Every parent, aunt, uncle, neighbor, friend, and stranger knows it. Babies cry! Since babies can't talk, crying is the only way for them to communicate that they are uncomfortable.
They cry when they are hungry, need a diaper change, feel hungry, want to sleep, or feel discomfort. If you have or know a baby who cries more than you would expect, they might benefit from chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care for infants (and all little ones) is extremely gentle. It involves balancing their body and nervous system, which impacts many common challenges parents face. It can help babies with colic, reflux, ear infections, and those who favor turning their heads to one side.
Let's discuss why little ones may benefit from chiropractic care and highlight one more condition that adjustments may help.
Being Born Is Hard
Birth isn't just rough for the mom; think about the process of being born from the baby's perspective. It is a traumatic event for a tiny human, whether the baby comes out naturally, gets taken out with forceps or vacuum suction, or is brought into the world by a C-section.
There is a simple, gentle adjustment that can be done throughout pregnancy that may help ease the baby's transition into the world. The Webster technique encourages the pelvis to be properly aligned, which can make the birthing process easier for both mom and baby.
Even with this care, being born can create imbalances that chiropractic care can help.
Pooping
If my babies went a day without pooping, I knew it was time to check out their spines. Each time, I found that the top of her intergluteal cleft (more commonly known as the "butt crack") had veered to one side. This let me know that her sacrum wasn't quite balanced and was impacting her colon.
The adjustment for this is a soft contact on a specific ligament at the base of the sacrum. It is called the Logan Basic Technique. It is a gentle procedure, with a powerful impact. Each time they had a bowel movement within an hour of the adjustment. Twice it happened within five minutes!
Walking & Falling
As they grow, new challenges arise. A baby's first step is an exciting milestone, but learning to walk means lots of wobbly steps and quite a few falls. Chiropractic care can benefit babies who are constantly falling on their bums. It will help keep their bodies aligned during this crucial time of development when they are growing so fast.
I also want to mention that our society tends to push babies to develop faster than is natural. When caregivers try to help babies reach their milestones, they often place the baby in positions they are not ready for, which can interfere with their natural development. Check out Letting Babies Develop Naturally for more information about this.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, click on the link below or call 630-448-0255 to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Jamie
Schedule Appointment with DuPage Family Wellness
Balance is a crucial aspect of well-being, but it is often overlooked. We think about strength and endurance, but those things don't matter much if we do not have good balance.
If we can’t balance, we aren’t stable. If we aren’t stable, we don’t have a platform for our joints to move from. If we don't have a platform to move from, our muscles become "tight" to try to create more stability.
Our current society is not set up to challenge our balance, but it is an important component of healthy movement. Unless we use it, we will lose it.
Let's look at how we got here and what to do about it now.
How Did We Get Here?
Do you spend most of your day sitting? This takes very little “balance", especially if you are leaning back on the chair or couch. When you stand or walk, it is probably on flat ground with flat shoes. Most surfaces are cement, paved, or otherwise "flattened". We don't have to challenge our body’s systems to balance.
Our ancestors' lives were much more adventurous. They walked through fields and forests on uneven surfaces; they even used logs and stepping stones instead of bridges to cross rivers. Daily outdoor activities were necessary for survival; it wasn't a choice.
Benefits of Balance
Studies find that balance training helps prevent injuries in both athletes and seniors. Balance training was found to be more helpful than stretching for injury prevention. Specifically, it has been linked to a reduction in ankle sprains and ACL injuries.
In older individuals, balance is the key to reducing the risk of falls, which can lead to broken bones. This is crucial as broken bones can lead to serious complications. Whether you are young or old, balance is important for improving your stability as you move.
How Does Balance Work?
Your body has 3 systems that work together to help you balance.
- Nerve fibers - these are called proprioceptors and are on the bottom of your feet. They send signals to your brain, telling it how much pressure is on each part of your foot. Your weight shifts accordingly to stay centered and stable.
- Vision - your eyes focus on the horizon or a stable object, and send signals to your brain. This helps your brain understand where your head is in space, allowing you to stabilize your body.
- Ear Canals - you have three semi-circular canals in your ears filled with fluid. One canal is in each plane. As your head moves, the fluid shifts and stimulates receptors, letting your brain know where your head is in space.
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Antelopes rarely suffer long-term damage if they escape the pursuit of a tiger. This may be due to a wild animal's ability to complete the body’s stress cycle, so they do not get stuck in a stress response.
Humans also experience intensely stressful events, though it may not be the pursuit of a predator. Sometimes we don’t complete the body’s stress cycle and get stuck in a stress response. This impacts both our physical and emotional health.
Let’s figure out what your “tigers” are and how to get out of the stress response.
Nervous System’s Design
A mammal's nervous system is designed to go into a fight-flight-freeze response in times of danger. The heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate increase to get more oxygen to the muscles and brain. Muscles tense to prepare for action, eyes dilate for better vision, and digestion slows down to focus on immediate survival.
These protective responses are automatic and provide the best chance for survival, but it is important to complete the cycle. Doing so allows you to release the stress hormones in the body, allowing the nervous system to return to a balanced state.
Trauma specialist Peter Levine explains that trauma happens when the body is “unable to complete a satisfactory fight, flight, or freeze response.”
A Polar Bear’s Response
Levine describes a situation where trackers pursued and tranquilized a polar bear. The bear ran in an attempt to get away before the medicine overpowered it. Once the bear was cared for and started to regain consciousness, it began to shake intensely. Its legs thrashed while it made biting movements over its shoulder. Then it began to gasp deeply and entered a freeze state.
The event had a clear beginning and an end. After the experience, the animal established a sense of safety. Its nervous system returned to a balanced state. It did not stay in a stress response and wasn’t plagued by thoughts of worry.
What is Your Tiger?
I doubt you will be chased by a tiger or tracker on the way home from work today, but other things can cause your body to sense danger. Trouble at work, tensions at home, difficult relationships, health concerns, and financial burdens are some of the difficult situations we may face. The problem with these “tigers” is that the pursuit may not have a clear beginning or end. We can get stuck in a stress response when we don’t complete the stress response cycle.
In acutely dangerous situations, people are often prevented from defending themselves or getting away from the danger. This can prevent survivors from completing the stress response cycle, resulting in trauma being trapped in the body. New therapies are beginning to address the impact emotional trauma and the body have on each other. They can allow survivors to complete the stress response cycle and alleviate some aspects of suffering.
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Cavemen never went to the gym, but they got plenty of exercise. Movement was incorporated into their lives because their survival depended on it. Hunting required fast, agile movements and endurance to outlast prey. Once secured, they had to carry it to the village and process it manually.
The human body is designed to run, lift, throw, and push things. Movements that functionally engage multiple muscle groups are more natural movements. Unfortunately, our modern society limits our need for this type of movement.
When we go to the gym to work out, we have access to machines that can be used for a "full-body" workout. However, many of these machines isolate muscle groups to strengthen them. Isolating specific muscles unnaturally may create imbalances that can cause pain and overuse injuries.
Our body is not intended to endure repetitive movements on workout equipment in a gym. Moving your body as a whole will provide a better, well-balanced workout that gives you better long-term results.
Let’s learn from cavemen and benefit from functional movement today.
How to Move More Like a Caveman
Years ago, a huge tree branch fell in my parents' yard. It's hard to see, but this is me lifting it over my head. It used all my muscles, making it a full-body functional movement. The following are some functional movements that will get you moving more naturally.
Upper Body
- Push - This can be as simple as push-ups if you are at home with no equipment. If you do have equipment, you can do a bench press, a band press, or my favorite at the gym is to use the cable pulley machine to do a pushing motion. If those sound too difficult, a wall push-up can be an easy place to start.
- Pull - If you are at the gym, you can use the seated row machine or the cable pulley machine to do an upper body pulling motion. Another option here would be to use a dumbbell or kettlebell for a bent-over row. At home, exercise bands can be a great option for doing a pulling motion.
- Overhead press - Here, use light dumbbells for an overhead press or a band (or my tried and true cable pulley machine with the pulley in the lowest position so the angle of my press is as upward as possible)
- Overhead pull - At the gym, you can use the lat pull-down machine, or you can use a pulley machine or pull a band with a downward motion. If you have a bar, this can be a pull-up. If you can't do a pull-up, you can use a band or chair to hold some of your weight.
Lower Body
- Squat (standing from seated) - This can be done as simply as standing up from a chair or bench (air squats), or with weight (using a bar on the shoulder for back squat, or dumbbells or kettlebells in hand)
- Deadlift (picking things up off the ground)- with a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell
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Our distant ancestors were in the sun to hunt and gather; their survival depended on it. These ancestors did not have air-conditioning or other modern comforts to draw them indoors.
Many of us could stay inside all day where the temperature is cooler. It sure is nice to have the option, but we might choose to be out more if it were hot and stuffy inside.
Modern-day research shows that being outdoors for extended periods has many physical and mental health benefits. Sunshine can make you feel lighter, move more, sleep better, and have more energy.
Let's talk about getting healthy sun exposure this summer.
Benefits & Risks
Healthy sun exposure may impact our longevity! One study found that sunshine could “reduce blood pressure, cut the risk of heart attack and stroke - and even prolong life.” The study noted that the benefits of sun exposure may outweigh the risks. This is because heart disease and strokes linked to high blood pressure cause about 80 times more deaths than those from skin cancer.
Even more compelling is that according to Dr. Ruscio, sun exposure leads to the formation of the active form of vitamin D, which improves DNA repair and may PROTECT the skin from cancer. Other studies suggest that sun exposure demonstrates a significant REDUCTION in all causes of mortality.
Guidelines for Exposure
It is crucial to understand the nuance involved here. I do not want you reading this and thinking you can start spending all day at the pool without the proper precautions. Chris Kresser suggests the following guidelines.
- Notice how long it takes for your skin to turn pink outside without sunscreen.
- Get out in the sun 2-3 times a week for half the time it takes for your skin to turn pink
- Use shade, light clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat if you will be outside longer.
- Remember that the time of day, latitude, and season impact the sun’s intensity (tropics vs. the Midwest).
- Establish a baseline tan in the spring or early summer.
- Use wisdom on vacation (consider the sun's intensity and if you have a baseline tan).
- Important Note: Babies under 6 months don’t have much melanin (opt for limited sun exposure in the morning and late afternoon rather than at noon).
Easy Ways to Get Sun
Getting sun can become a part of your daily routine; it doesn't need to take extra time or effort.
- Eat breakfast outside on the deck.
- Have a picnic for lunch or dinner.
- Move outside in nature rather than at the gym.
- Go to the park instead of the coffee shop with friends.
- Take calls outside (you can even walk while talking).
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Proper breathing is crucial to health and helps maintain spinal stability. Faulty respiration mechanics can lead to recurrent back pain, shoulder problems, poor coordination, and lower cardiovascular endurance. It can also play a major role in chronic fatigue, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Babies typically breathe with perfect form; their rib cages expand freely for deep breaths. Sitting in chairs, slumping forward at computers, or reclining while watching a show puts our spine and rib cage in unnatural positions that require us to find alternate ways to breathe.
Normal breathing involves letting the belly go outward with each inspiration. This goes against our society's push for a "flat stomach." It is impossible to breathe correctly when we hold our stomachs tight.
Let's check your breathing and see if some adjustments could be beneficial.
Check Your Breathing
Notice how your abdomen and rib cage move. Do this without trying to alter your normal breathing. Start by lying on your back, then try the steps sitting up, standing, and doing an exercise (like a side plank).
1. Place one hand over your abdomen/stomach, and another over your rib cage.
- Breathe in - your abdomen should expand outward.
- Breathe out - your abdomen should expand inward.
- Movement should start in the abdomen, not in the chest (even with a deep breath)
- Abdominal motion should be much more pronounced than rib/chest motion.
2. Now move one hand to each side of your body over your lower ribs and upper abdomen.
- The abdomen should expand all the way around through the entire cylinder, not just the front of the abdomen moving outward.
- As inspiration continues, the lower ribs should move outward in a horizontal plane.
- With your hands on your sides, the motion should seem equal on both sides
3. Notice if you are breathing in through your nose at an equal rhythm.
- Your heart rate should be fairly steady.
- You should breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
4. Brace your core like you are ready to be punched in the stomach.
- Can you still take a breath with the proper mechanics?
Learn to Breathe Better
Recognize what you need to change and practice until it becomes automatic.
Phase one...
- Relax the muscles in your neck and chest.
- Try to keep the chest still.
- Focus on exhaling and letting all of the air out while staying relaxed.
- Breathe with a low, slow, and steady rhythm to avoid deep breaths and sighs.
- Try to lengthen your exhalation to be twice as long as your inhalation.
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