If you think that chiropractic is for back pain then it is fair enough you may wonder why a baby should see a chiropractor. Chiropractic care is really about optimising the health of the spine and nervous system, which can contribute to overall health in many ways. For a baby, this means helping their bodies develop and learn as healthily as possible.
Why might they need it?
Firstly, let’s look at what factors could impact a baby’s spine and nerve system. Babies are cooped up in the womb for 9 months and can be in several different positions, many of which are less than ideal. Then there’s the birthing process, which in even the most natural and intervention-free situations is still a tremendous amount of stress on the baby’s spine and limbs to pass through the birth canal.
How can you tell if a baby should be checked?
There are some signs that indicate a baby may have imbalance in their spine and nerve system that may benefit from being checked by a chiropractor, such as:
- being unsettled with colic or reflux
- having feeding or digestion problems
- irregular sleeping patterns
- limited range of motion (eg. unable to fully turn head both ways)
- arching their back, or
- having low muscle tone
How do we adjust them?
One of the other assumptions about babies and chiropractic is that chiropractors treat them as if they’re just mini-adults. Babies are a lot more sensitive and responsive though, and therefore allow us to be very light with our touch to achieve the same outcome. We may also pay closer attention to some developing structures such as their cranial system and hips. Their home care exercises will be far different too, with more emphasis placed on stimulating their brains and integrating their primitive reflexes for their learning and development.
If you are interested in finding out more, visit our Children and Infants page, or contact us to book a consultation.