Muscle tension or imbalances in babies and children

Early signs of muscle tension in infants

• Too short tongue and lip ties (hence difficulty breastfeeding)
• Reflux
• Colic 
• Head turn to the same side 
• Keeps head clear of surface when lying on stomach
• Crooked/flat skull
• Restless or short-term sleep
• Constipation, diarrhea
• Spine in C-shape/banana shape when the child lies on their back or stomach

Infants with reduced mobility in the connective tissue

There can be several reasons why an infant has tension in muscles and connective tissue, which will most often result in reduced mobility after birth.

Factors in pregnancy
The motor stimulation of the baby may be affected during pregnancy if, for example, the pregnant woman has been bedridden for a long period, if the baby is very large, and/or has been stuck in the pelvis for a long time, which may result in the baby not getting enough opportunity to move in the womb. The reduced mobility can lead to tension in the muscles and connective tissue, which can affect muscle development and the mobility of the connective tissue.

Factors during birth
The course of the birth can affect whether the baby develops tension and subsequent mobility problems. For example, a very rapid birth will affect the baby’s rotation through the birth canal, which can cause uneven pressure on the neck and skull, which can cause tension and asymmetries in the baby’s connective tissue and muscles. A prolonged birth can mean that the baby is stuck in the birth canal, which creates constant pressure on the baby’s head and neck, and this can, just like a rapid birth, lead to tension and reduced mobility.

Other factors such as complications during birth, including umbilical cord around the neck, use of a vacuum, emergency cesarean section, stargazing position or breech birth can also affect muscle and connective tissue.

Check-up of an infant by an osteopath

Tensions and asymmetries can cause a number of symptoms and affect the infant’s motor development. We would therefore recommend that you book an appointment with one of our therapists who specializes in baby treatment. Osteopathy can help release tension in muscle and connective tissue and thus support normal motor development.

Source: Sundhedsstyrelsen

Early intervention for muscle imbalances

It is important to start osteopathic treatment early if the above problems are suspected.

In the first few days after birth, many people are primarily concerned with establishing breastfeeding. However, it is a common misconception to stop breastfeeding due to fear that there will not be enough milk production. If the breast receives the right stimulation, in the vast majority of cases there will be enough milk production. Lack of or insufficient stimulation can occur if the child has a too tight tongue tie and/or lip tie, which can also lead to mastitis or sore nipples.

Even if your child is on a full bottle, it is never too late for osteopathic treatment to help. A tight tongue tie and all other tightness in the connective tissue will, without treatment, hinder your infant’s opportunities for motor development, sometimes right up until school age.

If there have been problems that have been treated with good effect, it will always be a good idea to have follow-up treatment to prevent tension, for example when teething, when taking the first steps and when starting kindergarten, where motor skills are challenged more than before.

Motor skills in infants

Up until 2-3 months of age, head lifting when lying on the stomach is a sign of tightening in the connective tissue. Most often, it is tightening of the connective tissue in the back, along the entire spine, in the neck and up to the edge of the skull.

The newborn baby should not be able to hold his or her head up without support at the back of the head, nor should he or she keep his or her head up when lying on his or her stomach. Most people mistakenly think that this is because the infant has good strength.

Head turning to one side and preferred side when breastfeeding and sleeping are also due to tightness in the connective tissue. In some cases, the connective tissue is so tight that the head is turned with the shoulder pulled up to the same side. This affects the nerve and blood supply to the arm on the same side and is called torticollis. In many cases, this is noticed at birth, but other times it is not diagnosed until 3-5 months of age, when the infant begins to discover hands and feet. In this case, there will be less or perhaps no use of the arm on the affected side. Parents have often noticed the difference, especially when dressing and undressing, where the affected arm is more difficult to get into the shirt sleeve.

Prevention and treatment of muscle tension in babies

In babies with tension, fascial techniques are primarily used to loosen the connective tissue that is causing the problems. The cranial/craniosacral techniques are used to ensure that there is free passage for the circulation, so that the connective tissue is kept supple and nourished, to prevent new tension.

When too tight connective tissue has been loosened, it is always good to follow up, both at home and with the osteopath, to ensure that the connective tissue remains flexible. In this context, exercises will be provided in relation to the infant’s development.

How osteopathy relieves tension in the connective tissue in children

Our connective tissue is full of nerve endings that pick up and transmit pain when something is wrong. Tightness in the tissue will, in addition to pain, also inhibit movement. This also applies to the newborn child, where pain will affect well-being, and the reduced movement will inhibit motor development.

The gentle osteopathic techniques create calm in the nervous system and reduce pain in the infant. At the same time, it is fundamental for osteopathy to see the connection between symptoms, so that all problems in the body are examined and treated. As osteopaths specializing in baby treatment, we always treat with the aim of giving your child the optimal opportunities for healthy development through play and movement.

Muscle and nerve problems in babies

It can vary greatly whether tight connective tissue is discovered at birth or only later in life. As the infant develops, problems in the connective tissue will affect motor development, and sometimes the tissue remains so tight that it also affects the nervous tissue. This results in diagnoses or signs of, for example:

• Torticollis: tight connective tissue and/or locking in the neck, which affects the nerve supply to the arm.
• KISS KIDD: locks on and along the spine.

Conversely, muscle imbalances can also be caused by under-tensioned connective tissue, which is seen as, for example:

• Hip dysplasia: congenital hip defect.
• Hypermobility: soft joints.

Tense muscles in children and children’s motor development

From the very beginning of a child’s life, tight connective tissue and muscle imbalances will hinder the child’s motor development to a greater or lesser extent. However, children are generally very adaptive, meaning they are good at compensating for lack of movement, which in some cases can lead to both parents and professionals perceiving that the child has outgrown the problems.

Osteopathic Treatments for Muscle Imbalances in Children: A Guide for Parents

Parents often notice and see imbalances before others, perhaps without knowing what the problem may be and that it can be treated, or at least alleviated, with osteopathic treatment.

As parents, there are the following signs that may be worth responding to in terms of seeking help from an osteopath:

• Asymmetry: One arm or leg is used more than the other. This can be seen when handling toys and crawling.
• Strength: If the infant can lift and hold his head in a prone position or supported by the body in an upright position until 2-3 months of age, this may be a sign of locking in the neck and back.
• Motor skills: A child who often falls, does not run and jump in normal play, prefers not to climb on anything, or has problems with balance are signs of blockages in the connective tissue, muscles, and fascia.

Osteopathy and child development: effective methods for treating muscle imbalances

Between the ages of 3 and 7, the greatest motor development occurs in terms of combined and coordinated movements. The most important factor in our ability to perform free, combined and coordinated movements is our fascia/connective tissue.

Even if the child has received osteopathic treatments as an infant, tension can still arise in the connective tissue as the combined and coordinated movements develop.

Most often, however, it is seen that previously mentioned congenital problems have not been discovered or treated effectively. For example, a tight tongue tie can still affect the connective tissue and neck muscles, so that motor development is slowed down. But in the case of the infant, it may have been thought that the problem was solved by switching to a bottle.

Regardless of the age of the child, it will be possible to treat muscle imbalances. Because muscle imbalances come from locking and restrictions in the connective tissue, it is most effective to treat with osteopathic techniques and follow up with motor training.

As the child loosens up, it is often seen that the children themselves take advantage of their new opportunities to follow other children in play and thus develop motor skills. However, it becomes even more effective if advice is given on training that can be integrated into play and other activities in everyday life.