Pediatrics

Chiropractic care in pregnancy is vital to the normal physiological function of both the mother and baby throughout pregnancy and birth. More women and birth providers are discovering the many benefits associated with chiropractic care in pregnancy and recognize this area of expertise through Webster Certification.

The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic sacral analysis and diversified adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of sacral subluxation/ SI joint dysfunction. In doing so, neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis is facilitated.

Sacral subluxation may contribute to difficult labor for the mother (i.e., dystocia), caused by inadequate uterine function, pelvic contraction, and baby mal-presentation. Correction of sacral subluxation may have a positive effect on all of these causes of dystocia.

Parents often ask Chiropractors if Chiropractic care is appropriate for infants and children. In particular, they ask whether spinal manipulation is safe for their kids. The answer to this question is yes. In fact, Chiropractic treatment for children is necessary.

Children live in a rough and tumble world. It’s a fun world, where they’re jostled, tossed, slammed and twisted, and where every contortion is met with laughter. This play is necessary for their mental and physical development; but in the process of play, injuries small and large are inflicted. It’s all part of growing up. And parents, you’ve been given the responsibility for making sure your child’s injuries, recognized and unrecognized, are short-lived and do no long-term harm.

The spine, in particular, needs to be cared for as your child grows. It’s the conduit for all communication within your child’s body. Its health is vital to their overall health, both now and into adulthood. Proper care of their spine must be at the forefront of their medical care, especially if they are genetically prone to spinal difficulty.

Is a child’s small body up to spinal adjustment? Yes. Gentle and carefully applied Chiropractic care does not harm your child’s spine, just like it doesn’t harm yours. You may ask about the cracking that everyone who’s had Chiropractic has heard. Isn’t that cracking injuring your child’s spine? No. The cracking one hears at the Chiropractor isn’t the cracking of bone, but the release of small amount of a pressure build up in the form of a gas that surrounds vertebrae. The gas is released when the spinal column is adjusted back into alignment. You may wonder if a child’s bones are well enough developed to stand the pressure of an adjustment. They are. Think about the roughhousing that goes on in your home. Your child’s bones are strong and growing. The pressure Chiropractic treatment applies to the spinal column is a fraction of the pressure they’ll experience when playing out on the playground. The difference is that an adjustment helps ensure that the roughhousing that goes on today continues well into tomorrow.

The greatest amount of growth that your spine experiences is in the first 2 years of life. The spine will grow imbalanced if a fixation is present. Many fixations develop after stress from a bad fitting car seat or incorrect padding, trauma from falls while learning to walk, emotional learning stress and muscle stiffening. Children should be checked monthly at a minimum during the first two years of life when the biggest difference can be made and anytime a fall or accident happens. Many times a child cannot communicate the problems they are having and as such as a parent you will notice behavior changes, increased fussiness, sleep pattern changes, or diet changes just to name a few. Many times a spinal stress or nervous system stress will begin while an infant is developing in utero which will make the spine fixated at birth; these babies may have symptoms like not want to nurse, or may just want to nurse in one direction, etc.

Picture your child standing there with their backpack on. Now picture them walking down the street or up stairs. For today’s kids, backpacks are a necessity. But research is showing that because of the weight of a backpack and the posture children maintain when carrying them, over half of all kids are experiencing back pain, and experiencing spinal, muscle and joint damage that in later years (if not sooner) may result in debilitating skeletal and soft tissue injuries.

How do you get your child to school with all they’re required to take with them while also protecting their spine?.