How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help With Children?
Why would a child, especially a newborn, need to see a chiropractor? Newborns can have a tough journey getting out of the womb. In fact, it is pretty tight quarters in there and sometimes they get stuck before they even try to emerge. Breech babies, babies that are sunny side up (occiput posterior) and multiples (wombmates) get a bit more squished than others. Some babies seem tense in their body right from the start. They might develop a head preference keeping their head turned more in one direction than the other. Eventually that could lead to a flat spot on their skull or even a diagnosis of torticollis. Some babies need to wear a helmet to shape the skull. Other babies are tense and seem cranky or colicky most of the day. If a baby struggles to open their mouth wide or turn their head while sucking, swallowing and breathing they will struggle to feed efficiently.
Having gentle chiropractic care by a chiropractor trained to work on babies can restore normal joint motion and release body tension. Since the cranial bones of the head are not fused yet, the bones can shift during the first year of life. Craniosacral therapy can help ease the tension in the mouth, head, neck and body. We combine gentle chiropractic adjustments with cranial work. The hands-on care for a child is extremely gentle and never involves cracking, twisting or pushing like it might when an adult receives chiropractic care. Not every chiropractor works on babies, but we are fortunate to have Dr. Heidi Henrickson who is a highly sought after expert in her field. She has received the highest level of training and her practice has focused on the pediatric population for over 25 years.
Aside from structural worries, other common reasons a parent brings a child to see a chiropractor include alternative evaluations for common childhood complaints like chronic ear fluid or sinus congestion, constipation, and colic behavior. Does your baby cry the second you put them down? Do they only sleep while contact napping? We LOVE cranky babies at this office. Vagal nerve tone is very important and plays a role in how overstimulated your child can get. Let's evaluate your sweet little one to determine if our gentle bodywork could ease their tension. We will do a combination of cranial work, reflexology, myofascial release as well as specific and extremely gentle chiropractic adjustments to calm your child.
We start with an exam. Infants will be placed in a cozy pillow or resting in the arms of their parent while older kids may choose to lie on the exam table. We will check posture, range of motion and note any body tension or restriction. We will check primitive reflexes and make sure they are on track with motor development. If your child skips crawling or has a weird crawl pattern that can often be a fairly quick and easy correction. As kids age they will be able to communicate how their body feels. Don’t ignore their complaints. Call to schedule an evaluation. We look forward to helping create balance and remove interference.