7 Reasons You Should Start Using Cold and Heat Therapy
Most people enjoy taking a hot bath or shower or using a heating pad when they are in pain or after a long day or hard workout. Heat feels much better than cold or ice, given the choice most of us would choose to use heat therapy instead of cold therapy. However; both are essential in helping your body heal injuries and help you recover from hard workouts,here’s why you need both: Heat and cold therapy are great ways to help you feel your best and recover from a hard workout, a hard day, or an injury. If you have any questions on how to best use these practices in your life call us today!
My Newborn Won’t Stop Crying! Can Chiropractic Care Help With Colic?
Colic: it’s every new parent’s worst nightmare. A digestive condition that leads to comfortless crying in babies and young kids, colic can feel impossible to treat and even harder to live with. What most people don’t know, though, is that chiropractic care can help treat colic and promote comfort and wellbeing in kids and toddlers of all ages. What is Colic? The term “colic” is a common one, and most parents have heard it tossed around for years. You might be surprised to learn, though, that there’s not a true medical definition for colic. Generally understood as “inconsolable crying,” colic applies to any baby that cries for an extended period. Here’s how The American Pregnancy Association defines colic: “According to many experts, colic is inconsolable crying in an infant that lasts many hours a day, starting in the second week of life and lasting until about three months of age. About 40 years ago, a pediatrician named Dr. Morris Wessel conducted a breakthrough study on excessively fussy children. The definition he chose to use to describe colicky babies was not considered scientific, but it stuck with physicians. His description of a colicky infant was a child who cried for more than 3 hours a day, for more than three days a week, for over three weeks. This is often referred to as the “Rule of 3’s” and these rules came to be known as the Wessell Criteria, which is now used in most current studies of babies with colic.” The Signs and Symptoms of Colic How do you know if your baby has colic? What’s the difference between a colicky child, and one who is just fussy? Here are a few key facts about colic: First of all, a colicky baby is not a sick baby. Colic is a digestive condition that, while sometimes challenging to treat, can be resolved. Some pediatric experts believe that all babies experience colic, although the differentiation between one case and another comes down to the degree of discomfort and crying. According to Wessell’s Criteria, an estimated 20-25% of babies experience “colic.” Colic has many physical signs. Most colicky babies pull their legs up to their chest. They may also stretch their legs, clench their fists, beat the air, or pass gas repeatedly. Another surefire sign is a baby with a distended abdomen. Although gas is not the cause of colic, it’s a symptom – as babies gulp air as they cry. Colic crying generally increases in the evening hours and is at its worst 6-8 weeks after birth Colic can self-resolve. In most cases, it ends for 50% of babies at three months of age, and 90% of babies by the time they reach nine months. What Causes Colic? As a parent, it can be wrenching to watch your baby grapple with colic. The discomfort is evident, and many parents feel powerless to provide relief for their little one. The first step in doing this, though, is understanding what causes colic. Here are a few of the primary factors: Children that are naturally sensitive and require more attention Children with underdeveloped or immature nervous systems Kids who become overwhelmed easily or are sensitive to stimulation Breastfed babies who may be vulnerable to something in their mother’s diet Bottle-fed babies who are reacting to the proteins in their formula Babies who eat too quickly or who are being overfed Babies whose mothers smoked throughout their pregnancies Babies who gulp air when they cry or feed, and who are not burped afterward Babies with low birth weight or acid reflux In some cases, a baby can have a single risk factor. In other cases, babies may experience several of these issues at once. If your baby is experiencing any of these, don’t fret. There are improvements you can make to your little one’s condition. They don’t have to be in pain forever. 2 Big Ways Chiropractic Care Helps With Colic The fact that chiropractic care helps babies with colic find relief is not a theory. Instead, there is ample scientific evidence to back the claim up. According to one 2012 study published in the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapy, “One hundred four patients were randomized. In parents blinded to treatment allocation, using 2 or fewer hours of crying per day to determine a clinically significant improvement in crying time, the increased odds of improvement in treated infants compared with those not receiving treatment were statistically significant at day 8…In this study, chiropractic manual therapy improved crying behavior in infants with colic. The findings showed that knowledge of treatment by the parent did not appear to contribute to the observed treatment effects in this study. Thus, it is unlikely that the observed treatment effect is due to bias on the part of the reporting parent.” With that in mind, here is how chiropractic care can help your baby with a case of colic: 1. Chiropractic Care Stimulates the Digestive System Colic originates in the digestive system. Fortunately, chiropractic care stimulates and activates the digestive system, offering remarkable benefits for babies and young children. Compared to other treatment options, like the administration of anti-gas medication, chiropractic care provides a holistic, more effective method of treatment that can lessen or resolve the issue entirely. 2. Chiropractic Care Improves Body Function Chiropractic care works with the body, never limiting the body’s natural functions. This allows specific systems to “get out of their way,” so to speak. While many parents are nervous about the idea of taking their baby in for adjustment by a chiropractor, chiropractors are specially trained to deal with infants and will provide a gentle, comprehensive adjustment that can help your baby’s body thrive. Chiropractic Care: Your Go-To for Colic If your baby has a sore, sad tummy, chiropractic care can help. For more information or to book your first appointment today, contact ou team now. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions and help you settle on a treatment plan for your little one.
How Much Sleep Does my Toddler Really Need?
Sleep: if you have a young child, it’s a mythical, mystical topic. During the baby days, it’s virtually non-existent. As your child reaches toddlerhood, though, the paradigm surrounding sleep shifts. Suddenly, your child is sleeping a lot, but how much sleep does he or she need? And how can you help promote the healthiest sleep possible? Here’s what you need to know. Children and Sleep, by the Numbers Sleep is an essential process for all living creatures. During deep sleep, the body and mind regenerate, short-term memory is converted to long-term memory, and muscles and bones grow. A toddler has different sleep needs than an adult. While most people know this by virtue of common sense, it can still be shocking to see the difference between these two groups broken down into actual numbers. How Much Sleep Newborns Need By the time we reach adulthood, most of us have established a regular circadian rhythm. What most people don’t know, though, is that these circadian rhythms take some time to develop. According to the National Sleep Foundation: “Circadian rhythms, or the sleep-wake cycle, are regulated by light and dark, and these rhythms take time to develop, resulting in the irregular sleep schedules of newborns. The rhythms begin to develop at about six weeks, and by three to six months, most infants have a regular sleep-wake cycle. By the age of two, most children have spent more time asleep than awake, and overall, a child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep.” Because of this, newborns between the ages of 0-3 months sleep around-the-clock. The sleep/wake cycle is not yet established, and it interacts simultaneously with their other needs: to be fed, changed, and held. As a general rule, newborns will sleep between 10-18 hours each day. The sleep schedule is irregular, and newborns are generally very active during sleep. Sleep and Infants Infants are babies aged 4-11 months. By about six months of age, a baby’s stomach has increased in size to the point that most no longer require nighttime feedings, and many will sleep through the night. During this period, infants usually sleep about 9-12 hours each day and take length naps one to four times each day. According to the National Sleep Foundation: “Infants who are put to bed drowsy but not asleep, they are more likely to become “self- soothers” which enables them to fall asleep independently at bedtime and put themselves back to sleep during the night. Those who have become accustomed to parental assistance at bedtime often become “signalers” and cry for their parents to help them return to sleep during the night.” Toddlers and Sleep Toddlers are children ages 1-2 years old. Children this age require a large amount of sleep each day – generally between 11-14 hours in a given 24-hour period. Most children of this age take one-three naps each day, with a length of about one-three hours each. Toddlers at this age might start to resist bedtime and nighttime routines, even if they’ve been strong sleepers until this point. These children are exploring their independence, and have the increased motor skills necessary to allow them to climb out of their beds or play in their rooms instead of sleeping. 4 Smart Tips to Encourage Better Sleep for Your Toddler Does your toddler’s sleep schedule leave something to be desired? Don’t worry. There are ways to take children that don’t sleep well and transform them into all-star sleepers. Here are a few tips: 1. Maintain a Sleep Schedule After an age of about six months, children will benefit from a regular sleep schedule. Not only does this promote the development of healthy circadian rhythms, but it encourages sleep independence and helps babies develop healthy sleep habits that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. The sleep schedule you develop should take your child’s natural patterns into consideration and should remain as consistent as possible at all times, including vacations and travel. 2. Establish a Sleep-Friendly Environment Toddlers will sleep better if their bedrooms are geared toward deep, restful nights. According to Sleep.org, simple things, like installing blackout shades and curtains, red bulb nightlights (the warm light is less activating for the brain, so your toddler is less likely to “wake up” during night time stirrings), proper storage, and a white noise machine can go a long way toward creating a relaxing, sleep-friendly environment. As you can see, you don’t have to overhaul a bedroom to make it a haven for sleep – just a few simple shifts can go a long way. 3. Address Underlying Issues In some cases, sleep problems can come from underlying issues, such as pain, sickness, or discomfort. If you notice that your toddler is having trouble sleeping consistently, consider taking the child to the chiropractor. Chiropractic care is excellent for addressing structural issues, slight injuries, and other issues that can keep toddlers uncomfortable and make sleeping difficult. 4. Set Limits With toddlers, it’s especially important to establish and maintain boundaries. While kids this age may sleep well once they’re in bed, many start resisting nighttime routines and bedtime. To counteract this, parents must establish routines and boundaries around bedtime, and make sure they’re enforced each night. While this may be a difficult process at first, it will get easier with consistent reinforcement. Remember: kids love structure, and imposing some structure around bedtime will do everyone in the household good. Better Sleep for Your Little One Toddlers are growing and developing rapidly, and they need a great deal of sleep to facilitate this process. If your little one isn’t sleeping as well or as long as you’d like, it’s worth evaluating your bedtime routine, sleeping space, and toddler’s health. Any number of things can contribute to sleep problems, and it’s smart to attack the issue from all angles. Once you’ve identified the issues underlying your baby’s sleep issues, you’ll all enjoy a more restful, comfortable night of sleep. Ready to make
6 Ways Chiropractic Care can Help Reduce Headaches
In the U.S. and across the world, headaches after one of the most common chronic disorders people face. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 50% of the adult population has experienced a headache at least once within the past year. Additionally, 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches at some point in their lives. Furthermore, headache disorders, which are categorized as recurrent, severe bouts of headache pain, can cause disability, decreased quality of life, financial difficulty, and even an inability to work. If you’re a headache sufferer, you know exactly how debilitating a bad headache can be. Whether you get migraines or routine headaches, you’ve probably wondered time and time again how to stop theme, and what you need to do to reclaim your quality of life. Luckily, the answer may be more straightforward than you’d imagine: Chiropractic care. Chiropractic care addresses the root cause of many headache disorders, promoting healthy alignment in the spine, and ensuring comfort down the road. Here’s what you need to know. What Causes Headaches? Headaches, like joint pain or allergies, have dozens of causes. Because of this, the root issue underlying a problem can be quite tricky to pin down. Common headache triggers include the following: Food allergies Environmental stimuli, such as noise, lights, or stress Behaviors (including insomnia, low blood sugar, excessive exercise, nail-biting, etc.) Physical problems (including neck injuries, spinal misalignment, or strains) Tension Joint irritation Teeth grinding If you already know what triggers your headache, you’ve got a great place to start. If you don’t, you may have to do some investigative work to determine the cause. Consider keeping a headache journal detailing what you were doing or eating before your headache began. Over time, you’ll be able to identify patterns that expose the root causes of your headaches. Chiropractic Care and Headaches If you suffer from headaches, chiropractic care could be an excellent option for getting some relief. According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), “Research shows that spinal manipulation – one of the primary treatments provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A 2014 report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved outcomes for the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain and increased benefit was shown in several instances where a multimodal approach to neck pain had been used. Also, a 2011 JMPT study found that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches.” Since the vast majority of headaches are caused by muscle tension or spinal misalignment, chiropractic care is an excellent treatment approach. In addition to addressing the hazards of our sedentary lifestyle, chiropractic care also reduce joint irritation and muscle tension, leading to fewer headache days in a given month. 6 Ways Chiropractors Address Headache Pain If you’re suffering from recurrent headaches, you need relief. Fortunately, chiropractors are familiar with these particular difficulties and will go above and beyond to ensure you get the career you need. Here are six ways your chiropractor may approach and treat your headaches: Perform spinal manipulations and ongoing chiropractic adjustments. These manipulations and adjustments seek to resolve stress in the system, improve the function of the spine, and restore movement and mobility to your neck, upper back, and shoulders. Provide nutritional advice. In some cases, recurrent headaches are a sign that your body is getting too much of something or not enough of something else. In these cases, your chiropractor may recommend a change in your diet, or the addition of supplements, like B vitamins or Iron. Your chiropractor may also consider your hydration, as this is a critical factor in headache prevention. According to the ACA, people who drink at least eight 9-ounce glasses of water each day will avoid dehydration and be much less prone to headaches in the future. Offer advice on posture. Postural problems are a significant underlying cause for many headaches. If you fit into this category, your chiropractor will likely correct your daily ergonomics (work postures), and recommend a variety of exercises and relaxation techniques meant to improve strength and posture. Recommend complementary therapies. These therapies will work alongside your chiropractic adjustments. They may include heat therapy, acupuncture, and massage. Perform x-rays. X-rays are advanced images and will rule out fractures, injuries, or other causes that could be underlying your headache pain. Perform deep neck flexor exercises. These exercises seek to actively move your joints and muscles in controlled and guided ways. This restores mobility and decreases tension. Of course, no two headache disorders are precisely the same. This may mean your chiropractor will take more or fewer approaches to treat your unique pain, depending on the underlying cause and the circumstances surrounding your headaches. No matter what the case may be, it’s essential to work with your chiropractor to come up with a treatment plan that suits your condition and your life. Kick Your Headaches to the Curb Headaches are uncomfortable, unpleasant, and an interruption to your daily life. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with them. Instead of suffering through yet another headache this year, book an appointment with a chiropractor today. A chiropractor can help you identify the root cause of your headaches and come p with a treatment plan to address them. Within a few months of chiropractic care, most patients see a dramatic decrease in the frequency and severity of their headaches. Could you be one of them? Contact our office to book your first appointment today!