When you go to get chiropractic treatment, you might wonder if your baby can, too. Your baby might feel the same sense of relief you do if they received chiropractic therapy. It is not only safe for babies to receive treatments from chiropractors but also healthy for them. For treating newborns, chiropractic therapy is an effective approach. Infant chiropractic adjustments are gentle, precise, and secure.
You can learn how a chiropractor can improve your baby’s vitality by speaking with one about your child’s needs. Find out from our certified team what type of treatments we provide. We can perform an initial consultation and treatment plan to deliver the best results for your little one. Call Snap Crack now to learn more.
When Can Babies Go to Chiropractors?
Chiropractic therapy is a safe form of neonatal care. Babies can receive chiropractic care within the first few weeks after birth. Family chiropractors use gentle and moderate pressure to realign the spine. Newborns experience a form of trauma during the birthing process. This treatment encourages the body to heal and recover.
Chiropractic care helps remedy these issues babies may face and promotes curative and invigorating processes within the body. You can wait at least two to three weeks before your baby’s first treatment. Speak to your family chiropractor first in an initial consultation before making a decision.
Benefits of Treatments for Babies
Infants will benefit from chiropractic therapy because it provides a solution for any issues in their musculoskeletal system. Health benefits include the following:
Colic Symptoms
There is proof that chiropractic adjustments greatly reduce colic symptoms in babies according to a three-month scientific study done in 2012. In the study, researchers reported that 94% of the patients experienced less severe colic symptoms.
Misaligned Vertebrae
Babies can experience trauma after birth, which causes a slight misalignment in their spinal column. This disorder often affects the upper neck area. This misalignment is typically present in infants who suffer from bowel issues, acid reflux, ear infections, and colic. Though bringing a young child to a chiropractor may seem scary or risky, chiropractic therapy is different from what most people are accustomed to.
The spine doesn’t fracture, twist, pop, or get damaged in babies with gentle applications. Your infant most likely won’t even be aware of what is happening or experience any pain. The baby will be more content and healthy after a realignment.
Ear Infections
Ear infections develop after a viral infection, such as the common cold. They can also happen in young children with allergies. Drainage problems are usually the root of the problem. The Eustachian Tube removes extra fluid from the ear canal and is often susceptible to obstruction in babies. When this occurs, fluid accumulates and can create an environment for infectious germs to flourish.
Pediatric chiropractic therapy can fix fluid drainage in the Eustachian Tubes. This reduces discomfort and inflammation in the nerves that regulate the muscles surrounding the ear tubes. Chiropractors do this by straightening the neck bones.
Physical Development
Children’s bodies are still developing, making pediatric chiropractic therapy especially effective. The spine must be properly positioned for a healthy body and brain. Pediatric chiropractors use a variety of chiropractic techniques to relax stiff muscles. This alleviates subluxation or a crooked spine. Many chiropractors specialize in treating children and have the training and education required to provide reliable results.
Reduce Risk of Injury
Your baby’s bones are flexible, which is why continuing chiropractic treatment as they learn to crawl and walk is important. It is essential to ensure that the joints and ligaments are working properly. Chiropractic therapy helps reduce the risk of injury in active infants.
Immune System
Your baby’s immune system can benefit greatly from pediatric chiropractic treatment. This is especially useful if your baby suffers from chronic colds and viruses.
Improved Sleep
Sleep is essential to your infant’s health. They require adequate sleep not only to function during the day but also for their general development and mental health. Sleeping issues like insomnia are often caused by tense muscles. Chiropractic therapy for babies can enhance a child’s sleep habits since it effectively relieves bodily tension.
Better Mood
Chiropractic care can help improve your infant’s behavior. This therapy reduces tension and anxiety. By relieving tension, chiropractic therapy benefits emotions and moods. Babies are emotionally content when their bodies are growing properly. Your baby should be healthy and active, not fussy and uncomfortable.
Healing for the Nervous System
Pediatric chiropractors aid in your child’s nervous system development. Chiropractic professionals will monitor the proper growth of the spine. This helps treat conditions affecting the nervous system.
Enhanced Brain Development
Chiropractic treatment can improve the development of an infant’s brain. If the brain’s nerves can establish better connectivity, bones, joints, and the spine experience relaxation. A well-developed brain encourages improved concentration. Treatments can reduce issues such as ADHD and mild hyperactivity.
Types of Conditions Babies Can Be Treated for at a Chiropractor
Chiropractors are experienced in managing young infant disorders.
KISS and KIDD Syndrome
The term “Kinematic Imbalance due to Suboccipital Stress” (KISS) is an imbalance brought on by strains in the upper neck region. Children may experience an asymmetric development as a result of KISS. This disorder causes disruptions in the child’s ability to control their movements.
An atlas obstruction, scoliosis, or muscular torticollis are a few indications that a chiropractor may search for when treating KISS syndrome. When left untreated, KISS syndrome develops into a malfunction in the upper cervical joints and becomes a KIDD syndrome.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
The infant’s musculoskeletal system is unable to react to normal signals when the nervous system is impaired. Symptoms can include excessive crying, inadequate sleeping patterns, and not feeding correctly. Chiropractors can help reverse these disorders.
Sleep Disorders
Some newborns struggle to fall asleep at night. Infants can experience earaches and infections, causing them to lose sleep. The spine’s misalignment may be the cause of these issues.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
A baby may spit up food due to infant reflux. Healthy infants experience reflux several times every day, and normally you shouldn’t worry. In rare instances, newborn reflux might be accompanied by unsettling symptoms like weight loss. These disorders point to a health issue, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Chiropractic care helps babies maintain a healthy weight. They can also assist in relieving pressure on your baby’s spine, joints, and nerves, all of which can collectively contribute to acid reflux.
Torticollis
Shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which attaches the breastbone and collarbone to the head, causes infant torticollis. When suffering from torticollis, your baby’s head may be tilted as a result of the neck muscle on one side of the neck being shorter than the other. Abnormal fetal positions, birth injuries, deformities, bone disorders in the cervical region of the spine, and genetic disorders that harm the nervous system can cause torticollis.
Your chiropractor will encourage your infant to turn their head in all directions to treat torticollis. This aids in relaxing stiff neck muscles and contracting muscles that are too loose.
Atlas Blockage
Impairing nerves at the atlas is a syndrome that affects newborns and young children. A blocked atlas can cause diminished resistance to infections in the ear, nose, and throat. It can also cause central motor nerve development delay and damage.
The spine and nervous system can be improved by one of our chiropractors who will look for these traumas. They can alleviate the stress and make delicate adjustments.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
When the atlas is not secured properly in your infant’s body, this can put them at a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome. This is caused by the instability of the atlas and occiput. Brain stem injuries at birth or spinal cord damage that went unnoticed commonly lead to this issue.
If diagnosed by a chiropractor, your child can undergo treatment to remedy the issue. Chiropractors can provide supplementary therapy in addition to what the pediatrician recommends.
Plagiocephaly
Plagiocephaly, also known as deformational plagiocephaly or positional plagiocephaly, is a fairly common and easily curable condition. It results in a baby’s head appearing flattened. Plagiocephaly occurs when pressure is applied repeatedly to one area of the infant’s fragile skull, flattening it there.
Many infants end up with plagiocephaly by consistently sleeping in the same position. Infants born prematurely have higher instances of this issue because of how malleable their skulls are. Plagiocephaly is typically treated by plastic surgeons and neurosurgeons. Chiropractors can help supplement these treatments with minor realignments of the spine.
How to Work With a Chiropractor Today
To help your baby recover from their ailment, you can speak to our certified team. The process required for treatment includes the following:
Do Your Research
Make sure you only work with a chiropractic team that is certified and well-educated. They should have experience in treating infants with a variety of disorders. Make sure you pay attention to the success rate of your chiropractor. Our team has a proven track record of providing great results for babies and small children.
Schedule a Consultation
A chiropractor will have a conversation with you about your issues and objectives before your baby receives any adjustments or undergo any procedures. They will want to know what your infant’s pain is and and some basic information of their health history.
Get an Examination
The chiropractor will ask about when the issue started happening. They will try to range on a scale of 1 to 10, where the issue is, and whether there are any other symptoms. These conversations can assist your chiropractor in determining the best course of action and what the issue is.
Attend Treatments
Your baby’s first visit will probably require some light adjusting. The process is short and painless for the baby. Your chiropractor will have the baby lie down on a table while they twist and pull different parts of their body to find and correct any spinal misalignments.
As the correction is made, there may be some popping noises. This is normal and poses no threat. Babies can experience immediate alleviation following an adjustment. Your baby may require several sessions before experiencing full results.
Are You Still Worried Your Baby Might Not Like the Treatments?
There are many problems that chiropractors can safely assist with. Our chiropractors can also help with basic health issues, including poor digestion and sleeping problems. Your baby’s central nervous system may be impacted by spinal misalignments. However, they can be corrected. Ask your provider if you have any questions about whether chiropractic care might be beneficial for your baby.
You may be unsure if seeing a chiropractor is the best course of action for your baby’s issues. Don’t wait until your baby is in discomfort to get chiropractic therapy. Headaches, achy joints, and sore muscles can be a sign of something worse. Speak to our team to find out how we can help. We can work with your infant’s primary care doctor to create a treatment plan tailored for your baby. Call Snap Crack today for a free consultation.
