As the seasons change, many parents find themselves in a frustrating cycle – their kids seem to be constantly battling colds, coughs, congestion, and other illnesses. You might try over-the-counter medications, visit pediatricians, and even resort to stronger antibiotics, yet the cycle continues. What you may not realize is that shutting down symptoms with medications can weaken your child’s natural resilience in the long run.
The key to breaking this cycle lies in supporting your child’s body to build up its defenses naturally.
At the core of our “Kick the Sick” approach is addressing dysfunction in the nervous system – the master communicator that controls all cells, tissues, and organs. Any stress or imbalance in the nervous system can lead to widespread issues such as chronic immune problems, sleep disturbances, digestive troubles, and even behavioral and cognitive challenges.
The Autonomic Nervous System: The Key to Immune Regulation
At Foundation of Stone Family Chiropractic, we specialize in Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic care, which focuses on locating and correcting sources of stress stuck in the nervous system, what we call subluxation. The autonomic nervous system, comprising the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, plays a crucial role in modulating immune function.
- Sympathetic Nervous System: Often referred to as the “fight or flight” response, it suppresses immune activity during periods of stress or perceived danger.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System: Known as the “rest and digest” state, it promotes immune function and allows the body to heal and repair.
When your child’s body experiences chronic stress or nerve interference, the sympathetic nervous system can dominate, leading to a suppressed immune response. This imbalance leaves the body vulnerable to various illnesses and infections, as the immune system becomes less effective in identifying and neutralizing potential threats.
Subluxation disrupts the normal flow of nerve communication, leading to dysfunction in various bodily systems, including the immune system. Stress can build up in the neck, shoulders, and upper respiratory areas, creating constriction, congestion, and inflammation.
The Impact of Birth Trauma and Subluxation
Subluxation can result from various factors, such as birth trauma, physical stress, emotional stress, and chemical toxins. Often, subluxation is initially caused by birth trauma and the intense physical and chemical stresses of the modern birth process. If not properly addressed, this subluxation can build up over time, setting the stage for recurring illnesses.
The intense forces and instrumentation used during interventions like C-sections, vacuum/forceps deliveries, inductions with epidurals, or in cases of prematurity and NICU stays can significantly impact the vulnerable Vagus Nerve and upper neck region. This can create profound subluxation, setting kids up for a host of future problems – what we call The Perfect Storm.
Severe colic, reflux, constipation, and sleep struggles in newborns could indicate nerve system imbalances stemming from in-utero constraint or birth trauma.
Using advanced technology like INSiGHT scans, Dr. Brittany precisely measures levels of subluxation and associated nerve tension. With specific analysis and customized care plans, we work to reduce neurological interference and restore balance to the nervous system naturally, without the need for drugs or surgery.
Build Up Instead of Shutting Down
Rather than just masking each symptom, chiropractic care addresses the root cause governing the body’s ability to self-heal and adapt to stressors like seasonal changes, growth spurts, and poor sleep or diet. These factors can quickly overload a child’s coping ability and trigger illness.
The traditional medical approach often focuses on treating symptoms with medications that can further suppress and dysregulate the immune response. While sometimes necessary in critical situations, overusing antibiotics, steroids, and immune suppressants can weaken resilience over time. Research shows that each course of antibiotics, especially in the first year of life, increases the risks of chronic allergies, asthma, and more illnesses down the road. That’s why it’s crucial to reserve medications as a last resort and instead focus on drug-free, natural, resilience-boosting actions.
So, instead of shutting it all down at the first sniffle, parents can build their child up through simple, natural steps:
- Prioritize Rest: Ensure your child gets plenty of rest and reduce stressors when they are sick.
- Proper Nutrition: Support your child’s immune system with proper nutrition, hydration, and movement.
- Natural Immune Boosters: Integrate natural immune-boosters like vitamin C & D and supportive tools like essential oils.
- Get Their Nervous System Checked!: Most importantly, have your child’s nervous system checked by a Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractor.
With a customized chiropractic care plan that monitors and reduces subluxation, many kids can avoid the revolving door of sickness. Their bodies become more resilient, allowing them to meet seasonal challenges head-on, move through acute illnesses more effectively, and prevent bigger problems down the road.
The Benefits Extend Beyond Immunity
When the nervous system is balanced and functioning without interference, the benefits go far beyond stronger immunity. As we know, the nervous system controls and coordinates every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. By reducing subluxation, chiropractic care allows for better-integrated function across all systems.
Parents often report improvements in many seemingly unrelated conditions once their child begins a customized chiropractic care plan. These can include:
- Behavioral Issues: Many children labeled with ADHD, anxiety, or sensory processing disorders show dramatic improvements in focus, calmness, and behavior regulation under chiropractic care. The brain-body connection becomes optimized.
- Digestive Problems: Frequent stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea, and other GI issues often resolve when nerve interference along the spine is reduced. Better communication allows the gut to function properly.
- Bedwetting/Sleep Struggles: The autonomic nervous system controls processes like sleep cycles and bladder function. Restoring nerve tone in these areas can help children overcome bedwetting and achieve higher-quality sleep.
- Asthma/Breathing Issues: With reduced tension on nerves impacting the respiratory diaphragm and airways, many asthmatic children can breathe easier and rely less on inhalers or nebulizers once subluxations are corrected.
The Power of Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care
For many families, Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care ends up being the “missing piece” that accelerates their child’s healing journey. When integrated with other natural therapies and lifestyle factors like nutrition, it provides a comprehensive approach to building up a child’s resilience from the inside out.
Rather than covering up symptoms with a barrage of medications, authentic healing can take place. Instead of repeated rounds of inhalers, antibiotics, and over-the-counter meds that weaken vitality over time, your child can develop the robust vitality needed to meet life’s challenges.
With principled chiropractic support, your children can spend less time in the vicious sickness cycle and more time growing, developing, and thriving – just as they should.
At Foundation of Stone Family Chiropractic, we want to help you and your kiddos thrive! If you aren’t local to us, please reach out to a trained PX Doc on our directory. Our docs are passionate about helping to change your child’s life for the better, shifting their trajectory from chronic illness to kicking the sick naturally.