Day 7 #12DaysofChristmas #SeasonofGiving: The Gift of Chiropractic for the Whole Family

Fear of Germs 
by Dr Seth LaFlamme of Great Works Chiropractic and Wellness Center

NNM has several posts re the benefits of chiropractic in infants and children, including this one

I’m going to be very up front with you…I have stolen the title of this blog post from a George Carlin routine of the same name (at least, that’s what it’s called when you search it on YouTube). Yes, George Carlin… he would have been a chiropractor if not a comedian, guaranteed.

Tell me if this rings any bells: sanitizing wipes at shopping cart stands, disinfecting soap at every sink in the house and in every public bathroom and ads, ads, ads on killing germs. I’ll let you in on a little secret: your body does that for you.  It has an immune system custom built for the task, and not only that, it only kills what it’s supposed to as long as….

As long as what? As long as it’s working correctly; meaning as long as it’s not exposed to an overabundance of aberrant stressors, as long as it is properly hooked up to the master system (the nervous system) that controls it, and as long as it is properly exercised.

EXERCISED?!?! But aren’t we supposed to stay away from germs at all costs, and kill them on sight with sprays, potions and pills? Look, just because you’re being sold this bill of goods doesn’t mean it’s true…there’s NO MONEY in letting people’s own bodies do the work these things are designed to take over the job for. Think of the immune system as a muscle…you’ve got to learn how to flex it!

Proof, you want? Proof you will get. Listen, I’m not going to reference a zillion scientific journals, here, but hopefully I’ll get your brain pan boiling, and you can explore from there. A few examples of why our crusade against germs in every facet of our daily lives might perhaps be a little misguided:

photo courtesy of Google

I’m going to seem to jump around here, but it will all make sense so bear with me: we are able to exist right now because of a bacteria. Without it, we would all collapse, and probably stop breathing in seconds if not minutes. I’m not talking about your beneficial gut bacteria that even your M.D. has caught on to advising you to take. I’m not talking about bifidus or acidophilus or any of those guys. Nope. I am talking about something far more profound that lives in the hundreds and thousands inside every one of your cells.

Don’t go running for a prescription for this…this player is often presented in high school biology as “the powerhouse of the cell.” Any guesses? You got it! Mitochodria. Many researchers have concluded that these are actually little bacteria that came to live inside not only our bodies, but every single cells, and allow us to get seventeen times the amount of energy from a molecule of glucose than we otherwise would. Want to kill it now?

Furthermore, there is a study going on in Britain in which they are feeding soil microbes to kids! No, these guys are not being sent to jail for child abuse. It turns out that kids who grow up in overscrubbed, oversanitized environments are sicker—more likely to develop asthma, allergies, autoimmune problems, chronic infections—than their counterparts who grew up digging in the dirt, licking toads and eating mud pies. 

Baby A bookin it in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

Spiderman and hubby touching fish lol, in Harrison, Maine

This early exposure is so important, kids will do nearly anything to accomplish this, so no, there is nothing wrong with your wee one who seems to home in on every little speck on your floor and immediately shove it in his or her mouth. The kid is just flexing that muscle so it can be strong later! What a concept…they actually know what is good for them without us interfering whatsoever! I love it.

The list goes on and on, but I see I’m over a page, and I know how Internet reading is, so let’s bring it home:

Not only are many bacteria actually helpful but even the potentially harmful ones have their place. Culture all the throats in New England and what will you get? Strep. Yup. See, it’s not presence of “bugs” that makes us sick, but a weakness in our defenses. We have strep and staph around us all the time, and they live all over us and our skin surface, but they don’t become a problem unless we have a problem. Unless.

Now I’m stealing from the Lorax. Shameless. Anyway, unless we keep fighting these normal natural environmental and skin/gut bacteria with the aforementioned potions, pills and sprays. THEN, they get stronger and more virulent until now, we’ve taken a normal everyday mostly harmless little streptococcus, and turned it into an apocalyptic zombie bacteria that turns your insides into mystery meat.

Bottom line is, maybe we should cut down on running around scrubbing this and sanitizing that and shunning all contact with germs, and let ourselves and our children develop strong and healthy resistance rather than relying on Dow or Pfizer to “protect” us from something we never needed protecting from in the first place.

So next time you catch you kid eating mud pies, have him make you one! And (I can’t help it, it’s what I do, for goodness sake) if you haven’t looked into the immune boosting benefits of chiropractic, might I suggest you do so? A simple Google search will blow your mind. Farewell and be well!

baby A getting adjusted, NNM sees the benefits of chiropractic!

photo courtesy of Google

Dr. Seth LaFlamme, D.C. is the owner and clinic director at Great Works Chiropractic & Wellness in South Berwick, ME, which specializes in family and pediatric care. When he’s not checking spines and saving lives of patients of all ages, he’s getting used as a jungle gym for three young kids of his own. For more information, or with any questions, visit greatworkschiro.com, or give ‘em a shout at facebook.com/greatworkschiro or the old fashioned way at 207-704-0298.

Attachment Parenting Series: Nurturing Touch

For those who have been following our attachment parenting series, let's discuss principle # 4 Nurturing Touch ;

Let me share with you one of the quotes in this book that has stuck with me since I first read it. It is in reference to a Doctor who toured a children's clinic in Germany before World War I.

"As he was shown about the wards, he noticed a large old woman who was carrying a very sick infant. When he inquired who the woman was, the attending physician said, "Oh that is Old Anna. When we have done everything we can medically for a baby, and it is still not doing well, we turn it over to Old Anna, she is always successful"... as she rocked and held these fragile babies. Dr Talbot introduced this kind of care when he returned to Boston, and his methods spread. In 1938, Bellevue Hospital in NY established the rule that every baby should be picked up and "mothered" on the pediatric wards; that year their death rate fell from 35% to less than 10%" (p127).

So clearly, simply holding a baby will not answer all of our infant problems in the world, but just take a look around at other mammals. They carry babies on their backs, or hold them close to their chest, and encouraging a reciprocating touch relationship. Infants in certain African tribes have been found in research to be with their mothers (directly, as in being held or worn) 70% of the time, versus infants in the US and England, which conversely are only with their mothers (as described above) 25% of the time, and in daycares a mere 14% of the time.

Kangaroo Care

I know I have mentioned kangaroo care before, but this is one of the prime examples of nurturing touch, especially when it comes to premature infants. Essentially it describes skin to skin contact between the mothers (caregivers) and the infants. Babies that experience kangaroo care have been shown to gain weight faster, sleep better, nurse better, and have more stable heart rates and temperatures.

Chiropractic & Infant Massage

As I mentioned in my post about my own experience with chiropractic and infant massage , the benefits of each can be overwhelming. Both can help with nursing/latch issues, allergies, relaxation, general improvement in immune system, and overall improvement in the parent-child bonding experience. Infant massage classes are also available now in most communities.



photo courtesy of New England Chiropractic Westbrook, Maine



Babywearing

We've already discussed the topic of babywearing in fairly significant detail in A Parent's Call to Arms, and I'm an Attached Parent, Are You?  The moral of the babywearing story is this, every other culture in the world (yes, the world) besides Americans and much of England, wear their babies; and none of those cultures experience what we describe as colic. Hmmmmm....



Since this theory of Nurturing Touch carries through past infancy to continue the bonding experience with your child, older children can still enjoy massages and even the benefits of chiropractic. Additionally, frequent hugs and snuggles are also recommended. :)

How do you practice nurturing touch in your home? Have you tried infant massage or chiropractic? What were your thoughts?

Nurturing Touch: Massage & Chiropractic Therapy for Infants and Children

Day 2 in the hospital after giving birth to baby A, with cracked and bleeding and insanely sore nipples, (isn't this supposed to be easier the second time around?! Ugh!) the lactation consultant tells me I need to see an OMT to improve baby A's latch. So after settling in at home, I call the numbers they gave me for the therapists in my area, none of which take our insurance. Ugh.

So I call the lactation consultant and immediately make another appointment. Baby A is exclusively nursing, although I am incredibly sore, and she seems satiated, but she certainly does NOT have a strong latch. I have always called her "sippy Susan" :)  as she is on/off/on/off/on/off the whole time she is nursing, which could last anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour! I ask the lactation consultant exactly what this appointment with the OMT would accomplish. She tells me they do some small 'manipulations' of the skull and neck, focusing on the jaw to improve the baby's ability to open their mouth wider and thus latch better.

And I immediately think, hey! My chiropractor could do that!

I call that day, and schedule baby A an appointment with my chiropractor (New England Chiropractic) - who, by the way, I completely and utterly recommend if you are anywhere near the Westbrook, Maine area!  Dr. Kelly explained to me that they see many infants for issues like colic, constipation, and latch problems like baby A's. She completed her initial consultation and explained to me that baby A had several areas in her lower back that needed adjusting, as well as her hip.

After several visits, we saw a significant difference in her behavior (she was what many would describe as "colicky") as well as an improvement in her latch and overall nursing behavior. She was sleeping more restfully, and was overall a more content baby.

Our chiropractor also discussed the benefits of massage therapy, and since it just so happens that I have an amazing aunt who is a licensed massage therapist- I was able to have her give baby A a massage and walk me through how to give them at home. When you massage your baby or child at home, pay less attention to technique (save that for the professionals), and more attention to your baby's body. It's a great time for you to "tune in" to what your baby really wants. Baby A loves the glute massage! :) She gets all giggly, and her whole body relaxes. She also enjoys when I rub her itty bitty fingers in between mine. I have also started giving massages to my toddler, who much prefers the leg massage.

"My favorite part about baby massage is the parent's face while massaging their baby. They smile the entire time. Like trying to keep your eyes open when sneezing is impossible, massaging a baby and not smiling is equally impossible. All involved reap benefits; the baby, the parent (or caregiver), and the massage therapist. Each leaves the experience with different yet equally significant good vibes. It's a wonderful thing and for the Massage Therapist, who also smiles the whole time, it's an energy boost that fills your tank for the rest of the day."

-Nancy Primo, CLMT 

Have you taken your infant/children to a chiropractor and/or massage therapist? What was your experience like?