained sense of palpation could identify the structural problem in the baby's head and apply a gentle technique to solve it. With our sad memory of ineffective management of our baby's vomiting, this teaching of Dr. Sutherland sounded too good to be true. A research study of 1250 newborn(1) babies began.
Eight years later I was satisfied that it was indeed true. It was also revealed that of this number of newborn infants, 10% or 125 were free from any structural stresses or strains resulting from the trauma of birth. Ten percent of the babies had suffered sufficiently intense injury that anyone could see a crooked head, technically called plagiocephaly. But 80% had relatively minor strains, although, they did not show any major symptoms of distress at that time. Subsequent history revealed, however, that a history of an unusually prolonged labor or difficulties requiring the use of forceps or vacuum extraction, or evidence of stress in the newborn such as a dusky or bluish color to the skin of a few moments duration, or a failure to utter a strong cry, or failure to grasp the mother's nipple and suck effectively or inconsolable crying instead of sleeping peacefully or a tendency to throw the head back or roll on to the side instead of resting supine on the back are commonly found in the birth history of a child with learning problems, such as ADD or ADHD, or when behavior problems or autistic spectrum are challenging parents and teachers. Failure to concentrate in the classroom or attend assignments given, may not be from a naughty or disruptive, or even mentally inadequate child, but from a gifted child who suffered difficulties during the birth process.
When the experienced osteopathic physician addresses these structural consequences of the trauma of birth it will then become obvious why this gifted child was failing to achieve. This treatment may be a life-changing experience. We advise all mothers to give their newborn babies an osteopathic evaluation to find and remove any structural consequences of birth. This is a vital part of preventive medicine.
The osteopathic intervention for a child who has suffered injury whether from birth, from the common accidents of childhood or sports related injuries, will enable this child to achieve his optimum potential. Such intervention will also be invaluable for the child with respiratory problems, such as asthma, neurological difficulties such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, developmental delay or visual perceptual problems perhaps a wandering eye, a failure to focus or dysfunction in the muscles controlling eye movements.
The Osteopathic Center for Children and Families is a beautiful spacious building on top of a hill with a westerly view of the ocean and two islands, and easterly view of the mountains and a northerly view of the city elementary, middle and high schools. You will come into a roomy reception room with a lovely playroom to your right.Down a brief corridor, you will find another playroom where the budding architects construct some impressive buildings. Meanwhile, mothers or other care-givers can provide the appropriate information at the desk. We have a friendly bilingual receptionist to assist you.
Then when the time comes mothers will be invited to sit down in the doctor's office to provide the child's history up to the present time. Mother is asked to speak alone with the doctor rather than providing this important and perhaps rather painful information in front of a child. Even the child who does not talk still takes in the essence of what is said around then.
If you have any medical records, reports, x-rays, MRI images or other reports to enhance your history, please bring them with you.
Now, it is time for the child to meet with the doctor where he/she will find a wonderful variety of interesting and age appropriate toys and an assistant to supervise the play. The examination will include the customary examinations of heart, lungs, eyes, mouth, throat, abdomen as well as the structure of the feet, legs, pelvis, back, ribs and head by a gentle comfortable application of the physician's hands. If the child is old enough and capable they will be studied standing, walking, creeping, crawling, skipping etc.
Finally the parent, or both parents, if possible, will again meet in the doctor's office for the results of the diagnostic evaluation and recommendations for the treatment of the child. Thus is the time to gain a better understanding of the problems and a clearer picture of the treatment that seems appropriate.
The staff of the Osteopathic Center for Children and Families includes Shawn K. Centers, DO, Clinical Director; Steve Ochi DO; Julie Mai DO; and Bill Petras DO, as well as Peter Springall, Sensori Developmentalist. We also take care of the members of the family, for the health of a child is dependent on the integrity, health and happiness of the whole family.
The objective of all the staff at the Osteopathic Center for Children and Families is to enable your children to function at the optimum of their potential no matter what challenges confront them.
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This web site is an educational program of Osteopathy's Promise to Children, a 501c3 organization formed for charitable benefit.
Osteopathic Center for Children &
Families
4135 54th Place • San Diego, California 92105
• 619.583.7611
info@osteopathiccenter.org
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