There are many things that can affect the health of your child on a daily basis. Children are constantly stumbling and falling into things, or knocking and bumping themselves in the process. This is a natural and normal part of development. However, these seemingly innocuous events can affect the function of your child’s developing spine and nervous system. Chiropractors have been treating children for many years. Many common childhood conditions respond incredibly well to chiropractic care, and more and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children to give them a healthy start in life.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR BABIES
The skull and spine of a newborn is extremely delicate and this is why it is so important for babies to get their skull and spines checked following birth. The birth process is one of the most traumatic experiences a baby can go through, as the baby’s neck can be stretched up to twice its normal length. Forceps and vacuum extraction will increase the stress on the spine, and in particular, the cranial bones of the skull. A caesarean section birth does not allow the skull to mould correctly, and often creates problems with the neck and shoulders when the baby is removed from the mother’s womb.
This extra stress can cause misalignments of the skull and spine, resulting in interference to the baby’s delicate nervous system. Some of the more common problems that may be caused by misalignments of the skull and spine include reflux, colic, plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), ear infections, difficulty attaching and breast feeding, constipation and disturbed sleep patterns.
Chiropractic care for babies is gentle, safe and effective, and is very different to that of an adult. The chiropractic techniques that our practitioners use typically involve gentle pressure using a finger to adjust the spine (the kind of pressure that you could tolerate over a closed eyelid), as well as gentle massage therapy and precise craniosacral therapy.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR CHILDREN
Most of our neurological development occurs before the age of five. This is why it is vital that your child has a nervous system that is functioning correctly. Children get up to all sorts of weird and wonderful things. They run and jump, stumble and fall, and pick themselves back up and do it all over again. They sit for long periods at school or whilst studying, they often carry very heavy school bags and they play an array of sports or other activities. All of these things can cause misalignments in your child’s spine, creating dysfunction within their developing nervous system.
Chiropractors understand that a healthy spine enables a child to grow straight and strong, it helps to prevent injuries and it allows their all-important nervous system to do its job properly. Chiropractic care for children is gentle, safe and effective. The chiropractic techniques that our practitioners use typically involve gentle adjustments to the spine and extremities, light massage therapy and precise craniosacral therapy.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR TEENAGERS
As your child gets older, their lifestyle changes and this can create a whole new set of problems. They sit for longer periods at school or whilst studying, they carry even heavier school bags, they play numerous sports and they spend a vast amount of time on their technology devices. Their bodies are also growing and developing at a rapid rate, which can impact the function of their spine and nervous system.
Some of the more common problems associated with teenagers include postural problems, sporting injuries and learning and behavioural issues. They may also develop aches and pains due to their lifestyles, and this is the period when the onset of scoliosis can occur. The chiropractic techniques that our practitioners use typically involve adjustments to the spine and extremities, massage therapy, craniosacral therapy, jaw corrections and visceral (organ) therapy.
COMMON CHILDHOOD CONDITIONS
– Neck, mid back or low back pain
– Headaches or migraines
– Muscle strains or joints sprains
– Scoliosis
– Growing pains
– Learning and behavioural problems
– Asthma
– Bed wetting
– Constipation or diarrhoea
– Reflux and colic
– Ear infections, sore throats or common colds
– Difficulty settling or sleeping
– Difficulty attaching or breast feeding
WHAT ARE RETAINED NEONATAL REFLEXES?
Neonatal reflexes are a set of pre-programmed responses and behaviours designed to help us survive in the early stages of life. These reflexes appear in utero and help us develop our muscular tone, balance, hand-eye coordination and basic movement patterns. Within the first 12 to 18 months of life, these neonatal reflexes normally integrate into our higher brain centres and we develop our postural reflexes that remain with us for the rest of our life. If these reflexes don’t integrate correctly, they may interfere with behaviour, learning, balance, normal body movement, vision, hormone function, fine motor movements and more.
Retained neonatal reflexes may result from physical, chemical and/or emotional trauma from conception to the early months of life. Caesarean section or intervention during the birth process appears to be among the most common causes for these reflexes not integrating correctly. Precise structural corrections, including craniosacral techniques, are used to assist with the integration of retained neonatal reflexes.
For more information or to book an appointment, please contact Balmoral Chiropractic Centre ( Singapore ) on 6235 9083.