Babies and Kids
You’ve heard me talk about adjusting pregnant women recently, and that’s super important. But what about those little bundles of joy after they are born? Do we just leave them to the wolves?
No! Of course not. Chiropractic care is very important for the little munchkins. Going to my favorite pediatric website, the ICPA, you’ll find all kinds of case studies showing resolution and/or reduction of symptoms related to the following:
- Allergies
- Asthma
- ADHD
- Colic
- Ear infections
- Wetting the bed
- Nursing and latch issues
- Digestive troubles, pooping
- And many more
What about safety?
Pediatric Chiropractic is different than that which is performed on adults. For one thing, there is almost never a high velocity type adjustment. You know, the kinds that can get the cracking sound? It’s typically a light touch, or a pressure, sustained for anywhere from a few seconds to a minute.
I adjusted both of my kids within an hour of their birth. With Ari, my oldest, he was having trouble latching on. He wasn’t interested in nursing, and seemed uncomfortable. I adjusted his upper cervical area, where there seemed to be a restriction, with a very light pressure. Right afterwards, he went right to nursing, and then didn’t stop until he was 3 years old!
Why adjust newborns?
Birth is a traumatic experience. No way around that. Their entire experience of life changes in a relatively short time frame. Pressure from the vaginal walls is actually quite good for their skull and brain development. But it can still create interference in the nerve system of the neck and spinal cord. If the birth was a C-section, the pressures and torque applied to the baby can also subluxate them.
Many issues show up in babies that can be resolved if their nerve system is clear. I can’t count how many times I have adjusted my kids when they were fussy or crying, and it served to calm them right down. It can also help them get over colds faster, and make sure that their little bodies are operating as well as possible.
What about older kids?
Stress from development are not simply physical. As kids get older, they deal with emotional stresses as well. So, adding on a heavy backpack and sitting in chairs for long periods, not to mention potential falls on the playground, they also have to worry about social and peer pressures. That’s a lot of stress! Getting adjusted helps the body and mind be their best. I often feel calmer after I get adjusted, more even.
Heal faster
Chiropractic kids respond faster than adults do, generally, because they haven’t built up quite as much stress in their systems, so their course of care is usually shorter, and their results happen more quickly.