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?

1. Minimize stress to your spine.  Get it into a neutral position.

• For back sleepers, try elevating your legs.  Place a pillow under your knees.  This can take some stress off the lower back by relaxing your hip flexor muscles.
• For side sleepers, bend your knees and place a pillow between them.  If you can keep your legs parallel to one another, they won’t get a chance to pull on one muscle group more than another.  Make sure that the pillow under your head is roughly the same width as your shoulder so that that your neck is not cranked up or down.  Resist the urge to put your arm under your head–this can put pressure on some sensitive nerves and blood vessels which can cause numbness.
• For stomach sleepers, don’t do it.  I don’t know of a good way to sleep on your stomach.  Sorry.  If you do it frequently, then you’ll just need to call your chiropractor on a regular basis.

2. Create a routine

• regular exercise will put your body into a rhythm, but don’t do it too close to bed time.  This gets the nervous system geared up for more action.
• go to bed a the same time each night
• consider keeping a sleep journal to help identify patterns

3.  Try to sleep on a regular cycle

• your body works on 90 minute cycles during restful sleep.  This means you’ll do better if you don’t wake in the middle of one.  Go for 4.5, 6, 7.5, or 9 hours.

4. Keep a pedestal fan in your bedroom

• first, it is a great source of white noise (ceiling fans don’t work as well for this).  Think of it like a jammer to block out other sounds that might interrupt your rest.
• second, a gentle breeze across your face actually puts your body into a state called “sensory adaptation”.  The constant stimulus will cause your brain to ignore it, thus calming your sympathetic nervous system and enhancing your sleep.

5. Watch what you put into your body

• avoid stimulants like coffee, tea, and soda
• don’t drink liquids too close to bed time–those bathroom trips can be a major interruption
• melatonin, vitamin B, and other supplements can be helpful.  However, it must be customized for each person.  Call me to find out more (360-834-3434)

6. Pick the right mattress and pillow–ready for the secret?

• there is no ’silver bullet’ of mattresses.  everyone must find what works the best for them.
• in general, try to balance comfort with support.  I use a firm mattress with an inexpensive foam egg crate pad on top.
• see the video for the pillow I recommend–if you went to the trouble to read this far, you may simply mention this article to receive $10 off of one of our Tri-Core Pillows.