We see chiropractic care as being an essential part of a healthy lifestyle for the entire family; it’s in the name of our office, Essential Family Chiropractic. Most people think of chiropractors as being back doctors. While they are not wrong–our profession is well known for helping with headaches, neck pain, and low back pain–minimizing chiropractic care to pain relief is missing the big picture.
We’re here to provide a mom’s guide to chiropractic care and answer some questions you may have about chiropractors and what we can do for you and your family.
How does chiropractic care work?
Doctors of Chiropractic adjust the spine to address the underlying cause of symptoms in the body due to interference in the nervous system. Some of you might be thinking, “I’m not nervous, what is this system?!” Great question!
The nervous system is your body’s master control center. Think about a house and all of its wiring. You have the main breaker box with one master switch to turn the entire house’s power on and off. There are also specific, individual switches to each area of the house and wires that go to outlets, light switches, your refrigerator, etc.
You can think of your brain as the breaker box, controlling and coordinating all functions of your body. The master switch represents the brainstem, protected by the bones in your upper neck. These bones house TRILLIONS of nerve fibers, branching into spinal nerves. These spinal nerves branch out between each spinal bone (there are 33 in all!), and function like individual switches out to the specific areas of the house.
Misalignment of these bones causes pressure on the spinal nerves, interfering with the communication from our brain to each organ, muscle, gland, and tissue in the body. This pressure, or stress, on our nerves leads to lack of function, pain, and eventually disease. The lower neck switches go into the shoulders, arms, and lungs. The rib cage area leads into all vital organs within the rib cage, and the lower back into the organs of digestion and reproduction as well as into the hips, knees, ankles, and feet.
We know when stress is removed from the nervous system, we can feel and function better, which is why we are so passionate about checking and removing these misalignments for the entire family!
How can chiropractic care help me and my family?
With our type of chiropractic care–specific and neurologically-based–we find the underlying cause of a specific health condition. Men, women, and children in our office have been able to say goodbye to conditions ranging from low back pain to sleep issues to migraines. Proper messages along those wires from brain to body and vice versa allows for better muscular, digestive, psychological, and organ function.
Most commonly under our care, our patients report improved digestion, fewer aches and pains, less anxiety, and more restful sleep. Another benefit includes more efficient and balanced muscular activation. Hello, quicker reflexes and improved sports performance!
Can babies benefit from seeing a chiropractor?
We always say that if a baby cannot EAT, POOP, or SLEEP as expected, then we should check their spine for misalignments. Conditions that are common, but not normal, for infants to experience include colic, reflux, constipation, trouble latching, excessive arching, and recurrent ear infections. Honestly, this is the same for all ages, as these are basic human functions giving us great information about our overall health.
We recommend having your baby checked by a pediatric chiropractor as soon as possible after birth, as the birthing process can often be less than ideal for the baby’s upper neck area. Many of our patients choose to have their newborn checked within 24 hours of birth.
One of our doctors was checked for nerve interference and adjusted within five minutes of birth! This led to a healthier childhood than her peers. An adjustment for a newborn is very gentle, only using the amount of pressure you would use to check the ripeness of a tomato, without causing any indentations. Often, babies will sleep right through an adjustment.
Can a chiropractor help with issues during and after pregnancy?
Moms can benefit from chiropractic care in numerous ways!
- Pre-pregnancy: we see that a balanced brain allows for balanced hormones. Balanced hormones can allow for conception to occur.
- During pregnancy: our care (specifically the Webster technique) helps our moms to gain mobility in their pelvis, which is crucial for an optimal vaginal birth.
- After birth: a healthy nervous system ensures mom can heal optimally, physically, and hormonally.
Throughout the bumps on the road called life, chiropractic care will help you be resilient and adaptable to all of the stressors life throws your way (good or not so good!). Our goal at Essential Family Chiropractic as principled, neurologically-based chiropractors is to ensure you are gaining all that you need to be living an optimal life in all of life’s seasons, but especially all those surrounding motherhood.
