When should my new baby see a chiropractor?

After speaking at a recent pregnancy workshop, the following question was raised by 3 expectant moms.

When and how often should we get our babies checked and adjusted?

Although each little bundle is unique in their own way, here is a guide to chiropractic adjustment check points. I will be using the word SUBLUXATION which means any misalignment in the skull, spine, pelvis and extremities that interferes with proper communication between the brain and body. Also, keep in mind that the timeline is not set in stone, and each milestone may not exactly coincide with the listed age.

1. AFTER BIRTH:
the sooner the better

Even a natural, uncomplicated birth can have some negative implications on the baby's health. The position in-utero, the time spent in the birth canal, the body rotation when emerging, the degree of head tilt and force of pull by the delivering practitioner, the delivery of shoulders, use of instruments, and mother's medication, will all have an impact on their Nervous System. Watch Closely for:

• Difficulty Turning Head to one side vs. the other
  
• Facial Asymmetry
  
• Moving one side of the body more than the other
  
• Difficulty Latching On
  
• Extreme Lethargy
  
• Inability to lay flat on their back, or hyper extending back and head
  
• Constant Crying (even when fed and dry)
  
• Skin color changes
  
• Shallow breathing
  
• No muscle tone or grip strength
  

2. HOLDING HEAD UP: 0-3 months

This is the time when the baby begins to develop her Cervical Curve. Subluxations can lead to muscle imbalance and affect the nerve communication to:

• Eyes
  
• Ears
  
• Nose
  
• Mouth
  
• Throat
  
• Caroted and Vertebral Arteries
  
• Chemoreceptors for O2, CO2, and pH, BP level regulation
  
• Immune System
  

3. ROLLING OVER: 3-4 months

Baby begins to strengthen neck rotators and continues to build neck extensors and flexors. Also, strengthening occurs in the upper body and lower lumbar rotators. Subluxations in this area can affect:

• Same as for 0-3 months
  
• Digestive System
  
• Detoxification System
  
• Elimination
  

4. SITTING UP: 4-6 months
Here the little one is activating and developing Proprioceptors for balance and coordination, strengthening paraspinal muscles, especially lower, and strengthening abdominals. Areas affected by these changes are:

• Eyes
  
• Ears
  
• Chest
  
• Digestive System
  
• Elimination
  

5. CRAWLING: 6-8 months

The cross-crawl pattern is essential to developing brain centers responsible for reading comprehension and writing. It also ensures that both sides of the body are being equally strengthened and the brain is receiving balanced information. This is a crucial stage that must not be missed. If the baby goes directly to walking, it is advisable to incorporate cross-crawl activities on a daily basis. Areas affected:

• Neck
  
• Shoulders and Arms
  
• Hips and Legs
  
• Proprioception
  
• Brain Development
  
• Coordination
  

6.
STANDING UP:7-10 months

This is the developing point of the Lumbar Curve. Also loading begins on hips, knees, and ankles. Upper body strength is increasing as the baby uses his arms to pull up and support himself on furniture. Watch for:

• Leg dominance
  
• Arm dominance
  
• Foot and Hip rotation
  
• Any body tilt while standing
  

Once again it is important not to get ahead of ourselves, or the developing baby. I strongly advise against baby walkers or bouncy swings that prop the growing body up before the muscles and joints are ready to handle that kind of stress. Speeding up the process in this case may actually hinder proper spinal and pelvic development.

7. WALKING: 9-16 months

If your baby has not been checked by this stage, it would be a very good time to do so. This is when we can still catch and correct any subluxations that may have begun over the last few months. Once the child is upright and weight-bearing, they will continue to strengthen all muscles according to what the structural pattern dictates. At this stage key factors to note are:

• Head Position while standing
  
• Foot and Leg rotation while walking
  
• Leg bowing or knock-knees
  
• Any limping or knee buckling
  
• Direction of falls
  

8. FOLLOWING FALLS:
any age

Some falls may look worse than others. Some may not look like anything, but are actually more damaging. The falls that don't result in nose bleeds or visible scratches still impact your baby's spine due to their compressive forces. Also, with every fall there is some muscle splinting and straining, which always results in some subluxation. Examples are:

• Falls on shoulders
  
• Falls straight on the head
  
• Falls with head getting caught on objects
  
• Falls landing straight onto the butt
  
• Trip and falls landing on the face
  

MY CHIROPRACTIC APPROACH: Birth History. Dietary Review. Family Emotional Background. Full Ears Eyes Nose Throat screening. Spinal and Pelvic Physical Exam. Neurological Exam. Cranial Exam. Orthopoedic Exam. Adjustments may be light manual, with the instrument, or in the form of ligament holds and stretches. CranioSacral therapy also incorporated. On the first 2-3 visits only some adjustments may be applied in order to prevent overwhelming the immature nervous system.

Can chiropractic treat " X "?

Chiropractic Rule # 1: We do not treat symptoms, conditions, or disease.

What we do is start from the root of the problem. We ask, why is there pain, why is there swelling, why is there a fever, why is there nausea, dizziness, indigestion......And then we ask: What is interfering with the body's ability to fight it, fix it, and prevent it from coming back? The answer to all of these questions is locked in our Nervous System, and as Chiropractors it is our job to ensure that it is functioning as efficiently as possible.

Chiropractic Rule #2: We look beyond the area of complaint.

Our body is not a bunch of separate parts. It is all one part, interconnected by muscles, ligaments and fascia. Therefore if one part is in pain, it is either the result of another area's malfunction, or it will cause other areas to malfunction in the near future. And don't forget that your body interacts with the environment which is either repetitive or changes constantly. All of our ailments are a result of external and internal factor.

Chiropractic Rule #3: It may get a bit worse before it gets much better.

Unless you are a newborn, your body has set its patterns. Many of our daily activities are right side dominant, many work hours are spent sitting, and many bike rides are spent slouching. If you have never been adjusted before, or it has been a while, the first 1-3 visits may not have the results you were hoping to get. A chiropractor tries to change a pattern that your body is comfortable with and has conformed to. When we go against that pattern in order to restore balance, at times the body is a bit less than cooperative. It is normal to get a mild headache, soreness, and stiffness in some areas after initial treatments since letting go is always hard to do.

Chiropractic Rule # 4: Yes, you need more than 1 adjustment.

Why are there treatment plans, repeat visits, and re-exams? Well, according to the rules of physiotherapy, it takes about 6 weeks for ligaments to repair. According to psychologists it takes about 3 months to create a new habit. And according to physiology it takes 120 days for our blood supply to be entirely replenished. So, when an adjustment is given, it is trying to change ligamentous position, rewire the brain to sense this new position as correct and make a habit of it, while the blood cells and lymph nodes flush away the toxins of old patterns.

Chiropractic Rule #5: Prevention is the key to Health.

Since every body is different, chiropractors and patients work together to find that perfect frequency of care. For athletes it may be weekly, for kids it may be once every month, for others it may be twice a month. Pain should never be an indicator of what the body is going through. Our brain can only process so much information at once, and only when things are really starting to go haywire does the brain decide to tell you that you need to do something about it. So, instead of waiting for the pain or fatigue signals, evaluate your week of activity and dietary habits. These should be the determinants for your frequency of care.

Let you baby fly first class!

Many expectant moms contact me during the last trimester of pregnancy hoping to get some relief from the pain and discomfort that is setting in. It is during these last few months that it becomes more difficult to sleep, to sit, to drive, to walk, or to just be! To make matters worse, tolerance for pain and life events begins to dwindle. While this is usually the point at which one seeks help, it is important to realize that there have been numerous subtle events occurring in the body which prompted these symptoms to surface.

As a rule, pain is the last thing to appear and the first thing to go!

Here is a summary of some changes that take place during pregnancy and why it is beneficial to get a chiropractic checkup early on.

1. Oxytocin is surging throughout the body to create feelings of love, nurture, and compassion, but also affect the muscles and ligaments.

2. Ligaments in your body begin to elongate and become somewhat lax to allow for pelvic expansion.

3. This also creates instability and greater susceptibility to muscle spasms, mild strains, pelvic and spinal misalignment and subluxation.

4. As the baby grows, your pelvis and sacrum tilt outward, like a blooming flower, allowing for the baby to be evenly supported and cradled.

5. Your Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar curves also shift to help distribute the anterior belly weight throughout the length of your spine.

A restricted spine and pelvis creates a less than optimal environment for baby, and feels a bit like this.....

Imagine that you are flying from LA to Paris, 11 hours and 25 minutes. You are sitting in the middle seat of the middle row in coach. The person to your left has already fallen asleep and is slumping over your left shoulder. You try to scoot to your right, but all of the elbow room is taken up by the bookworm in that seat. You put your tray table down to have a beverage, but the person in front of you decides to recline his seat ALL the way back. So, you try to recline your own seat, but as soon as you do, someone behind you begins to kick you in the back forcing you to come back to an upright position.

The first few hours go by, you snooze a bit. Then around hour 5 you begin to feel very uncomfortable. Your legs have fallen asleep, your neck stiffened up, your hands are tingling. A few more hours, and you are really feeling the pressure in your back, your thighs are getting numb, and you can't really feel your toes. By the time you land and have to get out of the airplane, it seems as though for a few moments you've forgotten how to walk and move.

Well, your baby is flying in the middle seat of coach for 9 months if your spine is not flexible, your pelvis is jammed and restricted in motion, and if your ligaments are taught, cramped, torqued, and imbalanced. A body that cannot adapt to the needs of a growing baby will not provide the optimal environment for the baby's spinal and nervous system development. This in-utero blueprint may have further implications after birth as the child grows and matures.

We can all let our babies fly first class by getting them a chiropractic ticket!

Foundation for Active Kids

Being a Santa Barbara resident for one and a half years has made me realize once again how imperative it is to have a solid foundation for a building. This particular region is subject to constant mild seismic activity and mudslides caused by occasional downpours of rain. Of course, I can't help but make the following comparison:

The foundation of a building is just like our spinal column!

If there is a faulty foundation, everything built upon it will be weaker, more susceptible to damage, in need of frequent repairs, and possibly complete tear-down. Well, if a spine is uneven, imbalanced, has lateral curves, and possible cracks, the body will be weaker, more susceptible to damage, in need of frequent repairs, and at one point will collapse. While we notice these changes start affecting us in our 30's, and really feel them set in in our 50's, they may have began much earlier, at a time that our foundation was just being laid down. And upon that faulty foundation we experience the daily routine of tiny earthquakes and the occasional marathons of rainfalls and mudslides.

Now imagine that you have a child with a foundational fault of a very mild scoliosis, 5-10 degrees.

This is what is happening to their body:

1. The side of the body of the curve has elongated, lax muscles, and the side of concavity will have very rigid, contracted muscles.
2. The curve will also have 3 main stress points, at the start, in the middle and at the end. The start and end vertebra will be laterally flexed the most, tipping to the side, and the ones in the middle will be compressed.
3. If this curve has been there since birth, at this point the brain actually thinks that it's normal. The brain can't tell the difference because the position of the head has been changed, and the eyes are now perfectly aligned with the horizon so that your child doesn't trip every time they take a step.

Now, let's pretend that instead of the tiny seismic activity of .5-1 magnitude, your child's foundation is going to be challenged by 3.0 earthquakes of daily sports activities and a mudslide during a huge competitive event.

One side dominant sports (golf, tennis, hockey, baseball) will create stress and more imbalance in the body. Milder side dominance sports (soccer, basketball, football, volleyball) which all involve running and coordination will reinforce the skeletal structure by the nature of the visual feedback loop. Also, running and jumping will add loading and compression forces to the spine and cause more stress on the unstable fulcrum points of the curve. And this is what starts to happen:

1. The discs will begin to lose hydration.
2. The space between the vertebrae and discs will decrease.
3. The opening through which the nerves pass will decrease.
4. Inflammation in the area will increase causing pain.
5. Repeating the activity will create greater instability.
6. Instability will cause splinting of muscles.
7. Repeated stress on the muscles will pull on the bones, triggering calcium deposition (later creating spurs).
8. Pain increases, which may result in cortisone treatments (which lead to osteoporosis and immune system dysfunction later in life if used frequently).

As a result, we have successfully built the foundation for
degenerative disc and joint disease!

But, let me end on a positive note. Builders who understand the topography and climate of a susceptible area are well equipped to create a foundation for a home that will withstand the stress it must endure. The home will require it's weekly upkeep, may need some cosmetic work after 15 or 20 years, and perhaps a bigger renovation in 40 or 50, but a solid, proper foundation will allow this home to age gracefully and become the pinnacle of it's neighborhood.

Recipe for Cold-Banishing Cake

Well, after 15 healthy months in this world, Sasha caught her first cold virus. It started with some upset stomach for 2 days, then a runny nose, and now a cough. To make things more fun, she is teething too! So, not only is her nose like a broken faucet, but she is also drooling, and the sinus pressure is making her eyes water, which is making me feel three times as bad. Not to mention that she wakes up at night about 4 times after coughing, and I wake up about 8 times just to make sure that she is sleeping and breathing.

As a first time mom, I resist the urge to open the more popular recipe book (call my pediatrician) and go for the special chiropractic family recipe box (do what I usually advise my patients to do after a thorough checkup). I begin by making sure that I have all of the utensils and ingredients to make my Uncomplicated Cold-Banishing Cake.

• Thermometer reading: 99.8, elevated by .8 degrees from her usual (it is very important to know what your child's temp is on a regular healthy day, as that should be their "normal", not necessarily the 98.6 ideal).
  
• Auscultation: no ronchi, wheezing, or crepitus in any lung quadrant. Breathing normal, pulse normal.
  
• Otoscopic evaluation: no redness, some wax, light reflex present, eardrum not distended.
  
• Visual observation: alert, slightly fatigued and more sad than usual, mild loss of balance. No changes in color, no excessive lethargy. No redness or spots in throat.
• Physical evaluation: tender C1, C2, motion restriction in the thoracic spine, tight upper traps, scalenes, SCM, and suboccipitals. Mild swelling over frontal and maxillary sinuses.
  

Since everything checked out OK, I began the dreaded 3-5 day wait for the symptoms to pass. I realize now that this is one of those very difficult times where the mother's instinct and urge is to DO SOMETHING!!! But in this case I let the greater mother take over, as Nature IS doing something, and very efficiently in Sasha's case. All of her symptoms are just a way for the body to clean up, strengthen the immune response, and allow for a fresh start. Of course I step in to help just a little bit.

So, here is my Chiropractic Recipe for Cold-Banishing Cake:

• 2-3 drops of Tea Tree Oil or Eucalyptus oil in the medicine of a Warm mist Humidifier to aid in mucus break-up.
• ZERO dairy. Processed Dairy products, due to their final molecular makeup are immune system irritants and also mucus producing.
  
• ZERO cold foods, 1 cup of made from scratch warm soup 2-3 times a day.
• 3-4 Nursing sessions per day and 2-4 Zinc lozenges for mom (I usually still nurse 2X/day).
• 1-2 Adjustments per day of C2 with the activator, and any presenting factors in the thoracic spine with activator or gentle manual for 1 week to help stimulate the immune system and stimulate nerve input to the lung fields making them more efficient in expelling fluid or mucus.
  
• 2-3 five minute massages per day along her neck, underneath the ears and around collar bones to aid in lymph drainage. Also massage the middle back to help the lungs.
  
• 1 Craniosacral Session per night, while the baby is asleep, on the skull, sinuses above the eyes, on the nose, temples, and cheeks.
• 2 15-20min walks outside and allow the body to move around and get some fresh air, helping blood circulation and thus toxin elimination.
• ZERO contact with others who may be sick, or in enclosed spaces with many other individuals since the immune system is currently depressed and she is more likely to have trouble handling a new bacterial or viral invader.
• A dash of laughs and tickles
• Top off with unlimited amount of hugs, kisses, and love.