Jamie goes to the osteopath

Yup, Jamie's now got himself a therapist. Well, an osteopath to be precise. I'd better explain.

We've noticed over the past couple of weeks that our little man has at times seemed a little more uncomfortable and carried himself a little more oddly than perhaps the norm.

After asking around, our sharp sister-in-law Helen suggested we take him to see an osteopath - and what a good idea it appears to have been.

For those of you who don't know - and I would've classed myself as one of them only this morning - "osteopathy is a way of detecting and treating damaged parts of the body such as muscles, ligaments, nerves and joints." (I'm copying this off a leaflet, can you tell?)

"Using many of the diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical assessment and diagnosis, osteopaths seek to restore the optimal functioning of the body and aid its ability to heal without the use of drugs or surgery."

Just one sentence left - stick with me.

"Treatment includes a variety of stretching, releasing, mobilizing and manipulative techniques, reinforced by guidance on posture and exercise."

So now you know (unless you already did, in which case I've probably confused you).

Jamie's osteopath was called Dr Wendy and she was very nice. After an initial examination and a few choice prods, she was able to tell us that he'd overstretched his neck either in the womb or on the way out and this was causing him pain.

One of the direct side effects was discomfort in his tummy which, again, hasn't been much fun for him.

It really was ingenious stuff and Wendy reckons a couple of treatments should sort him out, starting next Friday.

She also very kindly showed us a couple of things we could do to help him along in the meantime and even let Vanessa play the role of trusty assistant for a short while. I was very jealous.

The only downside of our visit was Jamie's insistence on playing party music in his pants for almost the entire session. Still, I know someone who once listened to The Eagles on his Walkman whilst having a heart operation so, if it took his mind off what was going on, I suppose I shouldn't complain.