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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.

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Antibiotics and Kids: What Parents Need to Know About Side Effects

Kick the Sick

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

  1. 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. 

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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. 

  1. 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! 

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Understanding and Managing Chronic Constipation in Children

Pediatric Chiropractic

While talking about poop may bring laughter to kids and parents alike, when your child faces chronic constipation, it becomes a serious concern. Recent research suggests that approximately 25-30% of children experience constipation, impacting their overall well-being. More than a digestive issue, chronic constipation is often a symptom of an underlying problem linked to various childhood conditions. Such as autism, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, developmental delays, and ADHD.

If you have dealt with your child struggling with chronic constipation, you know the repercussions on their lives are significant. It affects their immune system, sleep, energy levels, and emotional regulation. If you have exhausted various remedies, including diet changes, prune juice, probiotics, and even Miralax, this is for you. Let’s dive into the genuine root causes of chronic constipation. Let’s go beyond nutritional imbalances, and provide drug-free options to enhance your child’s quality of life. 

A Story of Hope

Consider Lucas, who began experiencing stomach issues at the age of 4. His daily struggles with pain led his family through a maze of doctor visits, X-rays, ultrasounds, and a traumatic experience with Miralax. Despite feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, a glimmer of hope emerged when they stumbled upon a social media post mirroring their story. Skeptical yet desperate for answers, they sought help, leading to transformative changes in Lucas’s life through neurologically-focused chiropractic care.

Understanding the Science: It’s Neurological

Chronic constipation is not merely a genetic or nutritional imbalance; it’s primarily a neurological imbalance. Many parents, like yourself, have already explored diet modifications, probiotics, and supplements. All with little success in achieving relief for their children. Clinically, chronic constipation is often “neurogenic,” indicating an overactive sympathetic nervous system and dysregulated digestive muscles.

This neurological imbalance, termed subluxation and dysautonomia, triggers a fight-or-flight response, diverting energy away from the digestive tract.  When your child’s nervous system is in this protective and stressed-out state, it greatly impacts the gut and digestive system. Mainly by “conserving energy” for the skeletal muscles (to fight or flight) and taking it away from the muscles of the digestive tract. 

This is why we see chronic constipation strongly correlated with conditions like autism, ADHD, sensory challenges, and anxiety.  They all stem from that same neurological imbalance. 

Neurologically-focused chiropractic adjustments, particularly targeting your child’s vagus nerve and parasympathetic system, provide a drug-free solution to restore balance and alleviate chronic constipation. The focus of our adjustments is to stimulate and activate the parasympathetic nervous system and vagus nerve. Which in turn stimulates and activates digestive motility and relaxation for your child. 

Next Steps: Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic

So, if you are grappling with your child’s chronic constipation, understanding the neurological component is crucial. We see the difference our specialized approach here at RCW makes on a daily basis. Our goal is to activate your child’s parasympathetic nervous system. We humorously refer to this as “hitting the poop button”. Our adjustments promote digestive motility and relaxation within their nervous system.

To learn more about how this works, or get your child scheduled for a consult and exam, please reach out to RCW today! Investing in your child’s neurological well-being not only addresses chronic constipation, but opens the door to a happier, healthier future for them. 

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Unlocking Torticollis: INSiGHT Scans and Chiropractic Care

Pediatric Chiropractic

As a parent, when you’re told your baby has something called torticollis, it can often leave you feeling helpless and unsure where to turn. As pediatric chiropractors specializing in infant care, we empathize with the challenges and uncertainties that come with a torticollis diagnosis. In this blog, we aim to empower parents with the knowledge and understanding they need to navigate this journey successfully.

Nathan’s Story

Let’s dive deep into the journey of Nathan, a resilient little guy whose early life was marked by the impact of torticollis. Traditional treatments fell short, leaving his mom, like many others, desperate for a solution. It was during a late-night research session that Nathan’s mom discovered the transformative effects of chiropractic care specifically designed for pediatric cases.

The Rise of Torticollis and Birth Trauma

In recent years, there has been a significant rise in birth interventions, leading to an alarming increase in torticollis cases. Unfortunately, traditional medical approaches often lag behind in understanding the root causes and effective treatments. Birth trauma, a major contributor to torticollis, results from interventions like forceps delivery, vacuum extraction, and C-sections, subjecting the baby’s delicate neck and head to undue strain. Try not to let your child’s challenges go unnoticed.

Unresolved torticollis in your child can also increase their risk of ear infections. Tight muscles in the upper neck region affect the Eustachian tube, leading to fluid buildup and bacterial growth. This connection extends to respiratory issues, including croup, chronic cough, and RSV, as torticollis limits your baby’s body’s ability to drain fluid and move secretions. 

Prioritizing your child’s torticollis care now is essential for a healthier, happier future.

Understanding Subluxation

At the heart of torticollis lies subluxation, a complex phenomenon with three primary components:

  • 1. Misalignment and abnormal positioning: Subluxation found within the neurospinal system.
  • 2. Fixation and reduced range of motion: Restriction in movement in the affected region.
  • 3. Neurological interference: Imbalance caused by altered proprioception and increased nociception, impacting communication to the brain.

In simpler terms, the more severe the torticollis, the more pronounced these subluxation patterns become, which can affect your child’s development, temperament, and overall well-being.

Why Pediatricians Might Miss Mild to Moderate Cases:

Pediatricians, while experienced at performing physical exams, may not possess the specialized training and experience required to detect subtle neuromuscular challenges such as torticollis. 

Even when diagnosed, the traditional path of referral to physical therapy and helmets often falls short, with reported discomfort and limited effectiveness in many cases. They can even aggravate the condition because it would leave your child in a sustained state of fight or flight tension, something known as dysautonomia. Put simply, these methods do not get all the way to the root cause.

The Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Approach

Parents are increasingly turning to Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic for a more natural and effective approach – that gets right down to the root cause. Our three-step methodology involves:

  • 1. Locating subluxations: Utilizing advanced tools like INSiGHT Scans for a detailed examination.
  • 2. Safe neuro-tonal adjustments: Gently addressing tension/stress and correcting subluxations.
  • 3. Monitoring and collaboration: Encouraging parents to remain vigilant during growth spurts, teething, illnesses, and other stressors.

In fact, if you put Pediatric Chiropractic as the foundation and first choice for your child’s torticollis, it then makes all the physical therapy stretches and positioning work easier and far more effective. As PX Docs, we love to work in conjunction with your child’s therapy team for maximum results!

The Role of INSiGHT Scans:

INSiGHT Scans offer a deeper understanding of the neuromuscular system, allowing us to identify stress and dysfunction within your child’s nervous system that may be overlooked by traditional methods. This sophisticated technology aids in crafting precise and tailored care plans.

Results often become evident within a few visits, but each child’s journey is unique. Join us for a personalized care plan discussion during the Report of Findings visit to understand the duration and specifics of your child’s care plan.

One month into Nathan’s care plan, his digestive issues and eczema cleared up. In month two, his mom saw a huge difference. His mobility improved drastically, he started hitting milestones, and said goodbye to ear infections!

If your mom or dad’s “gut” is telling you there is more going on than your pediatrician or therapist can fully explain and address, then Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care is perfect for you. We specialize in diving deeper and doing a more thorough assessment than anyone else out there, making sure we get to the true root cause of your child’s torticollis. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out today to Rochester Chiropractic and Wellness to schedule your initial consultation for INSiGHT Scans. As you navigate the path to healing for your child, remember you are not alone. Our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way. Together, let’s ensure your child experiences the joy of unhindered development and well-being as they grow. If you are not local to us, be sure to check out the PX Docs directory to find a local office near you!

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A Deep Dive Into Nervous System Regulation

Family Wellness

When it comes to ensuring the well-being of your kids and families, you may think of maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise, and managing stress. And those are all great goals! However, there’s a massively effective, yet simple, approach that could help change the way you understand and care for your child’s health – nervous system regulation

If you have tried various health interventions (you’re doing amazing) for your child but still struggle with issues like sleep, mood imbalances, and energy levels – this is for you. Nervous system regulation is a transformative way to enhance overall well-being for your child … and you!

Understanding Nervous System Regulation

Nervous system regulation ensures the body functions properly, maintaining balance and stability. Dysregulation occurs when stress (or what we call subluxation) overwhelms the nervous system, impacting sleep, digestion, and energy. Signs such as sleep disturbances, mood swings, and energy fluctuations indicate a dysregulated nervous system

The autonomic nervous system governs body systems, with the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches managing stress and relaxation, respectively. The vagus nerve, crucial for rest, repair, and regulation, plays a pivotal role. Damage to this nerve can hinder the nervous system’s ability to stay balanced. 

Things like a stressful pregnancy, birth trauma (c-section, vacuum, forceps) or tough life experiences can kick this off. Nervous system dysfunction in children manifests as difficulty nursing, colic, and developmental delays. As they grow, issues like chronic ear infections, immune challenges, and emotional struggles emerge. This “Perfect Storm” can lead to sensory, ADHD, and spectrum-like challenges in kids. 

The Power of Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic and Nervous System Regulation

So parents, imagine a health hack that doesn’t involve extreme measures. Nervous system regulation, achievable in just 3-5 minutes, is the answer. Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care specializes in restoring optimal function and balance to your child’s nervous system. It doesn’t aim to treat symptoms but addresses the root causes, leading to remarkable improvements in your child’s quality of life. 

A well-functioning nervous system is vital, influencing development from childhood to adulthood. If the nervous system isn’t regulated properly, it will certainly impact your child’s quality of life. Neurologically-Focused Chiropractors at Rochester Chiropractic and Wellness offer natural, drug-free solutions. 

We aim to restore optimal function of your child’s nervous system, focusing on the central and autonomic nervous system, especially the vagus nerve. Unlike traditional approaches, we don’t just treat symptoms; we tackle the root causes of subluxation, dysautonomia, and vagus nerve dysfunction.  Quality of life should improve as neurological healing accelerates. 


If you’re ready to explore the potential of Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care for your child, please reach out to Rochester Chiropractic and Wellness today to schedule an appointment. If you are not local to us, check out the PX Docs directory to find an office located near you.  Get started on the journey today toward unlocking the positive health advantages of regulating your child’s nervous system!

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How to Help Your Child With Bedwetting

Pediatric Chiropractic

One of the most challenging issues faced by older children is bedwetting, also known as Enuresis. This condition can be embarrassing, emotionally distressing and significantly impact your child’s quality of life.  When your little one is struggling with bedwetting, it breaks your heart and can be challenging to find a solution.

If you have tried various methods such as sleep studies, nighttime alarms, water restriction before bedtime, and waking your child up to use the bathroom but still haven’t found answers or resolutions, please know this, you are not alone.  There are steps you can take to empower your child and address their bedwetting. It is time to delve deeper and explore the role of the brain and nervous system in Enuresis.

Understanding Enuresis

Enuresis occurs when involuntary urination happens during sleep, after the age when staying dry can reasonably be expected. It’s important to remember that bedwetting is not your child’s fault and is entirely beyond their control. Enuresis can disrupt your child’s sleep, leading to daytime sleepiness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating in school, which just intensifies this struggle.

As parents, we have the power to take charge of our child’s health. While traditional medical approaches may recommend waiting it out or managing symptoms, there are things you can do to seek out solutions that address the root cause. 

The Power of Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Care

Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Care is a specialized form of chiropractic care that offers a personalized approach to achieve lasting results. We focus on restoring and optimizing the function of the nervous system, which plays a vital role in overall health, including bladder function.  It regulates the communication between your child’s brain and bladder, ensuring proper coordination and control.

When there is a disruption in the neurological communication between the brain and the bladder, or when the nervous system remains in a sympathetic fight-or-flight mode, the bladder may not function properly during sleep.

Numerous complex factors can contribute to a dysregulated nervous system and disrupted communication pathways. Emotional stress, developmental challenges, sensory processing disorder, inflammation, and even difficult or traumatic birth experiences can all play a role.

After being stuck in an excessive fight-or-flight sympathetic response throughout the day, the brain and nervous system “overreact” at night. This overreaction leads to an excessive parasympathetic response, causing the muscles of the bladder to relax excessively during sleep, resulting in bedwetting.

This is where Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care comes in. We can make a significant difference in your child’s health journey using advanced technology called INSiGHT scans, which can detect subluxation in your child’s nervous system. Releasing tension and restoring communication within the nervous system can help your child regain control of their bladder function. 

Don’t Wait, Empower Your Child Today!

If your child is struggling with bedwetting or any form of Enuresis, it’s time to take action. Don’t wait for them to outgrow it or settle for temporary solutions. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation with our team. We can’t wait to help! Or if you aren’t local to us, get connected with a Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractor in our PX Docs network today. 

Your child deserves to live their best life, free from embarrassment and frustration, and achieve optimal growth and natural healing.  We are here to work side by side with you to make sure that happens!

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How Chiropractic Care Can Help Improve Sleep Patterns

Family Wellness

Hey parents, we want to talk about sleep today… or should we say lack of sleep. Let’s discuss the importance of sleep for you and your child’s health and well-being. Sleep is crucial for the immune, digestive, and cognitive systems. It impacts your kids social-emotional maturation and development. It is alarming to know that almost 50% of us have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Not enough people are talking about this! 

Lack of sleep causes irritability, difficulty focusing, and decreased energy levels. These challenges are even more severe for children as their brain is still developing and learning to regulate emotions, focus, and behavior.

Did you know that the brain builds more neurons and connections during sleep in the first couple of years of life than later in life? 

During sleep, the brain repairs, recharges, and prepares for the next day. It’s essential for brain development and learning. Unfortunately, it’s common to see parents and children struggling with exhaustion. Leading to unhealthy habits like excessive caffeine consumption in adults and behavior struggles in kids.

As neurologically-focused chiropractors, we prioritize improving the sleep quality of our patients. We must address sleep as a primary concern. That’s why the popular tagline, “America runs on Dunkin,” is concerning. It’s exposing a significant problem with our culture’s addiction to caffeine because we aren’t getting enough sleep!

We need to prioritize healthy sleep habits for our children and teenagers too. They need it most during this time of brain development and learning.

So what we want to do is help you get to the root cause of your family’s sleep challenges. This information is relevant to families with infants, little ones, grade schoolers, teenagers. Even for you, mom and dad, if your sleep is not great either. If you have tried everything from magnesium, melatonin, essential oils, diffusers, probiotics, every white noise machine, and blackout curtains, and are still not able to get your child to sleep. We think that this one thing we’re about to dive into is the missing link.

The Correlation Between Neurological Disorders and Sleep in Kids

Whether we are working with brand new little babies or older kiddos, the very first thing we work on is sleep. We focus on the root cause rather than just treating symptoms. Our obsession is to help your child get a good night’s sleep and, in turn, help them improve their motor planning, speech, behavior, and emotional well-being.

The Root Cause of Sleep Challenges

Lean in with me because we want to explain what may be causing your sleep challenges. And what we can do to help. This may get a bit deep into neurology, but we will keep it simple. Falling asleep and staying asleep both come from the same problem – an overactive, overstressed, overstimulated sympathetic fight or flight nervous system. During the day, it’s normal for our bodies to be on the gas pedal. With the nervous system being a little bit more fight or flighty as we go through our daily activities.

However, as nighttime approaches, our body’s central and autonomic nervous system senses our circadian rhythms, and starts to activate what’s called the parasympathetic system. This is nicknamed the rest, sleep, and digestion side of the nervous system. It’s the opposite of the fight or flight system. The parasympathetic nervous system helps us wind down and prepare for restful sleep.

Unfortunately, when children experience early life stressors such as birth interventions like forceps, vacuum extraction, C-sections, or induction, they may experience physical trauma to the nerves and muscles in the brainstem and upper cervical spine. This area of the body houses and protects a very important nerve called the vagus nerve, which is in charge of rest and digest functions.

The vagus nerve branches from the brainstem area, makes its way through the neck and into the thorax, and helps calm our heart rate and respiration, as well as activate digestion. It also goes into our social, emotional, and cognitive functions, slowing the brain down when it’s activated. If the vagus nerve is not functioning properly, you may struggle to shut your brain and body down, causing restlessness and difficulty sleeping.

This is a sign of vagus nerve dysfunction, also known as subluxation. This is simply our chiropractic term for stress stuck on the brake pedal with the vagus nerve shut down. We frequently see this in children who have suffered physical trauma to the upper neck at birth or in accidents. As well as anyone at any age that experiences constant pressure and tension on their neck and shoulders. Due to activities such as looking down at their phone or working on a computer for extended periods of time.

This issue, commonly referred to as “tech neck,” is a major contributing factor to why the nervous system may become stuck on sympathetic fight or flight overdrive. Preventing the brake pedal (parasympathetic nervous system) from functioning properly.

How Can Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Help?

As chiropractors focused on neurological care, we prioritize the consultation and case history to understand your challenges better. From colic to sleep issues to sensory and behavioral challenges, we recognize that these issues often stem from an overactive sympathetic fight or flight system and a vagus nerve brake pedal shutdown. 

These issues can lead to cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and brain-based challenges.

At the core of our care is our unique approach to adjustments. We like to call them neuro-tonal adjustments. They activate the vagus nerve and the rest and digest system. Our goal in the first week, month, and 100 days of chronic issues is to activate the vagus nerve and restore basic building blocks of health, like sleep.

Our approach to care has led to regular and common improvements in sleep and overall health, as reported by 65% of our patients within the first month. Improvements in sleep lead to improved mood, cognition, gut health, and more. This is especially true for older children with neurological challenges.

We recognize that healing happens in the order in which we get sick. Issues with sleep, digestion, and immunity are all under the control of the nervous system and the vagus nerve. By addressing the sympathetic fight or flight subluxation and reducing stress and noise, we can restore the function of the vagus nerve and the rest and digest system.

If you’ve tried other approaches without success, we believe that neurologically focused chiropractic care may be the missing link for your health. We invite you to learn more about our approach and how it can benefit your child’s health.

Our INSiGHT neurological testing can measure the amount of stress on your or your child’s nervous system, and determine if the vagus nerve is dysfunctional or shut down. This will give you the answers you need to help you get the restful sleep you need.

It’s common for parents and kids to be exhausted and emotional, but it’s not normal. 

Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care is the best solution for sleep challenges. More effective than other natural remedies like magnesium or melatonin. If you’ve tried everything and are still struggling with sleep issues, we encourage you to reach out to our office today.

Getting your child the sleep they need is essential for their overall health and well-being. Once your child is sleeping well, the whole family will benefit from better sleep and improved mood. Please share this information with other families who may be struggling with sleep challenges. We are here to provide hope, answers, and drug-free help.