In recent years, more and more of us are seeking natural healthcare alternatives for our children. And that includes the practice of chiropractic – the adjusting the bones of your body to improve the alignment of your skeleton – which is the most common alternative care sought by parents for their little ones.
McTimoney Chiropractic is a particularly gentle method of chiropractic used regularly to help manage back, neck and joint pain. The technique is suitable for the whole family: from newborn babies and pregnant women to grandparents. It involves checking the whole body and where necessary performing gentle adjustments to help realign individual bones. This technique allows the nervous system to work as well as it possibly can, bringing about optimum health and wellbeing.
McTimoney chiropractic has been found helpful for thousands of people for over 30 years and it is growing by nearly 150,000 new patients per year. Over 8,000 people are treated by McTimoney chiropractic each day.
Madeleine Brzeski – a chiropractor for almost thirty years and chairman of the pediatric faculty of the College of Chiropractors – explains more.
"Children and babies are not just 'mini adults' and the gentle treatment and intervention they require needs specialist knowledge of their particular stage of development. McTimoney Chiropractors train for a minimum of 4 years initially and some then continue with paediatric post-graduate education to enable them to work with babies and children.
"McTimoney Chiropractors are regulated by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), most will be members of the McTimoney Chiropractic Association and will carry full insurance.
"The chiropractor – who will have a special interest in paediatrics – will initially assess the baby and discuss the full details of the pregnancy, the birth and baby with parents. They will discuss any concerns the parents may have, but often parents purely like to give their new babies a 'wellness check'.
"Once the treatments commence the chiropractor will also monitor the baby's growth and development, and when they have an on-going relationship with the child and their family they often find they are able to pick up and treat any difficulties if they arise. "Chiropractors are able to identify when children or babies show signs of delay in their development or other health problems that cause concern and will refer parents to the appropriate healthcare services for further advice."
Adults generally seek chiropractic help when they are in pain from a trauma or injury. For some babies, the birth process can be traumatic, especially if there has been intervention such as ventouse, forceps, or a Caesarean section.
"The baby’s position at delivery may have an effect on how easily they enter the world. A baby that experiences a difficult entry into the world may have an asymmetrical head and/or a muscle contraction on one side of the neck which in turn may lead to a restriction to their head rotation on one side, subsequently effecting the baby’s ability to feed properly. A facial presentation may alter the position of the jaw; a breech presentation may affect the hips.
"The McTimoney chiropractor will discuss the birth with the parents and will treat the baby accordingly, often with parents noticing results from treatment quickly. Parents also seek chiropractic help for babies with poor sleep patterns or for those babies who cry for excessive periods for seemingly no reason and often find changes in these behaviours."
As the baby grows to toddler and then child, they will, of course, have many knocks and falls as they negotiate their developmental milestones and learn about the world. Mostly these are innocuous; however the occasional accident may have the effect of causing pain or restricted mobility. The McTimoney Chiropractor will pick up any issues during the child’s wellness checks and resolve any issues which in later years, could have continued to interfere with normal function."
Chiropractors will encourage children to be active and enjoy the rough and tumble of a natural childhood as it helps them to develop a strong, stable, healthy, musculo-skeletal system. The McTimoney method of chiropractic offers them the benefit of a gentle, precise treatment as and when they need a little help!"
To look for a McTimoney Chiropractor in your area, go to www.mctimoneychiropractic.org and use the search facility or call 01491 829211 for more information