Re-Harmonize the forces of growth met Alain Croibier DO

Re-Harmonize the forces of growth

Understand, evaluate and release the forces of growth in the neurocranium

In our practice, we know that osteopathy can be very effective in pediatrics in providing a response to many functional disorders in infants. This is the case for colic, regurgitation, tearing, recurrent ENT pathologies, as well as sleep disorders, uncontrollable crying, stiff necks …

However, some results sometimes remain partial or temporary. Sometimes, it is certain disturbances, such as plagiocephaly, which continue an unfavorable evolution disturbing the dynamics of long-term growth.

Whatever the purpose of pediatric osteopathic treatment, whether it aims to correct or prevent, without relying on the forces of growth, there can be no lasting results.

Infants and children cannot be viewed as miniature adults, but rather as patients whose anatomy is changing very rapidly. Of course, you have to adapt your technical skills to each age. Thus, for example, taking into account the ossification calendar of the different bone pieces is very important. Successive acquisitions, whether morphological, postural or dynamic, are also essential.

Beyond these technical adaptations, it is the time factor that is essential in the care. The game can be lost or won depending on the state of the growth forces. Thus, it is necessary to know how to evaluate them with respect at the level of the infant’s skull, and to be able to consider them in their complexity.

Growth is multifactorial. It does not only depend on the play of sutures and synchondroses of the base of the skull. Certain mechanical interactions with neuro-meningeal dynamics and vascular forces can also be disturbed. They must then be reoriented to allow harmonious development of the craniosacral whole.

The release of growth forces requires precision and gentleness in order to provide comfort to the baby from the first days of life. The overall osteopathic treatment will always be optimized by taking into account and using these released growth forces.

Goals:

• Understand the interplay of growth forces at the level of the skull, the interactions and roles of the different elements;
• Work on diagnostic touch and adapted techniques to assess and treat the growth forces of small children;
• Take care of the functional pathologies of newborns and infants by relying on their internal strengths;
• Take part in a preventive process for the future health of the child and the adult he will become;
• Communicate and discuss with pediatric-oriented medical professionals by adapting our osteopathic language to medical terminology.

Theoretical Content:

The theoretical reminders will focus on various aspects that it is necessary to know in current pediatric practice:

• Reminders concerning the growth and craniofacial development of newborns and infants, role of neurological and vascular elements in growth mechanisms.
• The forces disrupting growth: pregnancy and childbirth (prematurity, term fetus, gestational trauma, birth trauma, etc.)
• Element of differential diagnosis: reminders on the malformative elements of the face and the skull (craniosynostosis, major syndromes, cerebral malformations, etc.)

Clinical and practical approach:

This three-day course will focus on osteopathic practice concerning newborns and infants (from 0 to 24 months).

• The meeting with the child, the parent (s), the pediatric osteopathic examination
• Pediatric listening
• The pediatric osteoneural approach
• The work of the base of the skull:
  • Anatomy of ossification centers and different synchondroses
  • Average age of fusion of the different parts
  • Neuromeningeal relationships
  • Vascular relationships
  • Relationship to the contents of the spine and the sacrum
  • Palpation and mobility tests
  • Techniques adapted to the infant
• Work on the vault of the skull
  • Anatomy and physiology of fontanelles and sutures
  • Palpation and mobility tests
  • Neurosutural techniques
  • Vascular techniques
• Clinical interest of the manipulations

Alain Croibier is an Osteopath in France and has been in private practice since 1990. He is a Member of the Registre des Osteopathes de France since 1991 and a Membre Titulaire of the Academie d Osteopathie de France since 1997. Together with Jean-Pierre Barral, Alain Croibier has developed the modalities of Neural Manipulation and New Manual Articular Approach based on their on-going clinical research. Alain Croibier is a Professor for Visceral Manipulation and Osteopathic Diagnosis at the Osteopathic College, A.T. Still Academy, Lyon, France. He is also an International Teacher for Visceral Manipulation, Neural Manipulation (NM) and New Manual Articular Approach (MAA) for The Barral Institute. Alain Croibier holds the title of Co-Curriculum Developer for the Barral Institute. In conjunction with Jean-Pierre Barral, Alain helped develop the modalities of NM and MAA into various manual therapy courses, which he has personally taught to manual therapists around the world.