HEALTHY MUM AND BABY

Chiropractic has a role to play in the health care of mums-to-be and their newborns:

INFERTILITY

A series of case studies published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research documented success with infertility. Women with a variety of ages, cultures and medical histories were able to have the child that they so wanted after commencing chiropractic care!

Most Chiropractors would have observed this same success story in their own offices and while none would claim that they have the wonder cure for all infertile couples, chiropractic may be a natural treatment option for those struggling to conceive. In my own practice I have observed that this is sometimes an unexpected, but very welcome side effect of treatment: I’ve even had couples consult me for back problems, haven’t even told me that they are having difficulties trying to conceive – and then a few weeks later announce with great joy that they are pregnant – and ask whether the spinal adjustments could have anything to do with the change.

Based on the chiropractic understanding of the connection between the spine and the nervous system this benefit could well be due to improvements in the low back and pelvic joints leading to better nerve supply to the organs of reproduction. If you have been trying to conceive without success, it could be well worth an appointment with your local Chiropractor to see if any spinal malfunction you have could be connected.

THE PAIN OF CARRYING CHILD

Once pregnant, 60% of expectant mums suffer from low back pains as their spine and pelvis try to cope with the growing stress and strain. While chiropractic is best known for its successes with back pain, case series research also demonstrated its effectiveness with expectant mums in particular. 94% success rate was measured with pain scores decreasing from an average of 5.9 to 1.5! And an added bonus was that no adverse effects were reported. With the medical alternative of Ibuprofen probably not being a good idea for pregnant women, this research should point expectant mums in a more natural direction.

Modern chiropractic care can be tailored to suit every stage of pregnancy, and mothers in waiting need to have no fear of being twisted and stretched as the latest techniques are extremely gentle and low-force. In my office we also used custom designed pillows which allow growing bellies to be comfortable lying down so that the adjustments can be effective, relaxing and enjoyable.

COLICKY BABIES

And once bubs has safely arrived a common complaint in the early months of life is Colic: This is a fairly non-specific diagnosis applied to just about any baby that is failing to settle and cries to the point of driving anyone nearby to sleep deprivation and fatigue. It is estimated that up to one quarter of babies struggle with this disorder. In the scientific literature there are possibly more case studies documenting chiropractic successes with this malady than any other health problem. And there have also been full-scale research papers estimating the success rate to be as high as 94%.

The first questions I am asked when discussing chiropractic care for babies is “is it safe” and “how do you crack a babies back”? The short answers to these two questions are “Yes” and “with the modern methods we don’t have to crack anyone’s back including baby’s”. Having been in practice for 21 years and having cared for dozens of infants I can confidently say that I have never seen a baby that is worse off for having a chiropractic adjustment, and I have never seen an estimate of the risks of chiropractic care in any scientific literature which tells me that there haven’t been enough adverse events to calculate a statistic!

Modern chiropractic techniques have evolved and refined to the point where we can use the latest technology to deliver effective adjustments to anyone of any age, with amazing gentleness and maximum relaxation. And, the methods are even further refined to take into consideration the specific needs and problems of infants.

The next question I am asked is “how does a baby get a spinal problem”? The most severe spinal problems that we see in infants appear to result from a traumatic birth. Baby may arrive with adequate APGAR scores but if the labour has been prolonged, and especially if some form of extraction or surgical intervention has occurred then the strain on Baby’s neck and pelvis can be significant. We also often see babies with significant body distortion which appears to have resulted from prolonged constriction when in the womb .

You can consult Dr Nick Hodgson, 2005 Victorian Chiropractor of the Year, at our Super Healthy Chiropractic Office at Shop 1A, 186 High Street in Belmont, Geelong by calling 0419 104 076.