Infants

The vast majority of orthopedic problems in childhood are seen in the lower extremities: the feet, legs, knees and hips. When one considers the vast changes that a small body must make as it grows from its cramped in utero position through crawling to walking, it is not surprising to find problems in the lower extremities.

The orthopedic condition routinely evaluated for at birth is "congenital hip," where the head of the femur (upper leg bone) cannot seat itself in the too shallow depression present in the ilium (hip bone). Though it must be treated with bracing, osteopathic treatment helps to normalize the joint functions which were inevitable disturbed by the bracing. Osteopathic manipulative treatment, which looks to improve body function through addressing body structure, assists in the resolution of many common orthopedic conditions of childhood.

Tibial torsion, the outward bowing of the lower leg, is caused b the cramped folding of the baby's legs in utero, and often resolves spontaneously in the first year of life. However, if the torsion is accompanied by a distortion between the knee cap and the tibial bone, or between the tibia and the nearby fibula, these should be treated osteopathically, preferable before the baby begins to walk. When babies first stand, they often place their feet far apart for stability, thereby standing on the inside edges of their feet. If the stance remains wide beyond the first few months of walking, osteopathic treatment is recommended.

Falling hard on one's bottom is another normal component of learning to stand but is hard on the relationship between the sacrum (at the base of the spine) and the vertabrae of the lower back. This common insult, left untreated, is probably one of the underlying causes of low back pain suffered by adults.