Chiropractic and Kids: Adjusting Infants

Most people recognize the value of chiropractic care for adults, but a normally working nervous system can help everyone. Chiropractic care for children is very different from that for adults. Tailored to their age and weight, their adjustments often require no more pressure than you’d use to test the ripeness of a tomato. Assessing and treating children is a much different experience than one of an adult and involves very safe, gentle techniques.
 

 

There are many considerations involved with a growing baby but take into account the trauma of the birth process. Pulling, forcing and twisting a baby from the birth canal are common. Cesarean section, forceps, suction extraction or eager hands can cause functional problems, which can contribute excessive stresses to the baby’s cranium, spine and nervous system.

Without the language to explain what’s wrong, some newborns exhibit unexplained crying, a lack of appetite, or other difficulties. Newborns and infants often show a tendency to hold their head to one side or prefer breast-feeding from only one side. These are ways they cope with abnormal spinal function and an impaired nervous system. Chiropractors are alert to the many ways nerve interference can negatively affect your baby’s health.

It is common for children to receive chiropractic care. Furthermore, this care is safe. The ICPA presented preliminary results of their Practiced Based Research Network, listing three improvements with care noted by both doctors and parents involved in the survey:

• Improved sleep
• Attitudes and behavior
• Immune system function

When to Get a Checkup

There are various stages in development when rapid changes and additional stresses occur to the child’s spine and nervous system. These stages are ideal benchmarks to getting your child checked out. They are:

Stage 1: Within 48 hours of the birth process 
Stage 2: The2-month exam – child is lifting head up 
Stage 3: The 6-month exam – child is sitting on his/her own 
Stage 4: The 8-month exam – child is crawling 
Stage 5: The 11-month exam – child is starting to walk

It is also recommended to bring your child in to get assessed if they undergo any kind of trauma or accident. Regular adjustments can help kids heal quickly and can prevent issues from developing in the future.

Prenatal Chiropractic

Prenatal chiropractic is a safe, comfortable option for women who are struggling with pain or who just want a healthier, happier pregnancy. 

A majority of patients report having low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy, which results in sleep disturbances and impaired daily living. Many women assume that because they are pregnant and can’t take medication, they must just endure this pain untreated. Fortunately, there is an alternative.

Chiropractic during pregnancy can help alleviate many ailments that otherwise would go untreated during this sensitive time. These include:

• Aiding in reducing low back pain
• Aiding in reducing pelvic pain
• Aiding in reducing upper back and neck pain
• Helping to reduce morning sickness, heart burn and swollen feet/ankles
• Reducing labour time and reducing the need for pain medication
• Allowing for easier delivery
• Reducing intrauterine constraint for optimal baby positioning

 

A woman’s body undergoes many physical changes during the nine months of pregnancy and these can lead to subtle, yet dramatic, changes in the musculoskeletal system. Due to the shift in the woman’s centre of gravity, often low back and pelvic pain can occur. These stresses and strains can be relieved with chiropractic care. Also, many pregnant patients also report faster and more comfortable deliveries after chiropractic care.

Prenatal chiropractic uses safe, gentle techniques that can help make a pregnancy more comfortable. There is special equipment, including a modified table, that accommodates the growing tummy. The treatment is specialized specifically for the woman so that she feels comfortable and supported. 

(To the left is a photo of the table in my clinic, with the drop away piece shown. This special table allows the belly to fit in the space, so that the patient can lay on her stomach comfortably right through to the end of pregnancy.)

 In a recent review of published research evaluating chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, for pregnancy-related low back pain, researchers found that all studies reported positive results for chiropractic care of low back pain during pregnancy. While more elaborate studies are needed, those currently conducted have shown chiropractic care to be beneficial and safe for pregnancy-related low back pain.

In the Diakow et al. study in JMPT, 84% of patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy reported relief of back pain during pregnancy. There was significantly less likelihood of back labor when spinal manipulative therapy was administered during pregnancy. Getting treated during pregnancy will help restore normal biomechanical function to the pelvis throughout pregnancy and facilitate a safer, easier birth in the future.

Proper maternal nutrition, exercise and regular chiropractic care help create the best opportunity for healthy prenatal growth. Chiropractic helps women get well and stay well: before, during, and after their pregnancies.

What to Expect When You Visit the Chiropractor

A first visit at any new health professional can be a little daunting. There is an element of the unknown that can make anybody wary. Here is a little run down about what you would expect to undergo in a chiropractic office. 

All chiropractic patients will experience an initial assessment before treatment. You will be asked to share information about your health, such as any injury or surgery, medications you are taking and family health history. This health history is important to the chiropractor as they are making decisions based on this information.

The first visit will take longer than following visits, because your chiropractor will conduct a history and physical assessment based on the reason for your visit. The assessment might include posture, range of motion, reflexes, and other orthopaedic and neurologic tests. Your chiropractor may also order x-rays. Your chiropractor will talk with you about your diagnosis and treatment plan before you receive treatment.

Doctors of chiropractic diagnose, treat and help prevent musculoskeletal (bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, joints and connective tissues) conditions and disorders and the effect they have on the nervous system.

The main form of treatment chiropractors deliver is called an adjustment – a non-invasive procedure consisting of a precise directed movement to help relieve pain and discomfort, and restore range of motion.

A chiropractor does not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, but may make a referral to medical specialists for such treatment when appropriate.

In addition to adjustments, chiropractors also counsel patients regarding nutrition, lifestyle and exercise.  

Why would you see a chiropractor?

Among some of the common MSK conditions people see a chiropractor for are:

• Back and neck pain
• Shoulder and neck pain
• Headaches, including migraines
• Hip, knee and ankle pain
• Whiplash and car accident injuries
•  Strains and sprains from day-to-day tasks to sports injuries
• Workplace injuries
•  General health and well-being

If any of these conditions sound familiar or if you are interested in learning more, I would recommend booking in for an initial assessment.