Patient Login

Chiropractic & Babies

We are often asked at the clinic why so many parents bring their babies to our clinic.

"What could possibly be wrong with their little backs?"

It is a fair question but the answer is in fact, quite a lot.

When you think about it, babies are confined in a protective but very tight environment in the uterus for nine months and then should be delivered through a very narrow opening which squashes them even more. Even Caesarean births can be relatively traumatic, in fact some would argue they are more traumatic than a natural delivery. Babies are of course designed for their time in their mother and subsequent birth and it is testament to the brilliance of the design that they normally escape relatively unscathed.

However birth can cause distortions and  minor misalignments to the skull and spine and these can present as significant problems. A slight difficulty turning the head one way or opening the mouth on one side can be the difference between a baby that breastfeeds well and one that does not.

A baby with cranial torsion or spinal tension at the top of the neck from the way they were lying in the uterus will often cry when you lie them on their back or put them in the car seat and will be difficult to settle. By way of spinal nerve function, the mid-back could possibly disrupt diaphragm or abdominal function and manifest as colic, reflux or unsettledness. Many of these conditions are self-limiting and do naturally correct themselves as the child grows and develops. They can cause significant distress when they are present especially in the early weeks and months, hence we see many babies during this stage.

We have alot experience at or clinics in assessing and treating new-borns. We use specially modified cranial and paediatric techniques that are only taught to SOT chiropractors. In gently ‘unwinding’ babies and we reduce the tension they are carrying in their cranium and spine. We find this really helps to settle babies and also to overcome many of the problems that they experience in those early weeks.