Manual therapy for the pediatric population
Alternative medicine was always attractive for parents for a wide variety of pediatric conditions. The list of commonly used methods include botanical supplements, manual therapy, mobilization and various manipulations for spine and peripheral joints. Authors from USA and Canada analyzed 50 studies for the use of manual therapy in children, as well as the adverse events. Favorable results were reported in 36 studies, where moderate-positive effects were found for such pathologies as low back pain, pulled elbow, and premature infants. Twenty articles reported adverse events, which were transient and mild to moderate in severity. The modifications should be considered for manual procedures to take into account the differences in children age, structural development and flexibility of the joints. Details in a full article.