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Explore our blog that focuses on holistic care for any and all ages - pediatric well-being, pre/post-natal health, and adult vitality.
THE BLOG
When your child struggles with sensory issues – daily meltdowns, refusal to wear certain clothes or eat specific foods, difficulty sleeping – it can be exhausting and isolating. Each sensory-related tantrum or meltdown in public can make you feel the weight of judgmental stares from people unaware of the neurological root causing your family’s daily struggles.
As parents, there’s nothing we cherish more than our children. Witnessing them struggle with overwhelming situations like large crowds, loud noises, or certain textures is not just frustrating but heart-wrenching. Many mistakenly believe sensory issues in kids are mere phases, dismissing them as “boys being boys” or the “terrible twos.” However, these issues don’t resolve on their own and can escalate into significant challenges later in life.
So, if you are a parent who is seeking to fully understand sensory issues in your child and better explore natural solutions because traditional therapies and avoidance tactics are falling short, this is for you. We want to help you discover the nature of sensory issues. Their manifestations, impact on children’s lives, and underlying root causes like subluxation and vagus nerve dysfunction. We’ll dive into drug-free care options such as neurologically-focused chiropractic care, calming techniques, and more.
The Science Behind Sensory Issues
Sadly, the prevalence of sensory issues in kids has skyrocketed over the past few generations. Estimates today showing rates as high as 1 in 6 children. Despite this surge, providers often fail to recognize a child’s struggles and their true root causes Leaving parents feeling isolated and lost.
Sensory issues in children can be alarming for parents. Often, they’re linked to conditions like Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and ADHD. Imagine a scenario where your child’s brain is bombarded with constant “noise” and confusion due to sensory overload. It disrupts their focus, cognition, and emotional regulation, making everyday tasks seem daunting.
Sensory Issues and the Brain-Body Connection
These sensory challenges often stem from disruptions in the body-to-brain connection. The brain and body are intricately linked through sensory nerves. So, when the digestive system, muscles, or immune system falter, it sends ripples of tension and inflammation to the brain, worsening sensory issues.
Two vital pathways play a crucial role in sensory processing. The proprioceptive movement-based pathway, and the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the number one most intricate and important sensory processing nerve in the entire body. These two sensory pathways are designed to calm, relax, and regulate the brain, which is exactly what kids with sensory issues struggle to do.
When disruptions occur in these pathways, leading to what we term subluxation, sensory issues can arise early and frequently for the child. The primary triggers for such disruptions include birth interventions such as forceps, vacuum extraction, induction, or c-section deliveries. These can cause interference to the brainstem, vagus nerve, and proprioception. These disturbances can significantly impact the child’s sensory development and overall well-being.
Parents often seek Occupational Therapy (OT) as the initial solution for addressing sensory issues. OT professionals put together plans that include exercises, integrative activities, and therapeutic tools to improve fine motor and sensory skills. Despite these efforts, movement-based therapies fail to address the deeper underlying issues. Such as subluxation, altered proprioception, and vagus nerve dysfunction originating from the brainstem, upper neck, and neurospinal system.
Sensory Issues and Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care
So, if your child is struggling with sensory meltdowns and you’ve exhausted traditional approaches without success, it’s likely that deeper neurological and vagus nerve dysfunctions need attention. This is where neurologically-focused pediatric chiropractic care steps in. A specialized form of care we provide at RCW.
In our office, we utilize INSiGHT Scans. These scans directly measure the location and severity of subluxation within your child’s nervous system. Armed with this information, we can formulate a customized care plan to address the root cause of their sensory struggles.
As we address this subluxation and neurological dysfunction over time, your child’s nervous system can better calm, relax, and regulate. This often results in better sleep, smoother transitions, fewer meltdowns, and an overall improved quality of life for your child.
By addressing the true root cause of sensory issues, we hope to offer relief and improvements that positively impact your child’s day-to-day experiences. Please reach out to RCW today! We’re here to support you every step of the way.
The moment those two lines appear on the pregnancy test, the most joyful journey begins for expectant mothers. It’s a time filled with wonder, excitement, and, undoubtedly, a touch of anxiety about your baby’s health and future.
As your little one grows within the womb, you might find yourself thinking about the effects of your stress and any potential disruptions that could happen during childbirth. It’s common to wonder if your emotional state could influence your baby’s neurological development.
Fortunately, advancements in research and technology now offer mothers a remarkable opportunity to play an active role in shaping their baby’s neural health from the earliest stages of pregnancy. Heart rate variability tracking emerges as a cutting-edge insight among these innovations.
So, if you’re curious about how your emotional well-being impacts your baby’s well-being and resilience, this is for you. Together, we’ll dive into the science behind proactive measures for nurturing your baby’s nervous system. We want to help mothers eager to nurture nervous system growth in their developing baby by moderating stress. You’ll learn about the direct impact of maternal distress and anxiety on babies in the womb, affecting their neurological development.
Alex’s Story of Hope
Before welcoming their beautiful baby Boden, Alex and Griffin prioritized preparing Alex’s body for pregnancy with neurologically-focused chiropractic care. Their journey began with preconception chiropractic sessions aimed at optimizing Alex’s health.
After conceiving, Alex continued chiropractic care throughout her pregnancy, ensuring her body was well-prepared for labor and delivery. When Boden arrived, they welcomed him into the world with ease, a testament to Alex’s proactive approach to wellness.
At just 3 days old, Boden received his first chiropractic adjustment, setting the stage for a healthy start to life. From improving latch to addressing newborn discomforts, chiropractic care has played a crucial role in Boden’s early development.
Through their journey, Alex and Griffin have witnessed the profound impact of chiropractic care on Boden’s health and happiness. Their story serves as a reminder of the importance of proactive care in the journey from preconception to parenthood.
Understanding the Science: Nurturing Your Baby’s Development
Alex and Boden’s journey is truly inspiring. To understand how maternal health impacts your baby’s development in the womb, let’s look into the crucial role of the nervous system during pregnancy.
The autonomic nervous system, anchored by the vagus nerve, orchestrates vital functions supporting fetal growth and regulating conditions in the womb. This intricate “command center” ensures your baby receives oxygen and nutrients and maintains a healthy heartbeat and development.
Your nervous system serves as the “mission control,” driving the proper development of your baby’s brain, organs, and tissues. Remarkably, your baby’s nervous system remains connected to yours via the umbilical cord. Sharing not just DNA, but also stress signals.
Research reveals that maternal anxiety and distress can activate fight-or-flight responses in your baby, impacting developmental milestones. Chronic tension can interfere with emotional regulation and sensory processing even before birth, potentially leading to birth complications.
Emerging prenatal assessments, like heart rate variability (HRV) tracking, offer insights into nervous system health. HRV scans measure variability between beats, providing clues about your baby’s neurological growth and stress resilience.
Advanced HRV tracking now offers insights into nervous system patterns in pregnant women. Higher readings indicate balanced signaling that benefit the baby’s growth. While lower readings are associated with pregnancy, birth, and future challenges.
With this knowledge, expectant mothers can implement tailored interventions like, most importantly, consistent neurologically-focused chiropractic care. Also breathing exercises, mindfulness training, and stress relief regimens to benefit both mother and baby.
Learn More About HRV Technology
So, if you’re intrigued by how HRV technology can empower you as an expectant mother, please reach out to RCW today!
As parents, one of the most profound responsibilities we have is safeguarding the health and well-being of our family. When faced with challenges – whether physical, developmental, or emotional – our search for answers and solutions becomes all we think about. Central to this journey is the question: “When will I see the results I’m looking for?”. It’s a natural concern rooted in our love and desire to see our kids grow up healthy and thriving.
The truth is, the answer isn’t always straightforward. It depends on so many factors. Starting from your child’s struggles at birth to their current developmental stage and the severity of their current challenges. For you as a parent, the list of factors is even longer. Injuries, medications, work stress, burnout, etc. And even then, there are objective measures and test findings that can influence the timeline of improvement.
As chiropractors with extensive experience in neurology, pediatrics, and confronting tough conditions, we understand the urgency and need for clarity in yours or your child’s healing journey. We can often predict, with a fair degree of accuracy, when and how healing will occur.
Our ability to make these predictions stems from years of working with people facing similar struggles, understanding neurology, and leveraging scientific knowledge. We take yours or your child’s story, and key neurological metrics into account to craft what we call “Your Care Plan.”
This isn’t just any plan; it’s a tailored roadmap to recovery. It’s personalized, grounded in neurology and science, and shaped by our collective experience. All providing insights into the unique healing journey.
So let’s dive deeper into what constitutes a care plan and why it holds the answers to the burning question:. “When will I see results in care?”
Understanding the Science Behind Your Child’s Care Plan
Every single aspect of care we provide at RCW is focused on the nervous system and promoting what’s called neuroplasticity. It’s a big, nerdy word, but its essence is quite simple and important. Especially for little ones and for us as parents navigating the demands of everyday life.
Neuroplasticity is all about ensuring that the body’s most critical system – the nervous system – can do what it does best. Rest, relax, heal, grow, and adapt. These five elements are the cornerstones of well-being. From the tiniest infant needing ample sleep to parents and children alike requiring resilience in our chaotic, stressful world.
When we craft a care plan, every aspect revolves around nurturing neuroplasticity. It begins with our doctors taking the time to genuinely listen to your concerns, setting goals collaboratively, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to assess the state of yours or your child’s nervous system.
We use advanced tools like the INSiGHT Scans. A remarkable set of three scans that dive deep into the central nervous system. These scans help us identify and measure stress, tension, and dysfunction that might be lurking within the autonomic nervous system. Terms like subluxation, dysautonomia, and vagus nerve dysfunction may sound daunting, but they simply point to an overstressed, fatigued, and malfunctioning nervous system.
From there, our team constructs a precise, customized care plan tailored to your specific needs. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach: it’s a personalized roadmap designed to optimize neurological function and well-being. Our clinical care planning system integrates history, neurological examination, and INSiGHT scan findings to determine the ideal frequency and duration of care.
At the report of findings visit, we sit down with you to review the scan and exam results, and present your personalized care plan. It’s an empowering moment – a clear action plan to guide toward health and healing. This visit marks a pivotal moment for families, offering clarity, direction, and hope.
The Incredible Power of Care Plans
The incredible miracles we witness daily at RCW all begin with a care plan. These initial changes set the stage for even greater transformations. Here’s where the beauty of chiropractic shines through: we address neurological interference and imbalance naturally without reliance on drugs. Once we restore balance to a nervous system, remarkable shifts occur:
- Better sleep
- Improved digestive regularity
- Reduced symptoms tied to ADHD and anxiety
- Enhanced ability to manage sensory processing challenges
- Increased energy levels
- Decreased emotional and behavioral stress
Just take a look at the chart showcasing the most common responses to neurologically-focused chiropractic care. Who wouldn’t want to experience these incredible long-term benefits firsthand?
These incremental yet significant changes provide the momentum the nervous system needs to achieve major milestones and results. Such as improvements in speech, behavior at school, immune balance, developmental challenges, and beyond.
There’s nothing more powerful than parents seeking hope, answers, and help for their children. Never cease pursuing those avenues; it’s always worthwhile.
For your next steps, reach out to us today and connect with one of our dedicated care advocates to have all your questions addressed. Especially those concerning the timeline for neurological healing and restoration. Your healing journey starts at RCW.
As parents, the well-being of our children is our top priority, so we are always trying to stay informed about the choices we make for their health. Today, we dive into a topic that affects countless families – the use of antibiotics in infants and young children. Antibiotics can play a pivotal role in saving lives, but as parents, we must be aware of their potential impact on our children’s health. This blog aims to empower and educate on the far-reaching effects of antibiotics.
If you have young children who have been on antibiotics in their early years, this is for you. We will dive into the dangers of antibiotics in kids and the associated risks, both short-term and long-term. As well as the intricate impact of antibiotics on autoimmune and neurodevelopmental health in children. And most importantly, the natural strategies for recovery.
Every year, an increasing amount of research highlights the risks associated with administering antibiotics to children. Despite decades of awareness, pediatricians, urgent care centers, and other conventional medical systems persist in overprescribing antibiotics at alarming rates. Furthermore, early exposure to antibiotics is one of the top three contributing factors in what we call “The Perfect Storm.” This refers to the pathway leading to conditions such as autism, ADHD, anxiety, autoimmune disorders, and other chronic illnesses prevalent in our children today.
The Risks of the Overuse of Antibiotics
- Increased Risk of Autoimmune Disorders like Asthma and Allergies
Antibiotics, though life-saving, can disturb the balance between your child’s immune system and gut microbiome. This disruption has been linked to a higher risk of conditions such as asthma, allergies, and even obesity in children.
- Increased Risk of Neurodevelopmental Challenges like Autism + ADHD
The connection between the gut and brain is very delicate and antibiotics can disrupt. This interference can affect neurotransmitter production. These are essential for higher brain function, cognition, and emotional regulation – potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental challenges like Autism and ADHD.
- Disruption of Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem of bacteria, plays a pivotal role in a child’s overall health. Antibiotics, unfortunately, disrupt the natural balance of the gut microbiome by killing both harmful and beneficial bacteria. This leads to imbalances and potential gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea and, in some cases, could cause severe colitis.
- Allergic Reactions
While allergic reactions to antibiotics are rare, they can range from mild skin irritations to severe, life-threatening responses like anaphylaxis. It’s crucial for parents to be aware of any past reactions and communicate them to healthcare providers.
- Antibiotic Resistance + Development of Secondary Infections
Perhaps one of the most pressing concerns is the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. When antibiotics are used excessively or inappropriately, bacteria can evolve to become resistant to these drugs. Making infections harder to treat and leading to increased medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality. Overuse of antibiotics can also lead to the development of secondary infections.
- Global Health Threat
The overuse of antibiotics extends beyond individual health; it’s a global issue. It contributes to the rise of superbugs, bacteria resistant to most antibiotics, posing a severe threat to global health security.
Chiropractic Care as a First Choice
While antibiotics remain pivotal in emergencies, there’s an alternative for families under regular chiropractic care at RCW. We offer a safe and natural way to support your child’s defenses against viruses, bacteria, and infections.
As neurologically-focused pediatric chiropractors, we aim to strengthen your child’s body’s natural defense systems. Rather than directly treating an infection or illness they catch. Adjustments focus on improving their body’s “drainage and plumbing,” providing relief from sinus and ear pressure, facilitating easier fluid movement, and transforming dry coughs into productive mucus-clearing ones.
In essence, by enhancing the body’s “plumbing” and “wiring,” your children can clear congestion, inflammation, and infections more efficiently and naturally without resorting to antibiotics or other medications.
So many parents share with us how consistent chiropractic adjustments and a healthy lifestyle lead to less sickness for their kids. And when their children do get sick, they recover from colds and respiratory challenges faster and easier after adjustments.
If you would prefer to reserve antibiotics for emergencies rather than the standard first option, consider changing your “batting order” of providers. Begin your journey with us at RCW!
