Kids and the chiropractor

Sawyer seemed to be doing well despite his little mishap this past weekend. Just to be safe, I decided to take him to the chiropractor this morning to get him checked out and I'm so glad I did. He said Sawyer was really tweaked out and there was a little swelling at the base of his neck, all of which was probably causing headaches for the little guy. He also said to put some ice on his head because he still had a little bump on his forehead. So we came home and tried to ice it which ended in some really funny photos and two kids laughing at a bag of frozen corn falling to the ground over and over again.


I'm always amazed at Sawyer's behavior after the chiropractor. He's calm and quiet and very subdued. His naps are usually longer and he sleeps better at night.

I first took him to the chiropractor when he was 2 weeks old. He was such a fussy newborn and always seemed so uncomfortable, even when he was sleeping. I took him to a cranial sacral specialist and she was wonderful with him. Most babies heads are squished during delivery and the skull bones are pressed together and usually overlap to compensate for the tight squeeze. This can cause pain and other problems which shows up in really fussy newborns.

This chiropractor told me that in colicky babies, the upper back is usually tweaked (again, probably delivery) and chiropractors have seen great success when they fix the upper back along with the cranial sacral work. It's also tied to the digestion so once they can straighten the spine, the digestion usually starts working properly and the colicky baby is in less pain and becomes much calmer.

I saw firsthand how this cranial sacral chiropractor worked with Sawyer and the impact it had on him. She would gently run her fingers along his spine and he would react suddenly, arching his back off the table when she hit a sore spot. She would slowly rub it out and then adjust him very gently while I held him in my lap. He usually slept for hours after those treatments.

I take both boys in every now and then just for checkups and especially if one of them gets hurt like Sawyer did on Saturday. I fell down the stairs when I was pregnant with Sawyer and shifted things pretty badly. I know how much better I felt after the chiropractor fixed my back so there's no doubt in my mind that the boys need the same care.

(This picture is of Sawyer and our chiropractor, taken back in March).

Chiropractic care for kids

More info

International Chiropractic Pediatriac Association

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