SIDS and Chiropractic

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) involving unexpected death during infancy, is being somewhat better understood after many years of the unknown.  Awareness raised by campaigns such as Safe to Sleep or Back to Sleep have helped reduce SIDS rates by almost 50%!  In recent years, the decline in SIDS cases has leveled and this has caused researchers to dive deeper into the possibility of other factors that can cause such a horrendous tragedy.  Things such as sleeping on your back, no loose bedding or sheets, no exposure to second hand smoke, no blankets, and being breastfed all decrease your newborns risk factors for SIDS. However, researchers are looking more at studying the actual sleep cycle in newborns to help answer more of the unknown.
Sleep and arousing from that sleep are controlled by our nervous system.  During sleep, our nervous system allows for protective mechanisms that control functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.  Meaning while we sleep, we are not in control of these measures, it is an automatic response.  Research is shedding light on impairments in these automatic controlled mechanisms that may lead to SIDS.
Unfortunately, the only way to diagnose SIDS is after all other possibilities have been ruled out such as suffocation, abuse, or trauma.  But one thing found in infants with SIDS are large deficits in brainstem function.  Our brainstem controls and regulates things like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose.  It also controls our sleep and wake cycles.  What researchers are also seeing is that infants who developed in a restricted uterus also have huge deficits in their function of the brainstem and therefore have an increased risk for SIDS.
Where chiropractic can help is by correcting nervous system interference and impairments with adjustments.  Over 95% of babies have misalignments directly after birth!  With how rapidly a newborn changes and develops each day the longer you let the misalignment sit untreated so grows the infants spine and nervous system.  Affecting everything from sleep, feeding, pooping, eating, mood and motor control.  Babies under chiropractic care significantly decrease their risk for SIDS.  Moms can help too by seeking chiropractic care during pregnancy.  The biomechanical function increases of mom's lower back, pelvis, and ligaments attached to the uterus by removing interferences to the nervous system.  This allows for the fetus to grow and develop at an optimal level.
Although more research needs to be done on SIDS, we do know that certain measures can be taken to ensure your child is at the lowest risk possible.  Want more information on how chiropractic can help prevent SIDS?  Call our office at 704-394-8556

Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV

Home, R. S. (2018). Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in sudden infant death syndrome. Clinical Autonomic Research. doi:10.1007/s10286-017-0490-y.

Spinal Injections vs. Chiropractic Care for Back Pain

Steroid injections to relieve back and neck pain are part of a medical management to treat issues such as sciatica, spinal stenosis, and disc issues.  A needle is inserted into the epidural space of the spinal canal and a steroid medication is released with the hopes of reducing inflammation pressing on the nerve root and relieving pain in the area.  However, it is known that this procedure only works about 50% of the time according to a 2018 study published in the Journal of Spine.  This is also only a temporary solution.  The likelihood of having a second or third injection is extremely likely, and this medication is only allowed to be injected only 2 or 3 times per year.  In other words, an injection merely "covers up" symptomatic pain, and doesn't address the actual cause of the pain.  According to the Stem Cell Institute, spinal injections have no determination of preventing back surgery, and that the patient is destined for surgery of non-successful spinal injections, with the likelihood of 60% of those spinal surgery patients going back for a second surgery.  They suggest that epidural spinal injections are only a "temporary pain relief for possibly 3 months, but do not fix a bad back."    

The procedure of spinal injections also pose risks such as bleeding, spinal headaches, loss of spinal fluid, sleep disturbances, high blood sugars, stomach ulcers, loss of bladder and bowel control, numbness and tingling in arms and legs, and uncontrollable fevers to name just a few! The only way to safely and effectively treat the cause of the back and neck pain is through chiropractic care.  By correcting the cause of the nerve interference, inflammation is reduced and pain is relieved.  Chiropractic adjustments are gentle, specific treatments that correct the cause of the pain, not just temporarily cover up the symptoms.  Epidural injections are not as research supported as chiropractic adjustments are.  The injections have been a go-to medical treatment for several years without high success rates or research to support the continued use of epidurals.  

We offer a unique approach to successfully treat pain and discomfort by restoring the body's balance and health through chiropractic adjustments.  

Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV

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Carreon, L., Y., Bratcher, K., R., Ammous, F., & Glassman, S. D., (2018). Cost-effectives's of Lum bar Epidural Steroid Injections, Spine, 43(1), 35-40. doi:10.1097/brs.