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Babies & Pregnant Women

Chiropractic is a treatment method that does not use drugs – an important consideration particularly during pregnancy. The many physical chemical changes in a women’s body at this time can aggravate existing spinal problems and can also make the spine and pelvis unstable through the relaxation of 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 common during pregnancy.

Chiropractic can help to resolve neck or lower back pain – 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 improve your spinal strength through appropriate exercise.

Birth can sometimes be a very difficult and traumatic time for the baby as well as the mother. After the baby’s head has engaged, usually during the eighth-month of pregnancy, there can be a lot of stress on their head and back as they continue to move in the womb. This stress can increase further during the birth process, particularly if it is prolonged or involves unusual presentation or assisted delivery techniques such a forceps or venteuse.

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 may carry heavy bags, sit on badly designed chairs and participate in a variety of sporting activities.

These potential stresses and minor injuries can result in the tightening of the muscles and joints in the neck or back, leading to various aches and pains. Your Chiropractor is trained to assess the nature of the mechanical problems and recommend appropriate treatment.

Handling Your Child Safely?

Those of you who have ever had a new baby in the house know how daunting it can be to hold and handle him/her. These tips offer advice to parents of babies and young children about avoiding injury and dealing with accidents.

• Hold the baby close to your body. Support the back of the neck and place one or two fingers at the back of the head.
• When bathing the baby, be sure to support the head by cradling it.
• Never lay the baby completely flat when feeding. Note if there is any discomfort while the baby feeds – is it on one side particularly? If so, the baby may have a problem with the neck, and a visit to your Chiropractor for assessment is advised.
• Resist the temptation to playfully throw a baby or small child into the air. This gives no support for the spine and can result in neck problems, almost like a whiplash injury.
• When picking up a child, support him or her under the arms. Ideally you should be squatting (to protect your own back) and the child’s spine should be straight.
• Avoid pulling strongly on the arm of a small child while he/she is walking: this can lead to neck and back problems as well as injuring the shoulder and elbow joints.
• When dressing or undressing a child, ensure that the neckline is big enough for his/her head to pass through without pulling the neck.
• Accidents occur frequently with baby walking frames (especially when they have wheels). In addition, the infant may be weight bearing too soon, which may lead to damage in the spine. It also discourages the child from crawling, which is an important stage in it’s development.
• During infancy and childhood there are many bumps and falls which can result in injury. Chiropractic adjusting techniques are modified to suit the child’s size and weight – so as well as having your child’s eyes and teeth checked, make sure you have his/her spine checked by your Chiropractor.

When you or your child attend a clinic for Chiropractic treatment, your Chiropractor will take a thorough medical history and will conduct standard neurological and orthopaedic tests to determine whether spinal function is normal. Treatment normally consists of gentle adjustments to the parts of the spine that are not moving properly. Your Chiropractor will use modified techniques to ensure comfort and safety for pregnant women and children.

Chiropractic techniques can be used safely at all stages of pregnancy.

You get your children’s teeth and eyes checked regularly, so why not their spines too?

For advice or a free consultation please call Dynamic Chiropractic on 0800 652 8854.