One of my younger patients
At the ripe old age of two months McKenna (name changed to protect her from the paparazzi) was a colicky baby. She cried from 6PM to 10PM every night. And this was not just ordinary crying, it was screaming bloody murder. Needless to say, this caused a lot of stress for her parents and three older siblings. In fact, her mother was at a party and a guest came up to her amidst all the screams and asked a simple question: “Have you considered chiropractic?” This one question changed her life.
Per the pediatrician’s instruction, McKenna’s parents had given her mylicon drops and gripe water. They tried to sit her up when she ate, they walked and comforted her, but nothing seemed to help. McKenna’s parents had followed all the advice typically given for babies in her situation. It was time for something different. Why not? Who says chiropractic is just for back and neck pain? Maybe it was time to think outside the box. Maybe health can be accomplished by working with the body, rather than fighting it’s natural processes with things like medication.
McKenna came in to see me (actually she was carried in), and after a few minutes of testing, it was clear that some joints in her neck and lower back were not moving properly. In other words, her problems stemmed from the fact that her brain was not getting the messages it needed from her body. The vertebra of her spine were misaligned and pinching the nerves. With gentle adjustments and a few other simple procedures the subluxations were fixed.
McKenna’s mom was looking for a miracle. Within a few visits she became the “perfect baby”. She no longer cries and she is much more pleasant to be around. Friends and family now comment on the cute little girl, rather than hiding in the next room to avoid the shrieks.
What else might respond to chiropractic care?
- Nursing problems
- constipation
- abnormal crawl or gait
- ear infections (more on this one in another post later)
- bed wetting
- ADHD
- growing pains
- headache
- chronic coughs
- neck pain
- scoliosis
If you have a question about something not listed above, just call me or click here. The office number is 360-834-3434.
The bottom line is this: How long should your child have to wait to get healthy? No one wants their child to suffer. By the way, kids usually respond much faster than adults because they have not picked up all the bad habits we have. The adjustments are gentle and 95% painless.
One more important question:
Is it safe?
In 2008 the prestigious medical journal, Pediatrics, published an article that found only nine adverse events (a.k.a. injuries) related to spinal adjustments to children worldwide over the past 100 years. No vaccine can match that safety record.
I’ll even check your child for FREE.
Here’s the deal: I like to reward those who read my posts. I put a lot of thought into these, and I appreciate those who take a few minutes to learn how to help their families get healthier. Just call the office (360-834-3434) or drop me a message to schedule, tell us the code word: “BABINSKI” (which proves that you read this post), and I will waive the exam fee, which can range from $50-$85. If I can help, we’ll put together a plan. If I can’t, I’ll tell you AND help you find another solution. There is also a kid’s discount for regular visits. What do you have to lose?
As a routine part of the history taking process with my patients I ask: “Do you get headaches?” I frequently get this response: ”Only the normal ones.” To this I ask, “What is a ‘normal’ headache?” Maybe it is normal to not have a headache at all.
And then, there are those who feel that the cause of their headache must be lack of ibuprofen, since the headache is held at bay when two ibuprofen are consumed every six hours. The truth is, something causes headaches. The best way to ‘treat’ them is to remove the cause, not just mask the symptoms. There are lots of types of headaches, the ones I see the most are the classic tension headache and the infamous migraine. I have worked with headache patients as young as seven and as old as you can imagine.
So, I hope you are reading this because you want to know what you can do that does not include opening a pill bottle. Here is my short list. Allow me to add this disclaimer first: these are not for all cases and it is wise to consult with a doctor in person before trying any new protcols.
- Chiropractic: of course I have to put this on my list. Based on my own observation I have found that an adjustment will favorably affect 9 of 10 headaches (even migraines). Of those, about half seem to go away entirely within a very short time. The connection is simple: neck bones that are not moving well can contribute to muscle spasms, poor blood flow, and nerve irritation.
- Ice: some headaches have a more direct link to blood flow and these will often respond well to the placement of an ice pack at the base of the skull for 10-15 minutes. The cold will constrict the blood vessels, which can decrease the throbbing sensation often associated with headaches. You can double this one up with the next one.
- Roll up a towel: many tension type headaches are accompanied by some tight and unhappy muscles in the neck and upper back. If you lay on your back, with a towel rolled loosely under your neck it may give your muscles a break while keeping your neck in a neutral position. See my pillow tips here.
- Acupuncture: I am not an acupuncturist, but I know it works and I know several really good ones. Call my office at 360-834-3434 and I would be happy to give you some names.
- Massage: This can compliment the chiropractic adjustment really well. A good therapeutic massage will increase blood flow to grumpy muscles, drain lymphatic toxins, and it usually feels great. If you read this far, call to schedule a massage and adjustment and I will give you a $10 credit.
- Only eat food: I just started reading a great book called “If its Not Food, Don’t Eat It”. If you put sugar water in your car it might start to have problems, right? Your body can react the same way to many things that you eat, but shouldn’t be. Lots of different ‘pseudofoods’ can trigger headaches. Some big offenders include caffeine, alcohol, red meat, chocolate, aspartame, and the list goes on. Watch out for processed food loaded with stuff you can’t pronounce–these can send your body on a downward spiral to many chronic health problems.
- Exercise: This is an answer to just about any health related problem. Not only does it reduce emotional stress, but if you strengthen some postural muscles, you can reduce the chances of getting a lot of muscle tension type headaches. Call me and I will teach you some good postural exercises. Later I will probably post a video with a demonstration.
- Laser: read all about it here.
Hope this helps!
