Complimentary Care for Natural Pediatrics
Chiropractic Care Offered At the Pediatric Center for Natural Health
More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even natural childbirth can stress an infant’s spine and developing nerve system. The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal and cranial misalignment may contribute to many newborn health complaints. Colic, breathing problems, nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions and chronic infections may benefit from chiropractic treatment.
As the child begins to participate in regular childhood activities like skating or riding a bike, small yet significant spinal misalignments may occur. If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead to more serious problems later in life. Subtle traumas throughout childhood can affect the future development of the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. This can adversely affect the body’s ability to function at its best.
One of the most common reason parents seek care for their child is trauma from an injury of some sort. These injuries may or may not result in immediate pain or symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify potential spinal injury from these traumas, make the correction early in life and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults. Parents also seek care for conditions such as colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies and headaches (to name a few) because they have heard from other parents that chiropractic care can help.
Doctors of chiropractic specialize in checking the child’s spine for misalignments that impair nervous system function therefore affecting overall body function. A doctor of chiropractic will take a case history and perform a chiropractic exam to determine if spinal alignment problems exist. Chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to fit a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care.
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Manual Medicine Treatments (i.e. Bodywork; Therapeutic Infant Massage; Cranio-Sacral Therapy; Myofascial Release; Reiki) Offered At the Pediatric Center for Natural Health
Cranio-Sacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, non-invasive, yet effective type of hands-on body treatment that is helpful for infants and children as well as adults. It is an assessment tool as well as a treatment. As with chiropractic care, a newborn CST session can minimize or eliminate the repercussions of difficult births and help ensure good health for well babies.
The craniosacral system consists of the membranes and fluid that surround and support the brain and spinal cord. It extends from the bones of the head (cranium) down to the bones at the base of the spine (sacrum). The fluid within the membranes is continuously draining and refilling.
The filling and draining creates gentle, rhythmic, expanding and contracting movements that can be felt anywhere in the body by the trained therapist. These movements are the craniosacral rhythm. They occur at a rate of about six to twelve complete cycles per minute.
What happens in a Cranio-Sacral therapy session?
Children rest fully clothed on a massage table or in the therapist or parent’s lap. The therapist monitors the craniosacral rhythm with her hands. She conducts other gentle assessments and corrects the sources of pain and dysfunction using gentle manipulative techniques. Sometimes children release emotions or cry during treatments, but the techniques do not hurt babies and children. Seldom does the pressure exceed five grams (the weight of a nickel). Babies and children will often sleep for a longer stretch than usual after a session. During a session, the therapist adapts her technique to the attention span and needs of the child. Other treatment methods used may include gentle therapeutic massage, Myofascial release, and/or Reiki.
Cranio-Sacral therapy and birth trauma
Getting born is hard work and even Cesarean birth can be harder on babies than we imagine. Cesarean-born babies have lower Apgar scores, more respiratory distress, more abnormal neurological exams, and more abnormal craniosacral therapy assessments. They have more chronic middle ear infections and other problems throughout childhood. The birth process is more abrupt and potentially more frightening than vaginal birth. Surgically born infants have fewer quiet alert periods’ right after birth and have less opportunity to share bonding time with their mothers who may be drugged or recovering in another room. Cranio-Sacral therapy can help correct some of the trauma associated such births, as well as traumas associated with vaginal births.
Manual Medicines such as Cranio-Sacral Therapy may be helpful for people of all ages. It has successfully been used to treat such diverse conditions as headaches, TMJ dysfunction, chronic middle ear infections, vertigo, depression, back pain, joint immobility, neck pain, sinus congestion, migraines, learning disabilities, the effects of childhood trauma and negative touch. In infants, it is used to treat colic, sleep disorders, feeding problems, breathing or digestive difficulties, various congenital, neurological and genetic problems, plus the effects of forceps, vacuum extractor or cesarean delivery.
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