Pediatric Chiropractor Edmond
I’ve always looked for order and meaning in the world around me. Even at a young age I wanted to know how things worked. I would repair broken toys and clocks. No, I’m not Santa Claus or Geppetto. I’m simply inquisitive and fascinated by creation. When I learned Erin was expecting twins my excitement and curiosity quickly turned to feelings of overwhelm and inadequacy. As you well know there is no universal handbook entitled how to be a great parent. I’m sure many of you felt the same level of under preparedness as a new or expecting parent. Like me, you might have even read books in desperate hope to learn how to tackle the monumental task called parenthood. After all, what is more humbling than becoming a parent? For the first time I had to put away selfishness and care for someone other than myself. No doubt by design we learned through the shared experience of our family, friends and our own personal failures how to navigate this uncharted territory. Ok, this post isn’t about parenting but rather one dad’s quest to learn and understand how our children were wired and what to do when they needed to be fixed. Primitive? I know! I’m a man. Even though I provided chiropractic care for children and adults I had many of the same questions parents ask me every day.
You may be wondering as I did: How does chiropractic care work for kids? How do we know as parents what is normal and what is abnormal? Is it safe for my child to get adjusted. This blog was created to answer those very questions. Will I get some things wrong? Yes! Just as parenting has taught me. I can’t know everything. But I’ll learn from my successes and even more from my failures. Today I want to discuss pediatric movement development. But first let me brag about my kids. Like many dads I was enamored at the first sight of our children. I was present for all of their births and even helped deliver or rather catch two of them at home. My amazing wife, Erin, has some amazing birth stories. Just ask her. Seriously! As a chiropractor and someone who studies movement patterns I enjoyed watching them learn, grow and master new things. Observing our twins Kate and Lauren was a real treat for me. I got to observe each of them reach their milestones in their own time. I think they’ve been competing against each other since conception. First for space in the womb and now for our affection as we dote over every accomplishment.
When it came to movement milestones I began to notice a pattern as I’m sure many of you did as well. In fact volumes of literature have been written on the subject. We even say things like you have to crawl before you can walk. There it was. Order. I observed the pattern of learned movement where one competency like tummy time and holding their head up proceeded rolling over. Naturally, we celebrated each accomplishment. We bragged to our friends and took pictures to mark each occasion. Then we’d swaddle or buttress them against blankets as they napped to prevent them from rolling off the bed or couch.
Next our girls belly crawled and scooted across the floor. They got into all kinds of mischief. You should see the picture of the powdered sugar incident. Out of necessity I learned to baby proof every inch of the house only to find them learning new skills which required a new level of proofing. Eventually they’d rock and crawl on all fours followed by pulling up, standing and walking along the edge of our furniture for assistance before eventually taking their first steps. Lauren took her first step at 11 months and Kate followed at 14 months. I know what some of you may be thinking. “My kid skipped crawling and went straight to walking.” Yes, I observed this too. We have five children now and I’ve had the unique opportunity to provide pediatric chiropractic care for almost 20 years. It’s from this vantage point I write about these things of which I’ve observed. You should know that there is some debate among scientists regarding the advantages of crawling before walking commences. Personally, I am of the belief that there is order and design in the world. I think crawling has immense benefits. Deviations may not spell disaster but there are untold benefits from each stage where competency likely builds a foundation for the next act or movement we attempt. Scientific observation through comparative study concludes that motor development does not adhere to a strict progression. However, they agree that a child learns to move based on information processed from their environment, the terrain and their own physical abilities. I noticed that movement across tile or hardwood was often different than carpet for example. Scientists and doctors may not agree so for that reason I defer to the child expert, you the parent. If you think something isn’t right with your child consider a pediatric chiropractor in Edmond.
As a pediatric chiropractor in Edmond I can tell you that I’ve helped hundreds of children achieve better movement following a delay or injury. Subluxations (spinal misalignments) can occur from in utero constraint, labor and delivery and normal childhood development. Subluxations have signs and symptoms that a child may not be able to articulate but rarely go unnoticed by an observant parent. As parents we know when something is off with our kids. Parents have brought me their children looking for relief from torticollis and pelvic subluxations that prevented their kids from turning, playing and crawling. Thankfully, these kids recovered fully and went on to master their next stage of pediatric development. Children seem to respond much faster to spinal adjustments than adults. I suspect the long held patterns of subluxations we experience as adults take more time to heal. While some might suggest that a skipped milestone is normal, I defer to parental wisdom and intuition. If you think something is wrong or off listen to that voice. Find a pediatric chiropractor you trust and schedule a consultation. We’re Gonstead trained chiropractors in Edmond Oklahoma who listen to parental concerns. We’ll perform a thorough exam and adjust specifically and precisely only the areas that need correction. Chiropractic adjustments are safe for kids. You’re never too young or too old to see what Gonstead Chiropractic can do for you. Give us a call.
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