Pregnancy/Pediatric Care
The opportunity to create a new life is exciting, but some concerns and/or fears, especially regarding the health of the mother and baby, can get in the way. Dr. Jessica is dedicated to helping women have the best experience possible with the greatest health outcomes for both mother and baby, both before and after your pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most amazing things a woman can experience.
Thousands of women use chiropractic during their pregnancy to improve their health and birthing experience. Many women benefit from shorter labors, less pain, fewer interventions, and increased satisfaction with their birthing experience while under chiropractic care.
Back pain is a common problem faced by women during their pregnancy. This is due to either the pressure from the extra weight of the baby or from the particular position the baby is sitting in. Receiving spinal adjustments can reduce such pains, and delivery can be made more comfortable and faster.
Treatment involves the adjustment of the spine to align it back to its normal position. This reduces the spinal nerve stress which can cause various other health complications in the woman and later on in the child. Hence, chiropractic treatment addresses the whole body to promote health and well being.
Safe during Pregnancy
Many complications can occur during pregnancy that can be triggered by spinal problems. These complications can get transferred to the newborn, as they affect the nervous system of a mother. Babies can develop colic, breathing problems, allergic reactions, bed-wetting, and neural disorders. The Webster Technique is commonly employed for pregnant women to reduce the spinal nerve stress and balance pelvis, ligaments and muscles.
Throughout the stages of pregnancy, specialized care plans are devised to suit the patient. Research shows there are no known potential contradictions to chiropractic treatment during pregnancy. Dr. Jessica will adjust treatments to better suit the body of a pregnant woman. The adjusting table has modifications to allow the mother to lay on her stomach. As the baby grows, a pregnancy pillow is also used which avoids unnecessary pressure on the stomach.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Many medical doctors recommend chiropractic care during pregnancy as it helps maintain pelvic balance. A balanced pelvis gives a baby more room to move into the correct birth position. This avoids some of the potential fall-backs of delivery. Other benefits include:
- Reducing back, neck and joint pain
- Reducing nerve stress to promote healthy development of the mother and baby
- Relieving pressure from the spine and maintaining better posture
- Restoring joints to ensure optimum ranges of motion
- Reducing symptoms of nausea
- Reducing or eliminating headaches
- Reducing time of labour and delivery
- Preventing potential cases of caesarean
- Maintaining a healthy pregnancy
Additionally Dr. Jessica is trained in the Webster technique which, in some cases causes the baby to move out of a breech position to a normal position. Dr. Jessica has also worked with mothers pregnant with multiple babies. She has also helped 2 mothers carry their twins full-term. The babies all were over 8 pounds each!
Sciatica and Pregnancy
Sciatica is a common condition in pregnant women and usually appears during the second to third trimester of pregnancy. It is caused when a woman’s growing baby and expanding uterus ends up putting pressure on the sciatic nerve on the lower spine. The same occurrence is also known to cause lower back pain during pregnancy. As the baby shifts into the proper birthing position, it can rest directly on the nerve which causes the mother pain in the buttocks. The pain can also radiate to the back and legs.
The pain can be constant or intermittent depending on how many times the baby changes position. However, the lower back pain may also persist after birth. Fortunately, many mothers are able to find relief from this pain by seeking chiropractic care.
Dr. Jessica is excited to help you and your family during your pregnancy. She knows that there is no better way to allow for the best pregnancy, delivery, and motherhood than being under regular chiropractic care and ensuring that your body is functioning at 100%!
Chiropractic Care for Children
Children and chiropractic care go hand in hand. As children grow, their body experiences a lot of physical stresses. Part of their learning process includes many tumbles, bumps and bruises. It is important to get your child checked regularly to avoid any spinal problems as they grow.
Without the language to explain, infants announce their spinal problems in the only way they know how, by crying. Many newborns experience colic, unexplained crying, lack of appetite, frequent ear infections or have difficulty with breast feeding. Sadly, bed-wetting and many childhood aches and pains are passed off as “growing pains” or “just a phase they’re going through.” Careful! Aches and pains at any age are a sign that something isn’t right. Spinal misalignments and nerve interference may be involved which may have resulted either due to the position of the baby in the womb or due to the stresses incurred during delivery. Today childbirth is often treated like a disease. With the doctor pulling and twisting on the baby’s neck during birth, the increase in scheduled c-sections, and the use of the forceps or vacuum, many complications can arise at or after birth. For this reason, many parents get their newborns spine checked by a chiropractor. Regular chiropractic check-ups are helpful to monitor spinal development as infants sit upright, support their heads, learn to crawl and take their first brave steps.
A chiropractor starts off by examining children and their spines. Some parents are worried about the baby’s delicate body being subjected to the forces required during the adjustments. What they don’t realize is that many chiropractors have extensive training in treating children. They have the right skills and the touch of delicacy required in handling babies.
Nevertheless, spinal adjustments for children – especially newborns – require very gentle pressures using only fingers.
Chiropractic care for children is safe, gentle and effective. The child may be sensitive to the touch at points where there is an injury – apart from that, there is no need to worry about pain.
A child’s spine is far more responsive than that of an adult. Often times parents see changes in their child the same day. Children tend to respond and heal more quickly than adults. The complete time required for all chiropractic care sessions would depend on how long the problem has persisted for.
Therefore it is important for children to receive chiropractic care to prevent spinal issues while they grow up to become healthy adults.
Benefits
- Improves the child’s immunity
- Assists in dealing with irritable babies/colic
- Helps in dealing with behavioral disorders
- Heals or prevents injuries
- Helps in relieving breathing problems and allergies
- Assists in sleeping disorders and bed wetting issues
- Improves posture
- Increases concentration
- Helps the child fight off ear infections without the use of medicine
You worry about your children for a number of reasons, and chiropractic treatments can help alleviate some of your worries. Chiropractic has success stories in a wide array of child related issues. The following is a list of benefits that attract parents to this form of care:
- Alternative To Prescription Drugs– During pregnancy, women avoid medications to ensure the safety of their developing baby from any physical or mental harm. Similarly, parents avoid giving medicine to their infants and young children. Chiropractic adjustments are a healthy and active way of dealing with many issues.
- Colic – Having an infant with colic can be extremely frustrating for a parent. Fortunately chiropractic adjustments can help the infant overcome this state and return to normal.
- Sleep disturbance – Inadequate or disturbed sleep can constantly irritate the mood of an infant. Spinal misalignments are said to be associated with sleep issues and a chiropractor can help alleviate the issues.
- Bed wetting – One of the possible causes of bed wetting is a misalignment in the lower spine. Spinal manipulation alleviates pressure on nerves that run to the urinary system and treat the cause of bed wetting.
- Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – A common psychological disorder amongst children, this is often dealt with the use of medication. The medications can have several negative side effects such as loss of memory, sleep problems and mood swings. However, with a chiropractor, the part of the brain that functions poorly can be stimulated through spinal adjustments. Thus, parents are seeking a more natural approach for treating ADHD.
Several other issues with which chiropractic care is effective include ear infections, allergies, asthma, headaches, constipation, cold, sore throat, acid reflux to name a few. Dr. Jessica utilizes a variety of adjusting techniques on the spine, and contributes to the healthy development and the overall wellness of your child. After an adjustment, many parents see instant improvements in the well-being of their child.