KIDS + CHIROPRACTIC

You’re never too old or too young to have your spine checked

Chiropractic care is just as important for the growing nervous system and spine as it is for adults.

Any stress on the body - physical, emotional or chemical - may cause change to your child’s biomechanics. Including the effects of retained primitive reflexes, which can result in distortion of postural muscle activation and effect coordination and behaviour. Your chiropractor will check your baby or child’s spine for full range of motion; assess developmental milestones and their primitive and postural reflexes to see if there is anything we can do, or equally you can do at home, to help.

What is a Primitive Reflex?

A primitive reflex is a movement directed from the brainstem. These reflexes help us grow properly and safely; they help us with the birthing process, with breast feeding and when things get a little more sophisticated and we begin to grip things. As we grow and mature, these reflexes are no longer needed. A different part of our brain takes over as it develops and becomes more complex. This is a totally normal (and essential) part of development. Primitive reflexes should integrate - go away - typically around 12 months of age, some may be closer to two or three years old.

What is a Retained Primitive Reflex?

On the other hand a retained primitive reflex is when this reflex shows up and is used again. This can be from things such as birth trauma, a fall, developmental restrictions or stress on the body and this causes the nervous system of the body to react to certain stimuli/movements or situations inappropriately or even undesirable. This is of concern as retained primitive reflexes if not integrated can affect development, learning and/or behaviour. 

The most common primitive reflexes include (and briefly how they may present):

  • Fear Paralysis where your child may experience withdrawal, shyness, tantrums or anxiety

  • Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex where your child may be easily distracted, have poor coordination or have messy handwriting

  • Spinal Galant where your child may have difficulty sitting still or poor bladder control

  • Palmar Reflex where your child may experience mixing up letters, poor spelling or slouching at a desk/computer.

  • Juvenile Suck and Rooting Reflex where your child may experience speech/articulation or dental problems

  • Moro Reflex where your child may be emotionally over-reactive and over sensitive

  • Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex where your child may walk on their toes, have poor posture or coordination

  • Tonic Labrynthine Reflex is the foundation for head control. If retained your child may have low tone, slump at their desk, be a toe walker, have uncoordinated movements, difficulty reading and writing etc.

This is just a brief example of what some of them are and how they can present (more obviously during school age). So although these primitive reflexes are imperative for survival of our little ones we can see that if they don’t integrate there can be a huge knock on effect to their development and their ability to thrive at school.

Chiropractors: Dr Lucy Bartlett, Dr Olivia Kerr & Dr Kristin Webb are Family Wellness practitioners based in Mosman NSW with a focus on paedatrics and pregnancy care