Monthly Archives: November 2023

As parents, we understand that your child’s health and well-being are your top priorities. We know how challenging it can be to watch your little one struggle with croup, especially those sleepless nights filled with worry when they start coughing and experiencing difficulty breathing. It’s heartbreaking and scary, especially when you’re not quite sure what to do to help them. That’s why we want to empower you with the knowledge and strategies you need to confidently navigate croup episodes and provide the best care for your child. 

Imagine being able to soothe your child’s croup symptoms, ease their discomfort, and make those stressful nights a thing of the past – all while minimizing the use of medications. In this blog, we’ll share valuable insights, expert tips, and natural remedies that can help your child handle a bout of croup and, even more importantly, prevent and avoid them altogether in the future. 

What is Croup?

Croup is an infection of the upper airway that primarily affects young children, especially those between 6 months to 3 years old. It’s characterized by distinctive symptoms such as a barking cough, hoarse voice, and labored breathing, which tends to worsen at night. 

Medical professionals diagnose croup by observing a child’s breathing, listening with a stethoscope, and may use diagnostic tools like neck or chest X-rays and pulse oximetry to check oxygen levels. Traditional treatment involves corticosteroids, which can reduce inflammation and swelling in the larynx and respiratory system. While these medications can be life-saving, they come with serious short-term and long-term side effects for your child. 

Causes of Croup

Addressing common misconceptions about croup is essential to understand that it’s not solely due to exposure to germs but is related to your child’s ability to handle those germs.  Factors like birth trauma, feeding difficulties, sleep challenges, and subluxation can weaken your child’s immune system and make them more susceptible to croup. We’ll delve into how these factors play a role in what we call the “Perfect Storm.”

Chiropractic and How to Care For Croup

Some essential home care strategies include the importance of keeping your child calm and comforted, ensuring they stay hydrated, using humidifiers, and alternating between warm and cold air to ease symptoms.

Chiropractic care does not aim to treat or cure croup but rather to support your child’s natural defenses and improve the function of the neuro-immune system.  

Subluxation can disrupt the communication between the brain and the immune system. This miscommunication can weaken your child’s ability to fight off infections, making your child more susceptible to conditions like croup. Chiropractic adjustments aim to restore proper communication and enhance the body’s natural defenses. 

The benefits of chiropractic adjustments during bouts of croup are improved drainage, better sleep, shorter illness duration, and reduced medication use. By focusing on your child’s nervous system, chiropractic care helps ensure that their body’s innate healing mechanisms are functioning optimally. 

At Impact Chiropractic, our hope is that you can take these natural solutions and deploy them to help your little one breathe better, recover faster, and build a stronger immune system so that they experience fewer bouts of croup, cough, and illness down the road!

Are you a parent who’s been through the heart-wrenching experience of watching your child suffer from chronic ear infections? If so, you know the sleepless nights, the tears, and the feeling of helplessness that comes with it. The constant congestion, pain, and the cycle of antibiotics can leave you feeling overwhelmed and anxious. By age 3, it’s estimated that 80-90% of kids will experience at least one ear infection. But what about the 1 out of 10 kids who don’t get ear infections? How can you break the cycle of chronic ear infections or prevent them altogether? 

In this blog, we’re here to support and empower parents like you, assuring you that you have the power to make the best choices for your child’s health. 

The Story of Luca

Let’s start with a real-life example. Meet Luca, a young boy who faced repeated ear infections. Luca’s journey included multiple rounds of antibiotics, doctor visits, and even the suggestion of surgery. However, Luca’s mom was determined to explore alternative options, and that decision changed everything. Luca’s story may resonate with you if you are facing a similar situation. His story will show you there is hope beyond the conventional approach.  

Understanding Chronic Ear Infections

Chronic ear infections, also known as chronic otitis media, occur when there is a recurring buildup of fluids, inflammation, and swelling that block the eustachian tube, leading to pressure and pain in the middle ear. But what causes your child’s recurrent infections?

Root Causes of Ear Infections:

1. Poor “plumbing and drainage”: Misalignment in the body can create extra tension, inflammation, and limited movement of the nerves and muscles supplying the inner ear, leading to fluid buildup.
2. Sympathetic fight or flight response: Subluxation can put the body into an excessive sympathetic state, resulting in high inflammation and increased mucus production. 
3. Environmental factors: Toxins, excessive sugar, and dairy consumption can worsen the situation. 

Antibiotics and fever reducers may provide temporary relief but do not address the root cause. They can weaken your child’s gut and immune system, contributing to their recurring infections. Similarly, natural remedies like supplements and essential oils may help to some extent but often fall short in addressing subluxation. 

How Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Adjustments Work

Chiropractic care offers your child a unique solution. It focuses on two key aspects: 

• Improved “drainage” and “plumbing”: Chiropractic adjustments help restore movement and clear blockages, providing immediate relief. This process not only alleviates the symptoms but also supports the body’s ability to heal itself. 
• Balancing the nervous system: Adjustments reduce inflammation, stress, and tension, ultimately supporting the body’s natural healing abilities. A balanced nervous system enhances overall health and well-being. 

At Impact Chiropractic, we begin the process of overcoming chronic ear infections with Neurological INSiGHT Scans. These scans measure stress, tension, inflammation, and subluxation in the upper neck – a common area of concern for children with ear infections. Birth interventions like forceps, vacuum, and c-sections can create physical tension from the start, leading to your child’s ear troubles. 

Remember, as parents, you have the power to make informed decisions for your child’s health. Chronic ear infections may seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can break the cycle and provide your child with lasting relief and a healthier future. Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions and activate your child’s natural healing abilities.

Parents, no matter what health challenges your child may face, whether it’s acute conditions like the common cold or chronic neurological conditions like anxiety, ADHD, or seizures – there is one crucial first step you must take: prioritize sleep. 

Sleep is the foundation upon which all healing begins. 

In this blog, we will explore why sleep is so vital and how it can help your child overcome health challenges.  It is even more necessary for a child looking to heal and overcome a health challenge or condition of any sort to get extra sleep during the initial healing and recovery stages.  If you’ve exhausted various methods to help your child heal naturally and have observed that their condition worsens when they are tired or sleep-deprived, this is for you. 

The Power of Sleep

Sleep isn’t just essential for adults; it plays a crucial role in your child’s health as well. Sleep disorders can affect up to 50% of children and pre-adults, leading to tiredness, disrupted family dynamics, cognitive and behavioral issues, and even long-term health concerns. Getting good sleep is the first and most vital step in neurological development and healing.  

Sleep disorders can manifest as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. Recognizing these symptoms is key to addressing the issue. 

The Role Subluxation and Dysautonomia Play in Sleep Challenges

Several factors can contribute to sleep disorders in children, but one often-overlooked cause is subluxation and dysautonomia, which are related to neurological imbalances and dysfunctions. These imbalances can overstimulate your child’s sympathetic nervous system and suppress the parasympathetic response, disrupting their sleep patterns. 

You may be unaware that birth interventions like forceps, vacuum extraction, induction, or emergency c-sections can damage the dysfunction of your child’s Vagus Nerve. This vital nerve, also known as the “rest, digest, and regulate” nerve, is located near the sleep centers in the brainstem and plays a crucial role in regulating sleep. Impaired Vagus Nerve function can significantly hinder your child’s ability to sleep well. 

Environmental and External Factors

Besides addressing subluxation and Vagus Nerve dysfunction, creating an optimal sleep environment is essential as well. Factors such as room brightness, noise levels, temperature, and pre-bed activities matter. Additionally, external factors like caffeine intake, irregular bedtimes, overstimulation before bedtime, and respiratory problems can exacerbate sleep challenges. 

In our modern world, the increase of screens and electronic devices has introduced new challenges to children’s sleep. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone crucial for sleep. Encouraging a digital detox can significantly improve sleep quality. 

To help your child get the most out of their sleep, it’s helpful to understand sleep cycles. Your child cycles through various stages of sleep, including deep sleep and REM sleep. Ensuring they get enough uninterrupted sleep cycles is vital for their overall well-being. 

How to Help Your Child Get Sufficient Sleep

So if you’ve tried numerous remedies, from supplements to essential oils, and your child still struggles to sleep, it’s time to consider Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic care.  These adjustments can be a game-changer for your child’s sleep and overall well-being. At Impact Chiropractic, we specialize in providing these beneficial adjustments to calm your child’s nervous system.

Are you a parent who’s ever felt utterly frustrated because your child’s pediatrician or traditional doctors just won’t listen? Have you asked questions about the causes of your child’s illness or challenges, only to be dismissed and told it’s all in their genetics? Or worse, have you inquired about natural health solutions only to be met with ridicule or indifference? If so, you’re not alone.

At Impact Chiropractic, we understand your frustration, and we’re here to offer a different approach – one that should be standard of care but often isn’t. We actually listen to you, the parent who knows their child best because you’ve been with them every step of the way. 

If you’re tired of doctors who don’t listen, don’t explain things clearly, and don’t address the root cause while offering drug-free solutions, this is for you. We want to dive into what makes our First Visit and Patient Intake Experience unique at Impact Chiropractic. We’ll take you through an overview of our Consultation and Exam process, which includes incredible technology called INSiGHT Scans that helps us uncover the root causes of the stress, illness, and health challenges your child may face within their nervous system. 

Critical Steps to Our Approach

We Listen First: Every new patient experience with us begins by dedicating ample time to sit down with you either in person or via a dedicated phone consult. We’ll go deep into your child’s case history, working alongside you to uncover the stressors, injuries, and other factors contributing to their health challenges.

We Go WAY Back: We don’t stop at current symptoms or challenges. We explore your child’s entire journey, from fertility and pregnancy to labor, delivery, and early childhood.  These hidden clues are often overlooked but hold the key to understanding your child’s health.  

We Take Our Time to Explain Everything: After an in-depth case history, we ensure you fully understand Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care. We break down the science and neurology behind our approach, the Care Plan Process, what to expect during care, and how long it will take. 

We Run Our Exam + Neurological INSiGHT Scans: Our office stands out not only from traditional doctors and specialists but also from other chiropractors. Our advanced INSiGHT Scans allow us to pinpoint the root cause of your child’s health challenges, whether they are digestive, immune, motor, sensory, behavioral, emotional, or anything else because the Nervous System controls every other system in the body. 

Set-Up Day 2 Report of Findings

Once we gather all this vital information from the in-depth consultation, case history, INSiGHT Scans, and examination, we’re ready to create your child’s fully personalized and customized Neurological Care Plan. This plan will be presented to you on the second visit, known as the Report of Findings. 

The next step involves beginning your child’s adjustments, which are gentle and designed to quickly relieve tension and stress from their nervous system. Some parents may feel a bit anxious about trying chiropractic care for their kids at first, but you’ll find comfort in the gentle and calming approach of our trained PX Docs.

If you are ready to set up a New Patient Intake Experience or your family’s First Visit, please call Impact Chiropractic today. One of our dedicated Care Advocates will guide you through the entire process.