Pediatric and Pregnancy Chiro FAQs

• WEBSTER TECHNIQUE

  Dr. Jacquelyn Nicholls is a chiropractor who is Webster Technique Certified. The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic sacral analysis and adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of SI joint dysfunction. In doing so, neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis is facilitated.

  Webster Certified Chiropractor provides safe and effective and drug-free care for pregnant moms. Webster Certified Chiropractors is someone who has been specifically trained to assess and adjust the spine and pelvis in pregnant women. Sacral or pelvic dysfunction may contribute to difficult labor for the mother (i.e., dystocia), caused by inadequate uterine function, pelvic contraction, and baby mal-presentation. Correction of sacral dysfunction may have a positive effect on all of these causes of dystocia.

  Webster Technique focuses on relieving the tightness in the round ligaments. This allows the baby to shift comfortably and freely within the womb so that he or she may get into the proper position for his or her big journey to the outside world.

• PREGNANCY RELATED BACK PAIN

  The average healthy weight gain in pregnancy is 25-35 lbs. As the baby grows, the spinal curve increases and the core muscles cannot stabilize the spine as they did before. This extra weight, especially in the front of the body, places a lot of stress on the joints in the back, hips, knees, and feet.

  In addition, in the third trimester, Relaxin, a hormone, increases ten times. This hormone relaxes your ligaments which allows the loosening of the body’s joints to accommodate the enlarging uterus and allow the baby to pass through the pelvis during delivery. These loose joints force the muscles of the back and pelvis to work overtime, resulting in muscle and joint pain.

  A maternity and Webster-certified chiropractor can provide safe, effective, and drug-free conservative care to relieve pain by decreasing pressure on the joints, muscles, and nerves of the spine and pelvis.

• What is the difference in Massage in adults vs. paediatric

  The similarities:
   Can be used for specific conditions and to reach specific end goals or just
  relaxation.
   Client-led — like when an adult comes in seeking massage therapy they are in
  control with what happens in during their treatment, they give their consent as to
  areas that they want the primary focus to be and give their consent to treatment
  after receiving all the involved information. The approach of massage in children
  is taken in the same manner. We work only where the child feels comfortable and
  only if the child has given their consent in whatever way they feel comfortable.

  The differences:
   Massage in adults we picture usually a serene environment, tranquil music, lotions, etc. Massage in children can be that but often it is more play-based.
  We work to stimulate not only the main senses but the two bonus senses, too:
  vestibular (inner ear balance) and proprioception (hand-eye coordination).
   In a normal treatment with an adult client, we use a professional-grade
  massage lotion or oil. With children, if we use a lubricant, it is typically a cold-
  pressed fruit or vegetable oil. The reasoning for this is that children’s pores are larger than adults and absorb more. All oils are absorbed into the skin and then move through capillaries into the bloodstream, so it is important to use
  an oil that is suitable to their still developing bodies. With my paediatric massages, my oil of choice is jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is commonly used in hospital settings if massage is performed. It is anti-bacterial, keeps longer,
  assists the breakdown of sebum in plugged pores and can be used in the
  treatment of skin disorders such as eczema.

   Is oil a mandatory staple in paediatric massage?
  o Absolutely not. Sometimes, oil may be an
  overstimulating sensation to the child, causing
  them to feel as though they dislike their massage
  time but cannot communicate why. That it may not be touch they dislike but the feeling of the oil
  involved or even the feel of skin on skin. There
  could be numerous sensations or stimulations that may be the centre of the issue. By giving the child the opportunity to explore different aspects of their treatment, we can establish ways to treat every child to their needs.
  o At the beginning of their treatment, if working
  directly to the skin, the child will be able to smell
  the oil and touch the oil if they’d like to determine
  how they feel towards it. Certain smells and feels
  can cause over-stimulation in certain children, and every child has their own individual needs and preferences.

• What are the BENEFITS of seeing a chiropractor throughout your pregnancy?

  Benefits of regular chiropractic support through your pregnancy include, but are not limited to:

  • Maintain an overall healthier pregnancy
  • Control symptoms of nausea (using acupuncture treatment)
  • Reduce pain and time of labor and delivery
  • Encourage optimal positioning of the pelvis to help reduce in-utero constraint and breech presentation
  • Relieve back, neck, foot, and joint pain

  Why not take one of our free consultations and find out more?

• What age groups are considered infant massage?

  Age groupings:

  Infancy: 3 weeks (healthy, full-term–if not met, then doctor’s approval would be
  required)–23 months

  Child: 2 years to 8 years

• Benefits of massage in children and infants:

   Improves respiratory function
   Improves growth and development
   Improves sleep patterns and quality of sleep
   Improves long-range behaviour and development
   Reduces anxiety

   Can ease physical symptoms and emotional discomforts associated with
  paediatric medical disorders
   Decreases stress hormones
   Enhances immune function
   Helps reduce pain
   Can enhance attentiveness
   May enhance improved motor function and muscle tone
   May improve quality of life for child and family
   Increased frequency of stooling
   Improve autonomic nervous system activity
   In infants, has been proven to improve weight gain

• What to expect with Infant Massage

  Like every initial massage, the first thing that will need to be done is the filling out of a health history for the child. This will help us get to know about the child and the purpose of the massage treatment. We will also get to know about things that the child reacts to–what makes them happy, maybe songs they seem to enjoy,
  etc.
   The child attending the treatment will never be spoken over. The adult they come with will not be ignored, but a large amount of importance will be put on what the child says and wants.
   Upon entering the treatment room, the child will get to select where they would like to be. They can sit on the floor on a mat, lay on a massage table, sit in a chair, stand somewhere in the room, etc. This is their treatment. By giving the child options and choices throughout the treatment and letting them have control

  for the treatment time, it allows the child to have a sense of empowerment, allowing them to develop better confidence and self-esteem.
   If the child is receiving treatment for an actual impairment, we may perform a couple of little tests to mark their progress as they attend their treatments such as range of motion, postural analysis, gait.