Did you know that Chiropractic Awareness Month is next month? In gearing up to celebrate chiropractors I wanted to share a little bit about my own experience with chiropractic and how it has helped my health and that of my family.
Chiropractic for me has been more than relieving pain, it has been a shift in perspective of when true health and vitality begins. Many people think of going to the chiropractor when they are in pain from an injury, accident or otherwise. I did go to the chiropractor during my two pregnancies not only to relieve lower back pain but to ensure my body was in proper alignment for giving birth.
Unfortunately the Western lifestyle is one of often sitting more than we should and not utilizing the muscles necessary to allow gravity and the natural structure of our pelvis to support the safe transition of our babies. Sadly we see more and more women receiving invasive procedures from forceps, to suction to even C-Section when their deliveries seem obstructed and non-progressing. Alignment of your bones and proper firing of our nervous system is vital to the safe passage of our newborn babies. The concern many have of their babies getting stuck in childbirth is not unwarranted, and almost totally preventable. With proper alignment supported by chiropractic, effective strengthening of muscles through yoga and other exercise, and ensuring we are in a birth setting that allows freedom of movement in birth, we can absolutely prevent many of the interventions that are so commonly used today. And when birth is allowed to take it's natural course, bonding, breastfeeding and immune functioning are supported too.
It doesn't stop after birth either. I have found that some of the most supportive aspects of chiropractic come in the care of my babies right after birth and through their childhood. So many common challenges that moms face can be supported by the gentle support of a well trained chiropractor, and I have seen them all first hand. From breastfeeding, digestive challenges, colic symptoms, sleep issues, ear infections, gross motor movements and even mood. With a focus on optimal nutrition, regular chiropractic care and use of holistic remedies rather than pharmaceuticals, I have almost never had to take my child to the pediatrician for illness, and neither of my children have ever had more than a cold or flu. And it is not just due to the adjustments to the body, it was due to the perspective and teaching that most chiropractors share.
Your body is a magnificent organism that knows health and vitality when you are in alignment, in your spine, in your nutrition, in your knowing that your body knows how to heal. I owe my own health and the vibrant health of my children to the regular care of of my amazing chiropractor. A wise man said: An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, and I know it to be true.
~Amy
