Adjusting Into Ease

May 12, 2021 Posted in: ASK AN EXPERT

Jack first presented to our office at 9 days old and
was having difficulty latching. His parents were
seeing a lactation consultant, who observed that his
jaw was very tight and he had difficulty opening his
mouth to latch. As a result, his mom, Marie, had
been pumping and they were feeding him with a
syringe, putting a finger in his mouth to make sure he
didn’t get oversensitive. They were even switching
from holding him on one side to the other to make
sure he was getting proper neck mobility, but still, he
was unable to truly initiate a latch. Both parents
were concerned and frustrated, and Marie was also
in pain. They were referred to our office by the
lactation consultant, as well as a chiropractor that
knew the family.
Before we continue with Jack, it’s important to say
what an honor it is to be able to check a baby at such
a young age. We make sure parents know what a
special and important time this is to get adjusted. In
fact, one of the joys of working with babies is
that the results tend to be quick and dramatic. There
is no placebo: Chiropractic simply works. No coaxing,
cajoling, or convincing is needed—there is just pure
intentionality. On a deep level, infants seem to
understand when something is going to help them,
and they relax right into the adjustment.
Marie told me that her pregnancy had been
uneventful, but that Jack was born “sunny-side up,”
meaning he was born looking forward, or occiput
posterior. This position can be extremely painful for
the mother, also can cause some bruising on the
baby’s head, and can lead to a more difficult birth.
This was the case with Jack. Marie relayed that Jack
had bruising on the right side of his head, just off-center, above his right eye. You could see it on the
surface of his skin; his right eye was also squinty.

What was barely visible, but could only be felt, was
that Jack had a misalignment of his atlas
vertebra, the top bone of the spine. His TMJ
(jaw) was tight and his palate had dropped—all
on the right side. The combination of these
issues meant he had significant difficulty opening
his mouth and turning his head. Imagine trying
to eat a meal without being able to open your mouth
fully or turn your neck. Now you can imagine the
difficulty Jack was experiencing, and the concern and
frustration of his parents, especially his mother.
Even under the best circumstances, the birth process
exerts tremendous pressure upon the newborn—let
alone if the baby’s position is less than ideal or if any
sort of intervention is used, such as an epidural,
Pitocin, forceps, vacuum extraction, or C-section.
This is why it’s so important to get newborns
checked by a chiropractor trained to work with
babies—they’re able to adjust and help unwind
those stuck and compromised areas. In turn, the
baby will have the best chance to fully develop
without undue stress on his growing body. This
allows for optimal function.
Once it was clear what we needed to adjust with
Jack, we made sure Marie understood what we were
going to do: apply very gentle and specific
pressure, no more than the amount you would use to
check to see if a tomato is ripe, in order to release
the compromised areas. His little body, which at first
appeared to be uncomfortable and stuck in a posture
toward the right, slowly began to unwind. The ease
he began to experience was palpable and visible. His
jaw relaxed. His right eye, drawn tight because of the
tension, relaxed. His head slowly moved into a
comfortable, neutral position. Marie saw it: It was
very clear. You could almost hear the sigh of relief, as
if he wanted to say, “Ahhh…I’ve been waiting for
that.”
We waited a moment, appreciating what had just
happened. Then Jack was ready to nurse. This is very
common when little ones get an adjustment,
especially if they haven’t been able to get a good
latch. It’s as if they are making up for a lost time—and
makeup, he did! Marie was able to get him to latch
in a way she hadn’t before and felt such tremendous
relief for being able to do so.

We worked with Jack for several months to continue
to unwind the tension in his body. Marie worked on
his latch and was able to establish a solid breastfeeding routine.
That first adjustment paved
the way toward future success.

—Brendan Riordan, DC
Appearing in Pathways to
Family Wellness Magazine Issue 67