Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Your Baby's First Chiropractic Adjustment

Most people would find the title of this article a bit strange because their orientation to going to a chiropractor is for back or neck pain.

As someone who was frequently ill as a child, it would have been nice if my parents knew about the benefits of chiropractic care for children while I was still a baby. It wasn't until I was 16 years old that I got my first adjustment and by then, I had suffered quite a bit. I grew up with asthma, food, animal, and environmental allergies, migraine headaches, and a chronic skin rash. After a few weeks of chiropractic care, my health started to turn around.

After being in the fetal position for so long, newborn spines and limbs can have a bit of a challenge adapting to more elongated positions causing muscle spasms in the neck or back areas. Their heads can also become misshapen during the birth process leading to nursing and focusing issues.

If the mom had drugs during pregnancy or delivery, there are certain subluxation (spinal misalignments that interfere with brain-body communication) patterns that are common. These can lead to reflux, colic, and other digestive system problems.

Babies respond very well to skilled chiropractic adjustments and usually become calm, centered, and relaxed almost immediately. It's important to go to a chiropractor who is experienced in certain infant-adjusting techniques. Usually a friend or midwife is a good referral source.