How Ridiculous Am I? Why I Take My Children to the Chiropractor
Dr. Gunn with 5-day-old Jake
I’m pretty open about who I am. In my bio, I mention being a father, fighter, brother, son. On my blog I’ve talked about being a husband, a homophobe, a metalhead. But it looks like I forgot something. I left off ridiculous. According to John Reggars, a chiropractor in Australia who was recently interviewed on a television program, letting your child receive chiropractic care is ridiculous. I imagine he’d want me tried with criminal neglect for taking my newborn to the chiropractor.
Was I ridiculous for having my daughter adjusted for the past five years? Am I endangering my son who’s too young to complain? I would hate myself if I’d made the wrong decision and caused harm to either of them. These children count on me to protect them, help them grow. Have I failed them?
Although I had already been under constant chiropractic care for 20 years when my daughter, Olivia, was born, I was uncertain about having her adjusted. Dr. Holland was pretty much the only doctor I had seen for all those years and considered him a mentor, one of the best people I know. Except for a torn Achilles tendon, he’d been the one that’s dealt with every injury I’ve had, and there had been a ton of them.
But did I trust him to adjust my little girl, this precious little creature who spent an entire week in the NICU? My hesitation was based on fear and misunderstanding. At that point, my brother, Steve Tullius DC, had yet to show me what chiropractic truly was as he was still learning. But I knew how much I trusted him. Steve recommended we do it as the birthing process is a very traumatic experience and can cause neurological stress that goes undetected the majority of the time. Why not make sure they are at optimal health from the very first moment.
Dr. Holland with 6-week-old Olivia
It took us nearly six weeks before we took Olivia in, her upset stomach and week-plus long constipation the deciding factor. Before I handed Olivia over to Dr. Holland, I told him that I trusted him more than anyone and this was still a difficult thing to do. He assured me she’d be fine and demonstrated just how gentle the adjustment would be. Instead of a Chuck Norris like neck crank, Dr. Holland applied light pressure to different areas, especially Olivia’s low back where we had felt so much tension and inflammation.
At the end of the short session, Olivia was completely relaxed. Before we made it home, she blew out her diaper. After a couple of adjustments it practically got to the point where she’d poop when we said his name.
Based on Olivia’s reaction to the care and my gaining a deeper understanding of what chiropractic is, we have had her checked regularly over the last five years. Olivia understands how regular appointments are important. She has felt the relief from headaches, allergies, aches and pains. She’s learning to listen to and care for her body. I’m certain it’s one of the reasons why she’s stayed healthy.
When Jake was born, there was no question about taking him in. I’d planned on having Dr. Holland adjust him but he was out that day. Dr. Gunn was in, but I had only been adjusted by him one other time. The old fear came back, especially because Jake was only five days old, but I called my sister, whose children see Dr. Gunn regularly. Mary said she trusted Dr. Gunn and all the kids loved him. That was good enough for me.
Dr. Gunn was great with both Jake and Olivia. He’s a father and talented chiropractor that appreciated the trust we were showing in him. When I put up photos of the trip on Facebook, there were worried comments questioning such a practice. I’d forgotten just how misunderstood the field is, thanks to the mainstream medical community that wants your money to treat your symptoms and doesn’t believe you can prevent those symptoms from happening in the first place by keeping your nervous system running at an optimal level. If that isn’t bad enough, you have people like Dr. Reggars.
In Jake’s twelve weeks, he’s been adjusted six times, several of these because he had not pooped in over a week. My wife took him to the MD, just like we had with Olivia, so they could once again recommend absolutely nothing. They didn’t bother checking his inflamed low back to see that’s what was contributing to the blockage. But Dr. Gunn and Holland do and after every trip to their office, Jake fills his diaper. Not quite the placebo effect the medical community tries to attribute any chiropractic success on.
But I totally get Dr. Reggars and agree with him in part. Adjusting children is ridiculous: For him and any other chiropractor that shares his limited understanding. I wouldn’t let him anywhere near my child or me for that matter. He has an incredibly limited view of chiropractic and considers himself a spinal specialist. It’s similar to someone calling themselves a mechanic but only knowing how to change brakes.
So instead of listening to blowhards and people with their own agenda, do exactly what the program criticizes and listen to parents and their stories. Do your research and find a good chiropractor, check them out before starting care. Then see how your child responds. I take my children to a chiropractor because it improves their quality of life. Maybe I’m fine running at 80% of my potential, but I’m not cool with that for my children. I’ve sworn to protect my children and help them succeed.
If you’re on the fence or want a better understanding of what chiropractic is and why it can be beneficial for children, I recommend you check out the ICPA site. Here’s a good article and my brother’s site which also explains why you should consider it.
Check out this video that explains subluxation and why newborns should get checked.
