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Babies, Children & Pregnant Women
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Chiropractic is a health care system that does not use drugs - an important
consideration particularly during pregnancy. The many physical and chemical changes
in a woman's body at this time can aggravate existing spinal problems, and can also
make the spine and pelvis unstable through the relaxation of the ligaments.
Together with the postural changes likely to occur as a result of increased body
weight, pain in the lower back, buttocks, groin and legs is particularly common
during pregnancy.
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Chiropractic care can help to correct any restricted joint movement and maintain spinal
balance, as well as ensuring that the pelvis is correctly aligned - both before and after
your baby is born. Your chiropractor may also advise you on how to lift and carry, how to
improve your posture and how to exercise to improve your spinal health. Women may find their
labour shorter and experience less discomfort if they've received chiropractic care, and
many return after the physical stress of childbirth for checkups for themselves and
their children.
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Birth and early infancy can sometimes be a very difficult and traumatic time for both
mother and baby. After the baby's head has engaged, usually during the eighth month of
pregnancy, there can be a lot of stress on its head and back as it continues to move
within the womb. This stress can increase further during the birth process, particularly
if it is prolonged or involves breech presentation or forceps delivery. As the child
grows up, and starts to walk, climb and run, the inevitable falls and bumps can affect
the still-developing bones of the spine and skull. Once at school, the child carries
heavy bags, sits on badly-designed chairs and participates in a variety of sporting activities.
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These stresses and injuries can result in the tightening of muscles in the neck or back,
so causing the bones of the spine to lose their normal motion or position. This can
irritate or put stress onto the nerve roots that branch off the spinal cord to the organs
and tissues of the body. In babies and young children this may lead to symptoms including:
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asthma
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prolonged crying
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colic
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sleep and feeding problems
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breathing difficulties
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hyperactivity
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bedwetting
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frequent infections
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Instead of treating the symptoms with drugs, or assuming that the child will 'grow out of it',
the chiropractor will gently adjust a child's spine to remove the nerve stress and return
his/her body to healthy healing. A study in Denmark revealed that when spinal adjustments
were given to 316 infants with colic, 94% of them were relieved of symptoms within a two
week period of treatment 1.
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When you or your child attend a clinic for chiropractic treatment, your practitioner
will take a thorough medical history and will conduct standard neurological
and orthopaedic tests to determine whether spinal motion is normal. Treatment
normally consists of a gentle adjustments to the parts of the spine which are
not moving properly; your chiropractor will use modified techniques to ensure
comfort and safety for pregnant women and children. They can be used safely
in the later stages of pregnancy, and even during labour. The chiropractor may
also give you advice about diet, posture, and other aspects of lifestyle. You
get your children's teeth and eyes checked regularly, so why not their spines too?
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References:
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Klougart N, Nilsson N and Jacobsen J (1989) Infantile Colic Treated by Chiropractors:
A Prospective Study of 316 Cases, J Manip Physiol Ther, 12:281-288
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