Does chiropractic care have any benefits for babies? If you listen to the parents, they’ll often tell you it does. Some of the benefits can be quite surprising too!
From simply helping a newborn recover from the birth process to helping ease the symptoms of colic, and ear infections, and reduce their risk of injury as they grow…
Join us as we look at the benefits of chiropractic for babies, often as told by those who know their babies best!
Understandably, there is great concern within the healthcare and medical professions about the safety of chiropractic care for babies. So much so that chiropractors who want to specialise in paediatric care often go to a great deal of trouble to further their training and qualifications in this field.
Paediatric chiropractors understand that tiny precious bodies need the gentlest of techniques, often done with fingertips alone, producing as much pressure as you would checking a piece of fruit for ripeness.
Here in the UK, the General Chiropractic Council also has some pretty specific guidelines when it comes to treating infants. In particular, it emphasises the importance of adapting any type of treatment to suit the baby being treated. Then again, that goes for chiropractic treatment in general.
So, the safety of your baby is our top priority, making chiropractic care for babies quite safe when done by experienced professionals.
Chiropractic care for babies is an extremely gentle, non-invasive approach that focuses on making sure your baby’s spine and nervous system function at its best. This is important for their long-term health and wellbeing because a healthy spine and nervous system are central to healthy, normal development.
Your baby’s nervous system controls the function of everything in his or her body. From breathing to heartbeat, gastrointestinal function, immune responses, hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste… Nothing happens without the nervous system being involved.
And – your baby’s spine protects and supports the major conduit by which that system communicates with command HQ – their brain. Making sure both (the spine and nervous system) are operating correctly from the start will give your bub the best possible chance to grow into a happy, healthy adult!
The parents of our tiny patients often tell us their infant is much happier, fusses less, and sleeps better after chiropractic care. Science may not always understand exactly why this is so but sometimes you just have to believe the proof in the pudding or the baby!
Here are some of the benefits your infant may receive from chiropractic care:
In a perfect world, we’d all be born perfect but it’s not a perfect world so… This means even tiny newborns can have misaligned vertebra, and the pain and discomfort that comes with it.
The misalignment may have happened in utero or during birth. They can also happen as your baby becomes more mobile and starts exploring their environment – falls and vertical thumps, even onto well-padded bottoms, can place stress on spinal processes.
By gently examining your baby’s spine to identify and correct any misalignments that may be present, chiropractors can help improve issues stemming from birth traumas or developmental challenges.
Being born is stressful; just ask anyone who’s done it.
Jokes aside, chiropractic care is a good way to help your baby recover from the experience. Whilst not all babies ‘need’ to recover, you won’t necessarily know that without expert advice.
Parents tell us their baby is much happier with fewer colic symptoms after chiropractic care. We don’t know for sure why this is the case but gentle spinal adjustments seem to be able to alleviate digestive discomfort in some babies, leading to a calmer, happier baby.
The internal drainage system in our ears relies on the position of eustachian tubes within the cranial system. Misalignments in neck (cervical) vertebrae or cranial (skull) distortion secondary to birth, can impact this system, aggravating ear infections and allowing uncomfortable fluid buildup.
This could be why parents report their babies seem to suffer fewer ear infections, or their ear infections improve, after chiropractic treatment. Particularly treatment that targets their cervical spine.
The immune system is one of several life-essential systems controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which basically just means it happens on autopilot. It also means that spinal dysfunction that affects this nervous system can impact immune system function.
Again, our parents often report their babies seem to be healthier and less prone to picking up infections than other babies who don’t receive chiropractic care.
Toddlers get into all sorts of mischief! Life at this age is also a long litany of falls, trips, spills, and various other little accidents. It’s all part of growing up.
Unfortunately, sometimes life’s little mishaps can do some damage. Chiropractic care can not only help spot when this has happened but also help correct it before it impacts your baby’s growth and development too much.
This in turn helps fuel good, healthy physical development. Many of our motor skills are developed during this phase of our life.
During a baby chiropractic session, we strive to provide a calm, safe environment where we use specific paediatric techniques to make any necessary adjustments. The sessions are generally short to avoid placing any stress on your baby, and you!
Parents often find that despite the ‘lack of scientific evidence’, their babies do benefit from chiropractic care. The extent and type of benefits vary, just as it does with adults. Generally, though, we receive positive feedback about happier, healthier babies after chiropractic care.
Ewell Chiropractic
9A Cheam Road, Ewell, Epsom KT17 1SP
Our practice is next to the central car park in the Ewell village if you travel by car. And just a 10-minute wander from both train stations in Ewell.
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