Recent research reported in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic on difficulty latching to breastfeed, reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in helping infants and mothers with breastfeeding challenges. The literature review supports the role of chiropractic in mothers and babies suffering from this health challenge and calls for more research in this area.
“Numerous case studies and some clinical studies are revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and the various health challenges that newborns experience” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study.
McCoy added “In the review of literature presented, mothers experiencing pain and discomfort during breastfeeding have been shown to improve following the chiropractic care for the infant because of the nature of the nervous system and its relationship to the spine.”
The nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body and structural shifts in the spine can occur that obstruct the nerves and interfere with their function. Chiropractic care aims to remove the structural shifts and allow the nervous system to function better. These improvements allow for the muscles, bones and joints of the head and neck of the infant to better adapt to the needs of breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding requires the infant to suck, swallow, and breathe, which takes a lot of coordination between nerves, bones, and muscles. The infant’s ability to breastfeed successfully can be disturbed if there is an imbalance or structural shifts in the spine, which can alter the infant’s sucking pattern, which leads to a latch problem.
Such imbalances or structural shifts can result in painful breastfeeding, nipple pain, breast enlargement, and inadequate milk supply. It is important to address these issues as soon as possible as this can lead to stopping breastfeeding prematurely.
The nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body and structural shifts in the spine can occur that obstruct the nerves and interfere with their function. Chiropractic care aims to remove the structural shifts and relieve the muscles of the mouth to improve breastfeeding.
Nursing mothers having difficulty breastfeeding are encouraged to include chiropractic in their management plan.
The study’s author called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in this population.
To learn more about this study and chiropractic research visit, Vertebral Subluxation Research.
