Q: I have a colicky baby and my sister says I should go to a chiropractor. Can you please help me understand why and what would a chiropractor do for a baby??
A: It’s not only adults who can benefit from the regular attention of a chiropractor. Children are also subject to vertebral subluxations—misalignment of one or more bones in the spine—and can get relief from chiropractic. More people these days are taking their children for chiropractic treatment for everything from obvious spinal conditions to colic. In fact, the natural birth process, given the hours of compression a fetus spends in a contracting uterus and traveling through the birth canal, is one of the most traumatic events most people will endure. The process can put enormous pressure on an infant’s neck, spine, muscles and nerves.
Since the nerve system controls functions all over the body, a vertebral misalignment that occurs during birth could manifest itself later in a variety of ways, colic included. Naturally, the touch used in adjusting a baby has to be a light one. But since their spines are so supple, it is easy for a chiropractor—especially one who specializes in treating children—to treat with no discomfort.
Conditions that I see chiropractors have success in treating regularly for children include colic, ear infection (even recurrent), constipation, and injuries from falls and “normal kid” injuries to more severe traumas. Autism and ADHD are conditions that some say is treated with chiropractic. Please be aware that an adjustment alone is not what this entails. There are many factors involved here that could range from toxins in their system to lifestyle modifications that need addressed.
In the case of colic specifically, the diagnosis is made generally based on the amount of crying a baby does. If you think about this, it really does not indicate anything about WHY the baby is crying. In this case, they may be hurting from birth trauma and possibly the baby has a headache or pain in their neck and crying is the only way to let anyone know about it. It takes the trained hand to be able to feel where the problem is and address it. A chiropractor really is perfect for that reason.
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