Pediatric Chiropractic Explained

It often comes as a big surprise to people when they find out that I adjust children, and not only children – but BABIES!!?? The question that always follows is, “Why would a child need a chiropractic adjustment?”

Health is about balance, so the first question we’ll answer is: How does a child come out of balance? Physical traumas – they are a common part of growing up and there are a number of especially common times that they may occur. Trauma from birth and childhood experiences can cause subtle misalignment of the spinal bones that can interfere with the nervous system and contribute to a myriad of health issues. As a chiropractor, I assess how your child’s spine and nervous system is adapting to the lifestyle stressors placed upon it – and if needed – perform chiropractic adjustments that gently and effectively correct these misalignments so the body can function properly. Continue reading “Pediatric Chiropractic Explained”

Are Baby Carriers Good for the Spine?

Many new parents are unsure when it comes to carrying their newborn, especially when it comes to how it may affect their baby’s development. As a Structural Chiropractor, the way I look at babywearing may be a little bit different – my focus is on how it may affect the baby’s developing spine and nervous system.

Lets start with the anatomy of a newborn. As you can see in the illustration below – the spine of an infant is c-shaped – this is natural until the baby begins to hold their head up, crawl and stand which will help develop the curves we have as adults.  One of the first options parents encounter for carrying their baby is (not surprisingly) the car seat.

Research by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) shows that car seats result in  “restricted postural options which can impact your baby’s developing cranium and spine”. It seems that by keeping the spine in a c-shaped configuration, car seats can actually prevent and inhibit the natural curves from forming. In additon, babies can have a hard time acquiring adequate muscle strength to hold their heads up if they don’t get much of a chance to deal with gravity in an upright position. .Bottom line on car seats: an ergonomic carrier is superior to using a car seat when the baby is not in the car. Continue reading “Are Baby Carriers Good for the Spine?”

Are We Medicalizing Normality?

In a commentary published in the October 20, 2011 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, Dr. Eric Hassall cautions that medicine has turned normal function in infants into a disease complete with drug therapy and the resulting list of adverse events.

The problem lies in the fact that many doctors are viewing frequent spitting up, irritability and unexplained crying in infants under the age of one as a medical condition because the symptoms are distressing to parents. This has resulted in an increase in written prescriptions for acid-suppression medication over the last decade. Continue reading “Are We Medicalizing Normality?”