Do Babies Need NUCCA?

It depends…are they misaligned?

Not all children are misaligned. In our experience approximately 50% of the kids that are evaluated are misaligned. In babies it is an even lower percentage. But when the spine is misaligned as a result of birth trauma it can have significant effects. Colic and other digestive conditions, ear infections, sleeping problems and more have been associated with upper neck misalignments.

An example is found in the January 28, 2011 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health. There is a case study documenting improvement in a child with gastroesophageal reflux disease, constipation, and head deformation undergoing chiropractic care.

The authors of the study explain that the American Academy of Pediatrics defines gastroesophageal reflux (GER) as the passage of gastric contents into the esophagus while GER disease (GERD) is the presence of symptoms or complications from GERD.

In this case, a 5-month-old girl was brought in for chiropractic care with gastroesophageal reflux, constipation and a deformed head known as “plagiocephaly”. The girl had been suffering with GERD since birth and was experiencing approximately 8-10 regurgitations per day consisting of 2-4 tablespoons of gastric content. The history noted that the reflux was made worse by movement of the baby or sitting up on her own for over 5 minutes. The infant girl was breast-fed since birth and her diet was supplemented with small amounts of baby oatmeal.

A chiropractic examination was performed and showed multiple areas of muscle tightness, reduction in joint movement and muscular asymmetry. Palpation of the spine also showed areas of spinal fixation and muscular changes.

Chiropractic care was initiated on this infant girl to correct the misalignments and correct the subsequent nerve system interference. As a result of care, the child’s medication for the reflux disease was reduced and eventually eliminated. The study also notes that her constipation was resolved, her muscle tone had returned to normal and her head asymmetry was significantly reduced.

Should all infants be checked for spinal misalignments?

What’s the worst that could happen? The infant is evaluated and found not to be in need of any care.

Or a problem is identified in a little spine that would have negatively impacted the rest of that child’s life.

To us it just makes sense…what about you?

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Dr. Armen Manoucherian of Health Edge Family Spinal Care in Glendale, California is a Glendale Chiropractor and Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). He has helped many children and adults find natural relief in Glendale, California. His upper cervical clinic also serves the communities of Pasadena, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Burbank. He is uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems. More information can be found on his website at http://www.healthedgela.com