Friday, February 11, 2011

March Meeting Announcement: Osteopathy for Children and Families

On Tuesday, March 1, Dr. Christina Steele, DO, will present an introduction to Osteopathic medicine, and will discuss its benefits for a variety of childhood and maternal conditions. Osteopathy recognizes the healing power of the body, and attempts to facilitate that process. The Osteopathic physician’s goal is to reduce pain and restore motion, as well as help the body heal itself. Osteopathic manipulation is a non-invasive hands-on technique used for diagnosis and prevention, as well as treatment. OMT can contribute to the healing of trauma from both physical and emotional causes. Many old injuries lead either to chronic spasms or contracture of tissues, all of which can cause compensatory problems, leading to chronic pain. An osteopath’s goal is to first of all, restore normal motion and function to these damaged areas, and to improve the vascular flow that is frequently injured by trauma. In addition, Osteopathic treatments often have an additional benefit of alleviating the energy the body has to use to repair and compensate these injuries. Patients often find their treatments lead to an unexpected relief of old long forgotten trauma.

Dr. Christina Steele completed medical school in Los Angeles, California, where she also completed a Masters degree in International Health and Health Education, summa cum laude. After completing a residency in family practice, Dr. Steele completed a second fellowship in Neuromuskuloskelatal Medicine with the American Academy of Osteopathy. She is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Practitioners, and holds an associate professorship in Anatomy at Husson College in Maine; where she previously maintained an independent practice for women and children. She has been a recurring guest lecturer at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Eastern Maine Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine. Prior to her medical training, Dr. Steele worked in the international relief field, primarily in the field of refugee health. Dr. Steele currently practices at Crossings, A Center for the Healing Traditions, in Silver Spring, MD.

Our "Osteopathy for Children and Families" meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 1, from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Cleveland Park Public Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. There is street parking in Cleveland Park, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Cleveland Park/Red Line stop.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Extended Breastfeeding Meeting Recap!

On Tuesday, February 1, Mairi Breen Rothman, CNM, spoke to us about extended breastfeeding, which is typically defined as nursing past your child's first birthday. Mairi is a Certified Nurse-Midwife who has breastfed all four of her children into the toddler years. Mairi has also been very active in the breastfeeding policy arena, most notably helping to create a law in Maryland making it legal for women to nurse wherever they want and need to.

Mairi presented a number of studies demonstrating the benefits to mother and baby of breastfeeding, and the ongoing benefits as babies grow into toddlers. We had a terrific group of families present, and there were many questions asked and answered. We also had a great group of toddlers (all of whom were still being breastfed) running together during the meeting. Thank you Mairi for all of the great information you provided! We hope to see you next month for our Introduction to Osteopathy for the Family meeting!