So, why would you take them to a chiropractor?

It’s true. Many babies don’t have back pain. Even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to tell us where it hurts. However, babies DO have nervous systems, which is what chiropractic is all about!

While things like fussiness, disturbed sleep patterns, difficulties with breastfeeding, restricted head or neck motion, or constipation are common in infants, they are definitely not normal and could be signs of spinal stress. In chiropractic, we refer to this stress as vertebral subluxation. For 80% of infants, the first vertebral subluxation happens at birth, most commonly in the area of the upper neck.

The birth process has the potential to be very traumatic. Typically when I say this, people assume I am talking about mom. Imagine what is happening to the baby. Even the slightest imperfections in this process can put tremendous amounts of pressure on the baby’s very fragile spinal column.

Chiropractors that are trained in pediatrics are able to alleviate this stress on the nervous system by ensuring that all of the pathways for the brain’s messages are clear. Babies do not have the same bones that surround their spine that adults do. Many of their vertebrae are still cartilage. While this cartilage, if not in the right place, is enough to cause nervous system interference, it does not take a lot of force to put things back into place. The chiropractor provides a very specific adjustment at the right place and time to remove the vertebral subluxations and restore baby’s neurological pathways.

“How do I know if my baby has spinal stress?”

Many mother’s find our office when their baby is experiencing difficulties; trouble with sleeping, constant crying, inability or difficulty to breastfeed, reflux, or constipation. These are good indicators that your baby is under spinal stress and should be checked by a pediatric chiropractor.

However, they are not the only indicators. Some babies have minor subluxations that go unnoticed until they are a toddler, child, or adolescent. While still correctable at these times, it takes a lot longer and is much more difficult.

Chiropractors are trained to be able to detect subluxations BEFORE a problem ever arises- and the sooner the better! Many families choose to add a chiropractor to their baby’s health and wellness team for prevention and the promotion of overall health.