Chiropractic care & Breastfeeding Difficulties
Breastfeeding offers profound health and wellness benefits for both mother and baby, supporting optimal nutrition, immune system function, and emotional bonding through skin-to-skin contact. While some infants have no issues with latching, others may experience difficulties that make the process more difficult. Chiropractic has emerged as a complementary, non-invasive approach for addressing musculoskeletal and neurological factors that may contribute to breastfeeding difficulties.
To effectively support mom and baby, it is essential to understand the underlying issues that can interfere with breastfeeding. Challenges that are commonly seen range from oral restrictions, such as lip and tongue ties, to spinal misalignments and muscle tension in the cervical and cranial region. In instances of musculoskeletal tension, the infant’s range of motion becomes limited, making it a challenge to turn the head and maintain a proper latch. This leads to the baby not being able to nurse efficiently and/or effectively.
Given that chiropractic care focuses on the function of the spine, muscles, and nervous system, it can be a helpful tool for resolving feeding issues. Chiropractors trained in pediatric care utilize gentle techniques and a specific analysis to locate where the dysfunction is stemming from. Correction of cervical and cranial malposition aids in restoring proper range of motion, relaxation of the jaw and neck muscles, better coordination, and eliminates nerve interference. The upper cervical region and cranial region is an especially important area to examine in these cases given that they house critical neural structures that help the suck-swallow-breathe reflex work at its best.
Studies have shown positive outcomes with chiropractic care and breastfeeding. For instance, a case series involving 114 infants reported that 78% were able to improve breastfeeding after 2 to 5 chiropractic treatments over a two-week timeframe. Chiropractic care not only helps the infant, but can also play a significant role in supporting the mother’s experience as well. Adjustments can help alleviate the neck, shoulder, and back discomfort associated with prolonged time while nursing. By correcting the associated misalignments, chiropractic adjustments may also have a role in regulating the mother’s hormones, stress levels, and milk production. We have seen literally thousands of infants and their moms over 35 + years that we have been in practice and watched the improvement of breastfeeding which literally changed the health of the mom and the baby!
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3259991/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830715001494
