Children & Chiropractic

The newsletters are back from a lengthy absence, but not without a good reason. As some of you may already know, my wife and I (Dr. Dan) welcomed a little bundle of joy into our lives. On August 17th at 5:20 AM, our daughter, Havi Lia Myerowitz, came into this world. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 21 inches long, she’s already taking the world by storm and ruling our house like a queen.

We had a home birth with a midwife and a doula. Everything went well. It was a fantastic experience to be an active participant in my daughter’s birth and not just a spectator.

I owe a lot of my health to having received Chiropractic adjustments from birth throughout my entire life. Neither my siblings nor I have ever had an ear infection. Just as I was adjusted since birth, I had the fantastic opportunity to help my daughter’s body adapt to the outside world’s stress.

Many mothers have trouble breastfeeding. The problems range from inadequate supply to improper latching by the infant or failure to latch at all. For the first day, Havi refused to latch onto my wife’s right side.

I adjusted Havi’s neck. The change was practically instantaneous. We’ve had no problems since.

She’s getting enough to eat. She has already porked up to over 12 lbs., which has produced the cutest cheeks you’ve ever seen! It has been a miracle to be a witness to the whole process.

People will ask me all the time, “How is she eating?” When I tell them how I adjusted her neck, and she eats fine, I generally get a look of “you did WHAT?” Hence, I feel compelled to share with you why all children should be under Chiropractic Care.

During the birth process, the baby’s neck is exposed to extreme pressure and torsion. This insulting force to the baby’s spine can create what we call a subluxation. Subluxation is when at least two vertebrae become misaligned and fail to move correctly.

This misalignment can make it difficult, and possibly painful, for the baby to tilt their head in one direction versus another (i.e., failure to latch on one side). It irritates the tiny nerves that exit between these bones. As the nervous system controls everything in the body, and the nervous system is encased in the spine, subluxation can interfere with the brain’s control of the body.

For example, subluxation in the neck often causes pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the arms. Subluxation in the uppermost part of the neck has been implicated in chronic ear infections, migraines, pain, and stiffness, among other things. In the mid to lower back, this can manifest as digestive issues (colic, constipation, diarrhea, etc.).

As even further evidence of how important a role the upper cervical region plays, subluxation is even implicated in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A study in 2002 by L. E. Koch et. Al.[i] and analyzed by Dan Murphy, D.C., revealed the following:

· “Mechanical irritation of the high-cervical region serves as a trigger that may be involved in sudden infant death (SID).”

· “In older children, disturbances of this kind are known as retardation of development in motor patterns as well as in sensory abilities.”

· “The chiropractic therapy has proven to be a successful technique which can be used to treat disorders, especially cerebral disturbances of motor patterns of various etiology (wryneck, c-scoliosis, irritation of the plexus brachialis), sensomotoric disturbances of integration ability (retardation of sensation and coordination), as well as pain-related entities such as babies with ‘3-month colic’ or hyperactivity with sleeplessness.”

· “The epidemiological prevalence of such disturbances is as high as 17.8% of children.”

· “We can report more than 20,000 children have been treated without serious complications.”

· “Chiropractic treatment seems to be the most successful therapy which helps to treat such disorders.”

· “Children with a disturbed symmetry of the atlanto-occipital region could be of higher risk for SID.”

That’s a mouthful. In short, the researchers found that upper cervical subluxation produced marked changes in the breathing patterns and heart rates of children. Furthermore, such changes are often labeled as “retardation of development.”

This makes sense because the nervous system areas that control these functions are found in the brainstem, which is surrounded by the base of the skull and the first cervical vertebra. A subluxation can produce profound effects on the body. Chiropractic Care has been shown to help with a whole assortment of childhood ailments.

A shortlist includes:

· Allergies
· Asthma
· Bed Wetting (Enuresis)
· Colitis
· Ear Infections
· Fatigue
· Gas
· Glandular Problems
· Hiccups
· Sinus trouble
· Sports injuries
· Stiff neck (Torticollis)
· Stomach problems

All symptoms are caused by dysfunction. There is no dysfunction without a cause. When left uncorrected, subluxation influences spinal growth as other segments compensates for the subluxated area.

This can lead to improper curvatures of the spine or scoliosis. For instance, scoliosis is often a spinal manifestation of a leg length discrepancy (one is shorter than the other). The spine adapts as a result.

Correcting the leg length via realigning the pelvis or providing a heel lift is immensely powerful in reducing the curvature. As the old proverb goes, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” Please call the office to schedule an appointment to take advantage of this offer.

Whether you would like to care for yourself or your child or just talk about how Chiropractic Care can change your life, my door is always open. Please mention this newsletter when scheduling your appointment. Be well!

Make it an exceptional day!

Daniel J. Myerowitz, D.C., Dipl. Ac. (AACA)
Myerowitz Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic
291 Main Road
Holden, ME 04429
207-989-0000

[i] Heart rate changes in response to mild mechanical irritation of the infants’ high cervical spinal cord region.
Forensic Science International
Volume 128, Issue 3, August 28, 2002, Pages 168-176
L. E. Koch, H. Koch, S. Graumann-Brunt, D. Stolle, J. M. Ramirez, and K. S. Saternus

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