Category Archives: Pediatric Chiropractic

Chiropractic Advice for Moms-to-Be

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Having a baby is a very special and exciting time.  Here are a few great tips for new Mom’s to Be!

Exercise

  • Safe exercise during pregnancy can help strengthen your muscles and prevent discomfort. Try exercising at least three times a week, gently stretching before and after exercise. If you weren’t active before your pregnancy, check with your doctor before starting or continuing any exercise.
  • Walking, swimming, and stationary cycling are relatively safe cardiovascular exercises for pregnant women because they do not require jerking or bouncing movements. Jogging can be safe for women who were avid runners before becoming pregnant-if done carefully and under a doctor’s supervision.
  • Be sure to exercise in an area with secure footing to minimize the likelihood of falls. Your heart rate should not exceed 140 beats per minute during exercise. Strenuous activity should last no more than 15 minutes at a time.
  • Stop your exercise routine immediately if you notice any unusual symptoms, such as vaginal bleeding, dizziness, nausea, weakness, blurred vision, increased swelling, or heart palpitations.

Health and Safety

  • Wear flat, sensible shoes. High or chunky heels can exacerbate postural imbalances and make you less steady on your feet, especially as your pregnancy progresses.
  • When picking up children, bend from the knees, not the waist. And never turn your head when you lift. Avoid picking up heavy objects, if possible.
  • Get plenty of rest. Pamper yourself and ask for help if you need it. Take a nap if you’re tired, or lie down and elevate your feet for a few moments when you need a break.

Pregnancy Ergonomics: Your Bed and Desk

  • Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees to take pressure off your lower back. Full-length “body pillows” or “pregnancy wedges” may be helpful. Lying on your left side allows unobstructed blood flow and helps your kidneys flush waste from your body.
  • If you have to sit at a computer for long hours, make your workstation ergonomically correct. Position the computer monitor so the top of the screen is at or below your eye level, and place your feet on a small footrest to take pressure off your legs and feet. Take periodic breaks every 30 minutes with a quick walk around the office.

Nutrition

  • Eat small meals or snacks every four to five hours-rather than the usual three large meals-to help keep nausea or extreme hunger at bay. Snack on crackers or yogurt-bland foods high in carbohydrates and protein. Keep saltines in your desk drawer or purse to help stave off waves of “morning sickness.”
  • Supplementing with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day before and during pregnancy has been shown to decrease the risk of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida. Check with your doctor before taking any vitamin or herbal supplement to make sure it’s safety for you and the baby.
  • If you are looking for some additional advice you can set up a nutritional consultation with Dr. Schaffer.  She can give you very important tips to help keep you healthy during this special time. 

How Can Your Chiropractor Help?
Before you become pregnant, your chiropractor can detect any imbalances in the pelvis or elsewhere in your body that could contribute to pregnancy discomfort or possible neuromusculoskeletal problems after childbirth.

Many pregnant women have found that chiropractic adjustments provide relief from the increased low-back pain brought on by pregnancy. Chiropractic manipulation is safe for the pregnant woman and her baby and can be especially attractive to those who are trying to avoid medications in treating their back pain. Doctors of chiropractic can also offer nutrition, ergonomic, and exercise advice to help a woman enjoy a healthy pregnancy.

Chiropractic care can also help after childbirth. In the eight weeks following labor and delivery, the ligaments that loosened during pregnancy begin to tighten up again. Ideally, joint problems brought on during pregnancy from improper lifting or reaching should be treated before the ligaments return to their pre-pregnancy state-to prevent muscle tension, headaches, rib discomfort, and shoulder problems.

If you are currently expecting or recently had a baby, contact our staff at Grand Health Chiropractic & Wellness Center.  Our friendly team would be happy to help!

Want to read the full article? Click Here. Source: American Chiropractic Association www.acatoday.com 

7 Tips for Back Pain Relief During Pregnancy

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Back pain during pregnancy is a common complaint. You’re gaining weight, you’re walking in a new way, and your hormones are relaxing the muscles and ligaments throughout your body. But you don’t have to grin and bear it. Often, you can treat — or prevent — back pain during pregnancy. Consider these 7 Tips:

1. Practice good posture. Stand up straight and tall. Hold your chest high. Keep your shoulders back and relaxed. Don’t lock your knees. Good posture also means sitting with care. Choose a chair that supports your back, or place a small pillow behind your lower back. Keep your upper back and neck comfortably straight. Consider propping your feet on a low stool.

2. Get the right gear. Wear low-heeled shoes with good arch support. Wear maternity pants with a low, supportive waistband.

3. Lift properly. When lifting a small object, squat down and lift with your legs. Don’t bend at the waist or lift with your back. It’s also important to know your limits. Ask for help if you need it.

4. Sleep on your side. Sleep on your side, not your back. Keep one or both knees bent. It might also help to place one pillow between your knees and another under your abdomen, or use a full-length body pillow.

5. Try heat, cold or massage. Use a heating pad to apply heat to your back, or alternate ice packs with heat. Rubbing your back also might help. Better yet, ask someone to rub your back for you or schedule a professional prenatal massage.

6. Include physical activity in your daily routine Regular physical activity can keep your back strong and may actually relieve back pain during pregnancy. With your health care provider’s OK, try gentle activities — such as walking or swimming. You might also stretch your lower back. Rest on your hands and knees with your head in line with your back. Pull in your stomach, rounding your back slightly. Hold for several seconds, then relax your stomach and back — keeping your back as flat as possible. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions. Ask your health care provider about other stretching exercises, too.

7. Consider complementary therapies Some research suggests that acupuncture can help relieve back pain during pregnancy. Chiropractic treatment seems to provide comfort for some women as well. Chiropractic care is completely safe and studies show that women who get regular chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy tend to have a much easier labor.  Dr. Schaffer loves treating soon to be mom’s! She uses very gentle techniques that not only you but also the babies seem to enjoy.   

Want to read the full article? Click here.  Source: www.cnn.com/health

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Is your Child’s Backpack causing them Pain?

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With school back in session, the last thing you want is for your kids to be coming home and complaining of back pain.  Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more common and the major cause—Backpacks!

Here are a few tips to help prevent the pain before it starts:

  • Make sure your child’s backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than on the shoulders, by the straps.
  • The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.
  • A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child’s back.
  • Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry-and the heavier the backpack will be.
  • Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain.
  • Wide, padded straps are very important. Non-padded straps are uncomfortable, and can dig into your child’s shoulders.
  • The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to your child’s body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain.

If you or your child experiences any pain or discomfort resulting from backpack use, call Grand Chiropractic & Wellness Center. The Doctors are licensed and trained to diagnose and treat patients of all ages and will use a gentler type of treatment for children.

To read more on this topic and the full article click here.  Source: American Chiropractic Association www.acatoday.org.

Why Chiropractic Care During Childhood Is Beneficial

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A healthy spine is essential for good overall health. Like adults, a child’s neck and spine need to be in proper alignment to facilitate good posture, movement and functionality.

Remember that children have a spine, just like you and I do as adults. Kids go through their daily activities of playing, running, riding their bikes, playing sports, falling down and roughhousing with their friends. Their spines and the bones that make up their joints can move out of alignment, just like adults; sometimes even more so, since they are so active and often “throw caution to the wind” in terms of personal safety.

Just as you believe in getting regular tune-ups from your dentist, medical doctor and your optometrist, make sure your children benefit from that type of thinking as well. Most of the aches and pains that we go through as children (and as adults) can be greatly helped by getting adjustments from a doctor of chiropractic.

The youngest patients could see the biggest benefit from chiropractic care. Think of an infant who, during birth, has their head, shoulders or neck pushed against the mom’s pelvic bones. Or perhaps the child had a difficult birth and was stuck in the birth canal at an odd angle. There is spinal stress associated with those scenarios, and the baby can be born with their spine out of alignment as a consequence.

Babies respond quickly to adjustments. Often common infant/toddler conditions like ear infections, colic and irritability can be improved with adjustments to their spine. Start them off right while they are young and they will keep those good habits into adulthood.

The Doctors at Grand Health Chiropractic & Wellness Center love working with children.  The next time you are in for you appointment ask Dr. Schaffer how she can also help with your child’s health.

Source: http://toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1450&pagenumber=2
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