Pediatric Chiropractor Colorado Springs
The Benefits of Pediatric Chiropractic
A lot of people wonder, “Why would I bring my child to a chiropractor?” From the moment they’re born, making their way out of a tiny birthing canal or being extracted via C-section, there is a likelihood of trauma to the spine. Even a natural delivery means twisting and pulling. Though necessary to get your baby out, it results in damage.
Since a baby can’t tell you when something is wrong, they may show symptoms that don’t reflect what you’d expect from someone in pain. That’s why we recommend an evaluation from early on in life.
Ensuring Proper Spinal Alignment
When the spinal column is in alignment, there is less interference with your body’s ability to heal and function. If we begin aligning the spine at a young age instead of waiting for a problem, your child has the best opportunity to experience abundant health.
Most of our pediatric patients are what we call “Well Babies.” This means they don’t have problems but still see us periodically to maintain their health. As your baby grows into a child, trauma occurs daily. It’s a good idea to have them reevaluated at least every month or two, ensuring their spine stays in good shape.
Common Childhood Conditions We See
Some of the most common pediatric issues we see include
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Birth trauma
- Colic
- Digestive issues
- Ear infections
- Reflux
What to Expect
The first thing we do is have a thorough consultation and discussion with the parents on the pregnancy to find out if there was excess stress in the mom’s life and any issues during the pregnancy. We dive into that first because that can be a factor. And then we discuss in detail the labor itself.
These days, the prevalence of C-sections, forceps and vacuum has gone up significantly. The use of those interventions can be very traumatic on a baby’s spine. So we find out about the labor itself and then we start to discuss how the baby is doing overall. Specifically, we ask how the baby is eating, feeding (is your baby nursing equally with both breasts), pooping and sleeping.
Visual checks
We will look at the following as part of the visual examination:
- Is your infant tracking with sounds and movement?
- Is any hypertonicity present where your baby looks very tight?
- Are there any abnormalities such as torticollis where the neck is in severe contracture and pulling the ear down toward the shoulder?
- Is Baby fussy and fidgety or uncomfortable at all?
- How does the skin look?
- Is there an even wear pattern on their skull?
Palpatory exam
We then do a very light palpatory exam where we feel the base of the skull, the upper cervical Atlas (C1) and the Axis (C2). We also check the sacrum and the hips and see if there is easy movement.
Rest assured that the adjustments we perform on infants are highly gentle. If you take your middle finger and push on your eyeball while it’s closed that’s the amount of force we use to adjust a baby.
FAQ
Why should a child see a chiropractor?
You can’t have the gas and the brakes going at the same time. It has to be one or the other. For many kids that gas is full down to the floor and the chiropractic adjustment flips that. So the brakes turn on and they can start to heal and grow as they should.
At what age should a child see a chiropractor?
Can chiropractic care help children with common issues like sleeping problems or bedwetting?
How can chiropractic care help my child?
Questions? We’re here to help.