The Doctor’s Take: Children’s Chiropractic Care

Dr. Menke has treated Savannah Bea (now 4-years old) since she was a newborn.

During my career, I have experienced the length that parents are willing to go to keep their children safe and pain-free. Moreover, as a son, I have witnessed firsthand how selfless parents can be to ensure their children have all the opportunities possible to succeed.

Parenting is a 24/7 job. There are no sick days, no lunch breaks, and definitely no vacations.  I can’t reiterate enough how much I respect all the parents out there.

That is why at Realign Chiropractic, my job is to make sure that not only parents receive top-notch care, but also that their children  receive that same treatment for their aches and pains.

So how young is to young for chiropratic treatment? Truth be told, it’s up to the parents.

The youngest patient I have treated was five days old.  Yes, five days after being born, they came to the chiropractor for care.  This may sound strange, but it is actually very common. In fact, several of my colleagues began adjusting their own newborn children on either the day of the child’s birth or a few days later.

So are you asking yourself: “What kind of chiropractic issue could a newborn infant even have?”

The majority of parents out there know firsthand that bringing life into the world is not a simple process. (Unless you are one of the lucky ones who have given birth within 10-15 minutes of arriving at the hospital.) If you are one of those few please do not tell my mom; she loves to tell the story of how I was stubborn and took 15 hours to be born.

A baby’s spine takes a lot of twist and turns to get out of the birth canal. Sometimes a C-section birth requires the help of forceps or the obstetrician providing guidance.  This can place a tremendous amount of strain on the baby’s neck, back, shoulders, or legs.

And just like you and me when we get pulled or twisted we usually experience some discomfort.

An adjustment for an infant is nothing like an adjustment for an adult. It is very simple and very gentle with a soft contact to the infant’s spine. There are even simple movements that I show to new moms and dads to use when their newborn is screaming at 3 AM.

My sister and brother-in-law are one specific parenting couple who have had to endure several late nights. However, after a simple adjustment to both my niece and nephew, and showing my sister and brother-in-law some specific techniques, everyone was able to get a few extra hours of needed sleep.

Children in general usually respond very well and much quicker than we “older” adults do. The five-day-old young man that I discussed earlier only required four (4) visits in a three to four month span.

Research has shown children who receive pediatric chiropractic care experience less: ear infections, colic, digestive issues, troubles sleeping, or even latching during nursing.

Hey, as a parent you know that you cannot complain if a treatments side effect is your child finally sleeping through the night or accomplishing major developmental milestones such as crawling, pulling up or walking!

Think your child could benefit from chiropractic care?

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