There has been a lot of controversy over this topic in recent media. In an effort to diffuse misinformation that has been presented, this article was recently published in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia.

Full article - http://www.cjaonline.com.au/index.php/cja/article/view/105

CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN –  A SELECTIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND COMMENTARY

Objective: Recent popular press commentary in Australia has raised concerns around the safety and evidence base for the chiropractic care of infants and children. This has led to statements such as “doctors speak out against chiropractors treating children” and “doctors at war with chiropractors over treatment of babies and children”. This selective review of the literature and commentary explores these issues.

Methods: Problems in assessing clinical interactions that involve a hands on approach with an objectivist quantitative methodology designed for a traditional western medical approaches (such as medication) versus a pragmatic constructivist methodology are discussed. Both PubMed and the Central Queensland University (CQU) Library database were searched using the terms “pediatric AND chiropractic”.

​Results: The PubMed search returned 126 hits, and the CQU Library search returned 939 hits. A systematic review of the entire literature base is beyond the remit of this selective review and commentary, however, selected relevant literature is reviewed below.

Conclusion: The literature reviewed does not support the claim that the chiropractic care of children and infants has no evidence to support the practice, or the claim that chiropractic care of children and infants is dangerous. (Chiropr J Australia 2016;44:222-233)

One of the most frequent problems new mothers present to me with is neck pain and headaches, usually stemming from the base of the neck, and this is largely due to their new activity of breast feeding.  During the feeding process there is a need to look down at your child to make sure everything is going fine. However, holding your neck craned as far forward as it will go, and then twisted to look at your child for a length of time will definitely cause neck pain and headaches.

When we look down we can do so from the base of the neck OR from the top of the neck.  Try nodding your head just from the top.  You will see that a good amount of flexion can be achieved.  While there is a need to crane your neck to some degree in the early phase of feeding.  I would suggest that once your baby has started feeding you pull your head back and try to just flex from the top of the neck instead.  This way you will avoid the build-up of tension that occurs at the base of the neck.

​Additionally, chiropractors and physiotherapists both have many simple exercises that can help relieve this discomfort so if you are getting prolonged neck pain and headaches while feeding your child, consult your family chiropractor and they should be able to help.

​Another thing that happens in the final stage of pregnancy is a waking up of old issues.  As a pregnant soon-to-be mother gets bigger in the final trimester, this increased load can often wake up old back problems that you may have had in the past and not fixed.  Again, don’t worry if this happens, as due to the relaxin in the system loosening ligaments, pregnant patients tend to respond faster than ever to care and often these issues can be dealt with swiftly.

During the final trimester your body releases a hormone called relaxin that helps relax the ligaments of the pelvis ready for birth.  Unfortunately this hormone tends to relax all the ligaments in the body so during this final part of pregnancy strain/sprains are common.  While they are common and tend to occur from the simplest things, they are often also very easy to fix.  Chiropractors know many gentle techniques to help relieve these episodes and doing a gentle exercise routine like yoga in the final stage of pregnancy can help prevent these episodes.

​Many women suffer back pain during their pregnancy – particularly the last trimester.  It might seem obvious that this is because of the weight gain during this last phase and this is part right.  The interesting thing about weight gain during pregnancy is that is mostly all at the front, which is not dissimilar to carrying a heavy box out in front you.  When you do this two things happen:
1 – Your muscles in your back have to work harder to carry the extra load.
2 – As your muscles get tired, you tend to lean backward to compensate.  This backward compensatory lean compresses the joints in your lower back which tends to cause pain in a band across the lower back.
There is not much you can do about this pain apart from gentle exercise such as yoga, aqua aerobics and walking.  You’ll probably find that you need frequent rests.  Sitting, or perching your backside on something creates flexion in your lower back and tends to relieve this ache
Also, gently therapies like chiropractic and massage can help.

The Computer mouse

One of the most common postures I see on a day to day basis, particularly with office workers and increasingly with children, is – a dropped right shoulder and a head position translated to the right.  If you want check if this is you, stand in front of the mirror and look at your shoulder tips.  If the right one is lower you have this posture to.  The most common cause of this is using the mouse.  Most people are right handed.  They use the mouse on the right side and prolonged use causes this dropped shoulder posture.  Swapping hands in most cases is out of the question, but try this:  If you know you are going to be using the mouse for a long period, push the keyboard aside and have the mouse in front of you. This avoids the need to lean one way or another and as a result you will save yourself a lot of shoulder pain, neck pain and headaches.  Tip no.7 – if you are going to use the mouse for internet searching, research or reading, and you don’t need to do much typing – push the keyboard aside and have the mouse in front of you.
And, if you already have this posture and would like to get rid of it, give us a call and come in for an appointment. At Point Clare Chiropractic we specialize in postural and structural correction.