Advantages of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy & Early Childhood

Matt Brooks: X101 Always Classic, 101.5 FM. I am Matt Brooks, and with me in the studio is Dr. Kristopher Bradt, owner of Cortland Chiropractic on Clinton Street in Homer, and also the second year in a row winning gold for the Finger Lakes Favorite in the chiropractic care category.

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: Woo!

Matt Brooks: First off, congratulations, Chris. Second year at the new location, too, so don’t move. Just stay here in Homer. But congratulations, and we have so much to talk about today because we’re talking about a really important step in one’s life: pregnancy and entering parenthood. It’s a huge change, especially physically for the mother. So, Chris, first off, what are some of the aspects of pregnancy that can be addressed with chiropractic care?

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: Oh, absolutely. Think about it: what’s the first thing that’s going to happen? You’re going to start getting larger in the belly, you’re eating for two, and you’re going to start walking differently. The whole body’s going to be affected. So often we get pregnant women who come in with lower back pain that’s just being pulled down from that pregnant belly. They’re unable to see their toes, they can’t bend over as well, and some of them are already mothers, so they’ve got hip pain. But again, that discomfort is easily helped by chiropractic. I do have pillows, so women who aren’t able to lay face down during pregnancy can come into the office and do that for the first time, and that is like gold for them.

Matt Brooks: I’ve never heard “comfortable” and “pregnancy” in the same sentence! Chiropractic care can really help adjust your outlook—just getting that comfort that for nine months, that’s what they’re longing for. So, how does it i mean you have mentioned the pillow, how does that chiropractic care change when working with someone who is pregnant?

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: What’s wonderful about pregnancy and women is that it has been happening for as long as time itself. A woman’s body is so adaptable and so strong. We don’t really have to change much until we get to week 30. That is when the joints and the ligaments start to have quite a bit more laxity in them as they’re preparing for labor and delivery. That is when we change things ever so slightly. We don’t bend the legs as much, we do a more straightforward adjustment with the direction being straightforward, and we go from there. Now, I do have ways to offer pregnant women help with their bellies. They do have belly bands, which help to hold the weight. They are a little cumbersome, so I suggest KT Tape. Kinesio tape goes right on the skin, and some people find that more helpful. We also ask important questions: How is your pregnancy going? Do you have any other contributing factors or risk factors going on? If there are some present, we take that into account and go from there.

Matt Brooks: Pregnancy might be the straw that makes somebody who didn’t originally think about chiropractic care before look into it. They’re getting discomfort and looking for a way to relieve that, and chiropractic care might be a solution for them. For those who might be considering it now that they are pregnant, is there any advice or thoughts you have for them?

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: Come in! Do you have a spine? Chiropractic is great for you. One of the things I see when pregnant women come in late in their pregnancy is because they were told by their OB-GYN, “Hey, my baby is breech, and I was told you can help us turn it.” While we don’t turn the fetus itself, we do have different manipulations that can allow space for the fetus to turn and become head-down, which is great and wonderful. We just did it a couple of weeks ago with one of my patients, and it was very successful—everything went great. That is just another reason to come in earlier so that we can help you through the whole process.

Matt Brooks: From my understanding, chiropractic care isn’t big-changing it’s these little adjustments that over time accumulate that just overall help with a more comfortable and healthier lifestyle. Now, someone’s not pregnant forever; there is post-pregnancy. What kind of changes occur if they come in, especially if they came in while pregnant and then have their child? How do the change occur when pregnancy is over?

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: Great question, Matt. Typically, after you’re pregnant, we wait about six to eight weeks depending on how labor and delivery went. Do you have sutures? Do you have staples? Was it a C-section or was it natural? Then we’re able to bring you in, see how out of alignment you are, address what concerns you have, and so on. One thing you have to remember is that you’re literally separating the different joints of the pubic area in order to push the head out, and the shoulders, and the body. They can come back in a misaligned state, so that’s one reason you can come in and see us to get help with that. One of the other things that changes is, hopefully, you’re bringing your child in with you! The youngest child I’ve seen was two weeks old. Adjusting an infant is a very rewarding experience. They go on a pillow—they usually cry a lot because you’re taking them away from mom or dad for a minute—and you’re just using your fingertips. You’re not getting that typical pulse that you get with an adult. It’s very gentle, easy, and calming.

Matt Brooks: Your office is just a calming place in general, so if you are a new mother trying to escape for a bit, you’re going to have a nice, calming environment at Dr. Kristopher Bradt’s office. Talking about a two-week-old infant—for someone introducing their child to chiropractic care at that stage, how does pediatric care evolve as a child grows up? What does that pediatric care look like?

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: That’s great. I have pediatric patients who come in now who sleep better and have less ear infections. Their parents say they usually poop pretty much 20 minutes after they get adjusted, which is great. You’re adjusting the lower lumbar spine and hips—things that might be out of place and giving them neurological distress. As you progress through pediatric care into adult care, things change. As a child, they are dependent upon mom and dad to say, “Hey, they’re not eating, they’re not latching, they’re colicky, burpy, or spitting up,” and you’re able to decide where and feel for the adjustments on the body then. Once they become verbal, they can say, “Hey, I’ve got a pain here and this hurts,” and you can speak directly to them. Really, bringing them through from childhood to adulthood is just wonderful.

Matt Brooks: As a person who was a child. It’s a little easier to bounce back when you’re younger, but having chiropractic care along the way. So many people say, “Oh yeah, I got this back injury in childhood, and it just stayed that way.” Chiropractic care can really help ease and mitigate some of the damages you make during childhood as well, from those lively childhood experiences. Now, we are running out of time, and we have a lot to digest regarding pregnancy, post-pregnancy, and pediatric care. If someone has a question, wants more information, or wants to set up an appointment, Chris, how can people get ahold of you besides walking into your office on Clinton Street in Homer?

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: Great. There are a couple of different ways to do that. You can text the office phone number at 607-221-1198, or call that same number and you’ll get me at the front desk. You can also go to my website at www.cortlandchiropracticcenter.com to book online. I also just added a facts and questions area on the website, so you’ll be able to find any information you need there as well.

Matt Brooks: Sounds like a plan. It’s always great to have you in the studio, Chris. Congratulations again on second year in a row winning gold in the Finger Lakes Favorite—that’s quite an accomplishment. Looking forward to having you back in the studio.

Dr. Kristopher Bradt: Thank you, sir. Have a good day.

Matt Brooks: All right.