Q&A: Can the chiro help?
Email your question for our experts to: sharing@ypbmagazine.com
Please note that experts unfortunately cannot respond to each question personally. The answers provided on these pages should not replace the advice of your doctor.
My baby is 3 weeks old, and I can sense that colic is going to be a thing! I’ve been there and got the T-shirt with my previous child. Basically nothing helped and we had to ride it out. Only recently
I heard from friends that a chiropractor could make a difference. What do you do with newborns? She was born by c-section a week early. From what age can I bring her for a treatment, and how often? Do I have to wait for the colic to really start, or could I bring her now, already?
DR RAMSAMY ANSWERS: Colic in babies can be a very distressing condition for parents to experience, mainly because it is so poorly understood and therefore not always easy to identify and treat correctly.
Most colicky episodes begin within the first two to three weeks of life and improve after three to six months depending on severity. Signs and symptoms associated with colic may include painful looks, grunting or pushing noises in attempts to get winds out, very tense tummies, back arching or body unrest (especially when lying on their backs or tummies), fussing and gulping during feeds, cramping and sleep disturbances, which cause exhaustion in parents.
SO, WHY WOULD AN INFANT REQUIRE CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
Birth can be difficult whether conducted naturally or via c-section, with or without intervention. Intervention is usually required during a difficult birth where the baby may be stuck or in certain positions that prevent the birth process from running smoothly. Routine birth involves a combination of compression, traction and torsional forces on the infant that could cause injury to the infant’s soft tissues and delicate joints. During precipitate or rapid labour, the baby’s head and body don’t have enough time to compress, which lead to disruptions to the baby’s joint movement and soft tissue structures.
Babies born via c-section don’t pass through the birth canal and therefore lack sufficient spinal stimulation and stretching, which is required for proper nervous-system development.
The infant’s posture and position during pregnancy is also an important factor to consider. First-time pregnancies or pregnancies involving multiples result in less space being available to the baby, which could affect the muscles, nerves and joints. Damage doesn’t only occur to the physical tissue but also to the nervous system. Nervous-system damage results in a disruption of nerve flow, which controls movement patterns, protective postures, general alignment and bodily function.
To get to your case: It could be that your baby lacked sufficient spinal stimulation and stretching, which could possibly have hindered nerve functioning and flow to other bodily systems. The systems receiving signalling from the dysfunctional nervous system tend to respond in a way that is incorrect or inappropriate, and this leads to functional and behavioural disturbances or imbalances. Behavioural disturbances often seen in colicky babies are excessive crying, cramping and pain, disordered sleep patterns and at times poor or excessive feeding habits. Chiropractors are musculoskeletal experts and are therefore well equipped to help infants struggling with signs and symptoms related to colic and many other infant musculoskeletal conditions. Infants generally suffer imbalances or musculoskeletal injury from mild or moderate trauma before, during or after birth. Chiropractors can locate these imbalances through skilled palpatation. The idea is to remove or improve imbalances, restore normal movement patterns and improve optimal nerve function and flow.
When joint motion and nerve flow is improved in babies with colic, they tend to assume a calmer, more relaxed state with improved sleep and posture. Back arching happens less, and they become more willing to lie on their back or tummy.Bowel movements also improve, and winding becomes easier.
Being a chiropractor with a passion for infant care, I would definitely suggest that every baby be assessed by a chiropractor in the early stages of life. The earlier, the better. Babies as young as 2 to 3weeks generally visit my practice for assistance and care. The treatments given to infants are done by hand in an exceptionally noninvasive and gentle manner. The treatment will be aimed at improving tension and helping the nervous system function in the best way possible.
I also teach parents techniques on how to better wind and handle their baby in order to alleviate cramping and pain associated with colic in particular. It is always a pleasure to see the bond between parents and baby improve as they learn to understand their baby a little better. ●