This Is Why Babies Need Chiropractic Care

By Dr. Molly Casey

Can babies have chiropractic care? Why would a baby need chiropractic care? Is it safe for a baby to get a chiropractic adjustment? Can chiropractic care help babies? These are just some of the questions that we chiropractors hear about the youngest humans that get adjusted. In short, yes, babies can be adjusted. There are a multitude of reasons why -- and yes, chiropractic care can help.

Chiropractic Care

Let’s first go back to the basics. You and every other human live their lives through the nervous system. The brain communicates by sending messages down the spinal cord and out miles of nerves to every cell, system, structure and organ in your body. Those cells, systems, organs and structures send messages back through the nerves, up the cord and into the brain. It is your communication loop. Your spine houses and protects the central part of this nervous system. When the spine is restricted in range of motion, it can interfere with the nervous system’s ability to function at its highest possible level. Chiropractors perform an adjustment to restore range of motion within the spinal joint and give the nervous system the opportunity to function with less interference. In doing this, the body is able to heal and perform better. This is true for all patients, regardless of their age. So yes, babies can get adjusted and do benefit from chiropractic care.

Some Reasons Why

Although chiropractic care is about a nervous system and body that function at an optimal level, often people first visit a chiropractor because of pain and other symptoms. The chiropractor’s job is to educate the patient about the overall health and wellness benefits from regular chiropractic, in addition to the symptom relief. The same stands true for babies.

Parents, unless they are regular chiropractic patients themselves, often only bring their babies to a chiropractor for a specific reason -- often when they are already at their wit’s end. Some common issues that drive a parent to bring the baby into the chiropractor are colic, difficulty breastfeeding, head tilting or restriction in range of motion, and traumatic birth or use of forceps in birth. It is common in all of these scenarios that the chiropractor may find that the spine -- particularly in the cervical area (neck) -- is restricted in its joint motion and in need of a chiropractic adjustment. These issues often resolve following gentle chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine. Babies and parents benefit.

The Adjustment

Chiropractic adjustments are gentle and effective. Often the baby is lying on the parent or a small pillow and the doctor uses the tip of their finger applying gentle pressure and motion to the spinal joint. Sometimes a small tool called an activator is used to perform the adjustment; it makes a clicking noise and distributes a very light force into the joint. Often the doctor will perform this on the parent’s hand so they can be assured of the light pressure and be comfortable knowing exactly what is occurring.

One of the incredible things about chiropractic care and babies is the results often are seen much quicker than in adults. Babies have not experienced the years of poor posture, accidents, or years of stress that most adults have, and so their tiny bodies respond much quicker to correction. It is an amazing thing to witness. Chiropractic care for babies is an excellent foundational approach to overall health and wellness, as well as a conservative care option for many issues that parents face.

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