There are still many people who are unclear about what chiropractic care really involves and how it can benefit them and their baby’s overall health and well-being. Here is what you need to know about the importance of chiropractic care for you and your baby.

The Importance of Chiropractic Care

You may have visited a chiropractor because of pain in your neck or back. But, that’s not all chiropractic care is for. In fact, with routine chiropractic care, you can reap a whole host of health benefits. It is not just about your spine. It is about the nervous system and every part of your body. The main goal is to improve the overall function of the nervous system which impacts your daily function and quality of life. Regular chiropractic adjustments keep your nervous system healthy and fully operational so that your body is able to function at its highest potential and adjust to any external stressors that present themselves and help you feel happier and more satisfied with your life. This is all true for babies just as much as it is for adults! 

Chiropractic care addresses problems in people of all ages. Young children can also benefit from it. You don’t have to be grown-up to gain a wide range of advantages offered by chiropractic care.

Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Babies?

Seeing your baby cry is very frustrating, and it is a major concern for parents. Every parent wants to know that their infant is well cared for and never in a dangerous situation. As parents, you may be wondering if chiropractic care is safe for your baby or not. The answer is yes, chiropractic care is safe for your baby. Chiropractic care for adults may involve a little use of force but for babies, there is a different and very gentle approach.

Babies face a lot of physical roadblocks on the path to proper, healthy development. Regular chiropractic care is one of the safest, most effective ways to make sure that your baby gets the proper care. 

As a parent, your top priority is making sure your baby is healthy and happy. The results of pediatric chiropractic care can often make a huge difference. When treating babies, we apply gentle pressure with our fingertips. Chiropractic adjustments keep your baby comfortable and promote overall health and wellness.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for baby’s Overall Wellness?

A child’s body undergoes so many changes during their first few years of development. They are constantly in a state of play and discovery. The alignment of the spine is very important for proper development during this time. When a child’s spine is in alignment, their nervous system is functioning at its prime. Even the slightest misalignment, or what we refer to as a subluxation, can affect them causing stress on their nervous system.

Babies receive amazing benefits from chiropractic care. Some of them are:

1. Support the immune system

Stress can directly weaken the baby’s immune system, making them more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Pediatric Chiropractic Care is a great way to support a child’s immune system so that they can better fight off sickness.

2. Improved Sleep

Sleep is critical to a child’s development. Gentle chiropractic adjustments stimulate the parasympathetic portion of the nervous system, the part of the nervous system that controls sleep. By getting adjusted, children are able to get into a “rest and digest” mode, and parents see better sleep in their little ones!

3. Prevent ear infection

Chiropractic care can help manage ear infections. Ear infection happens when excess fluid builds up in the ears’ eustachian tubes. When this part fails to drain, it causes excessive pressure in a baby’s ears, which causes pain and infection. Chiropractic care helps drain the eustachian tube by dilating the muscles around it, which relieves pressure and unblocks it.

4. Treats colic in fussy babies

Chiropractic care for colic is very effective. It can make a world of difference for a colicky, distressed baby. Colic can leave parents feeling helpless. Gentle adjustments from chiropractic care can take their body out of a fight or flight, stressed state, and stimulate the “rest, digest, and relaxation” portion of their nervous system to make them calm and relaxed.

5. Treats Torticollis

Torticollis causes the head to tilt down or to one side because of problems in the muscles of the neck. For babies with torticollis, chiropractic adjustments to the cervical spine drastically improve range of motion and calm muscle spasms to improve head tilt and restore full mobility.

Chiropractic care for children has so many positive effects on a child’s development and well-being. These are just a few of the benefits we see for chiropractic care in babies and kids. If you want your kids to benefit from chiropractic care, we’re here to hold your hand every step of the way.

As your St. Petersburg pediatric chiropractors, we’re always striving to provide you and your family with the best care and experience. Chiropractic treatment is not just about your spine, it’s about promoting overall wellness. Chiropractic adjustments help keep your nervous system healthy and fully operational. It also provides preventive care in daily life as well as helps to improve the overall health and wellness of both children and adults. Routine chiropractic adjustments can be a great solution for the entire family. It can have a positive, long-lasting effect on each family member. 

If you are in St. Pete, Florida area, we would love to see you in our office!

Contact us today to schedule an appointment for your kiddo and help them reach their fullest potential!

The deeper that we get into the winter months, the more often we hear “oh, it’s just flu season”. When your kiddos are sick every other week at school when you’re fighting the sniffles and a throbbing head while running around from family to family when you can’t sleep because your sinuses are so full…

It’s NOT just flu season. 

There are many factors that go into WHY you often catch viruses during this time of the year. During the holiday season, it’s easy to indulge in the extra sweets. You’re probably feeling stressed from the added activities and trying to make the season magical. And our guess is that you probably aren’t sleeping well.

All of these things affect your body’s ability to adapt at its best. You and your family’s nervous system is facing additional stressors and your immune system suffers because of it.

But the good news? Chiropractic adjustments, along with a few other tips we will share with you, can help your nervous system adapt to the added stressors and make sure your body is functioning at it’s best for the season! 

These are our top 5 recommendations to incorporate into your daily lifestyle that will help you and your kiddos adapt through the holidays! 

1.  Consistent chiropractic care. Keep your nervous system free of interferences so that your body can communicate its needs! 

2. Stay hydrated. Try drinking a glass of water just before bed and one as soon as you wake up!

3. Balance the extra sweet with whole foods. When you’re crafting those perfect holiday meals, add some fresh fruit to the tablescape! 

4. Get moving when you can. Take the family (even the extra ones visiting!) for a nature walk. 

5. Decrease the added stress (when you are able!). This might look like setting boundaries around visitors. 

We’d be lying if we said you and your family will absolutely make it through the season without feeling under the weather at some point. But by taking care of you + your family’s body, you can significantly reduce your chances of feeling so cruddy! 

To book an appointment to get you and your kiddos adjusted during the season, visit https://blossomfamilychiropractic.com/contact-us/ and reach out to us! 

Dry brushing. Maybe you’ve heard of it in a health magazine years ago, or a friend mentioned it in your last fitness class. But what is it really? And how can it benefit you?

Dry brushing is a technique that has been used for thousands of years as a health practice to remove old skin, regenerate new healthy skin, and detoxify your lymphatic system. Here are 10 reasons why you should give this simple practice a try.

1. Dry Brushing stimulates the glands located around your body such as the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, etc. helping them wake up, function properly and work they way they are supposed to.
2. Dry Brushing removes old dead skin. Removing old skin helps your skin breath optimally and glow the way that it’s supposed to.
3. Dry Brushing stimulates new skin growth. The semi-rough bristle action of the dry brush on your skin is going to help stimulate your skin to produce new skin cells. This helps regenerate new beautiful skin for that amazing youthful vibrancy!
4. Dry Brushing helps the lymphatic system move and detoxify. Our lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump in the same way that the other fluid in our body, the blood, does. Our lymphatic system depends on muscle movement to help the fluid get to where it needs to go to be filtered and eliminated out of the body. Dry brushing is a gentle movement over the lymphatic system that can benefit immensely in getting the lymphatic fluids to the detoxification organs that filter the fluid and eventually expel it out of the body.
5. Dry Brushing can help reduce cellulite by breaking up some of the stored toxins underneath the skin to smooth things out.
6. Dry Brushing enhances blood circulation.
7. Dry Brushing clears up the skin from dead skin, toxins and debris to be able to absorb nutrients, sunlight, and be able to breath better.
8. Dry Brushing helps stimulate and rejuvenate the nervous system, making the nerves right underneath the skin much more responsive.
9. Dry Brushing relieves stress. The slow brushing of the skin is soothing and relaxing. Most people who finish a session of dry brushing feel like it’s a meditation in and of itself, leaving you feeling calm and relaxed.
10. Dry Brushing improves digestive and kidney function. Improving the circulation of the fluids in the body greatly effects the function of the elimination organs. When you help move those fluids towards these organs, they can move through their cycle quicker and keep your body cleaner overall.

How to begin: You can find an inexpensive dry brush at almost any health food store, or online. You’ll do this practice with a dry brush and dry skin right before you shower.  Begin by brushing the bottoms of the feet gently, then use brush strokes up the body always in the direction of the torso. From the hands, work your way up the arms towards the torso as well. Brush the stomach in a clockwise circular direction. Work your way around the rest of your body covering all areas, being careful to not dry brush sensitive areas such as the face and breasts. Go in circular movements wherever there are lymph nodes to help stimulate detoxification, such as the armpit area. Once you’ve covered the whole body, you’re done!

Repeat this practice three to four times a week or daily for incredible rejuvenation of your skin, leaving it softer, smoother, and feeling ten years younger!

Inflammation is a buzz word in our society today, stretching its sphere of influence to everything from auto-immune disorders to arthritis. It has a far and wide reaching audience to everything it affects and impacts. Is there anything we can do about it? Are there lifestyle choices we can make that impact our health in a preventative way to reduce inflammation, and possibly prevent the harmful effect it has on us? Absolutely!

Turmeric is an amazing anti-inflammatory food that can not only be added into the diet for its great health properties…but it’s also a delicious spice! (see recipe below)

There are so many reasons for adding this ingredient into curry, soup, or tea next time you cook. Here are 10 things that you can benefit from if you add this spice into your life!

(Pro Tip) combining turmeric with black pepper increases its absorbability by up to 2000% (some studies show); making it a POWERHOUSE anti-inflammatory food.

1. Turmeric has curcumin in it, a powerful antioxidant that is best absorbed with fat, and black pepper.
2. Turmeric helps lower inflammation in the body with its unique anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Having low inflammation in the body as well as a high antioxidant capacity can lead to wellness benefits such as reduced heart disease, lower cancer risk, less headaches, and more.
4. Many people swear by the fact that turmeric has drastically impacted their arthritis in a positive way.
5. Turmeric has shown positive benefits to treating depression, and Alzheimer disease.
6. Turmeric can have a positive impact on aging gracefully and living longer.
7. Turmeric can be used to help keep blood sugar levels normal.
8. Turmeric is anti-viral and antibacterial.
9. Turmeric can help manage cholesterol and high blood pressure.
10. Turmeric can be used as a mask to help with acne.

Next time you want to bump up your health game to the next level, add this spice into your food, sprinkle it on hummus, or make this tea. Your body thanks you every time you do something kind to improve its health. Enjoy!

Delicious Golden Milk Tea

1 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1/2 tsp dried turmeric powder

1/8 tsp dried ginger powder

1 tbsp coconut oil

dash of black pepper (1/8 tsp)

cinnamon for garnish

Directions: Bring all ingredients to a boil and whisk until frothy (or you can blend at the end to emulsify the coconut oil). Garnish with Cinnamon and enjoy!

Many of us have heard of the formula for staying hydrated: drink half your body weight in oz of water, every.single.day. If you love water, this is the best news ever! But if you find yourself in the category where you don’t remember to drink it, don’t like the taste, or typically just end up drinking other liquids throughout the day that take the place of water- hope is not lost, you also can keep your cells hydrated, and thriving, with a few of these creative ways to keep your body hydrated every single day.

Our bodies aren’t one stop shops. We can’t just practice a healthy habit one time and have the health benefits last forever. Consistent maintenance is key for long term health. We have to continue to hydrate our bodies every single day to keep up its optimum function. Take a look at these quick and easy things you can add to your day to reach that ideal hydration point your body is craving! 

1. Eat high water content fruits and vegetables, juices, and smoothies. There is living water in every fruit and veggie that can provide amazing benefits for hydrating the body. Your body knows exactly what to do with this pure water. It soaks it up and delivers it to the cells exactly how they need it. Incorporate things like watermelon, oranges, apples, celery, cantaloupe, peppers, pears, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, and grapes into your meals. When you’re eating enough fruits and vegetables, your body is getting  much of the water that it needs, and requires less drinking water than a body that is only eating processed foods all day. 

1. Drink a glass of high quality (filtered) water with a squeeze of lemon or a tiny pinch of sea salt or pink himilayan salt. If you forget to drink water frequently, adding things like lemon or a teeny tiny pinch of salt to your water will make it easier to absorb. Think of the pinch of salt like adding electrolytes into the water. If you are making sure to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods (aka high sodium foods), then you don’t need to worry about the sodium in the salt. Your body needs some sodium! Just not too much. 
2. Drink aloe water. Aloe is an incredibly healing plant that can do wonders for your body. It can improve your liver function, increase the alkalinity of your body, provide you with amazing minerals and vitamins, is antioxidant rich, and is great for your skin. To make aloe water from scratch, take a 2 inch piece of aloe and carefully slice the skin away from the gel. Place the gel into a blender with 2 cups of water and a squeeze of lime if desired. Blend and drink right away for a quick, easy, hydrating boost! 
3. Drink herbal tea. Herbal tea is an extremely  hydrating drink that can aid you  with  whatever healing properties you need  by choosing which tea you brew. You can make this iced or hot. PRO tip: brew a half gallon of tea in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for easy access to pour over ice. There are so many medicinal benefits to herbal teas, and they can really transform your water drinking to a time where your body gets in those added healing properties of the tea. Want to take your hydration to the next level? Replace your coffee with herbal tea. Not only is coffee acidic, it’s also dehydrating. Drinking coffee first thing in the morning after a night’s sleep when your body is already slightly dehydrated, can only worsen the situation. Switching over to an herbal tea, or at least having a glass of lemon water before you drink coffee, will do your body wonders. 
4. Make hydration your priority first thing in the morning. Instead of reaching for that cup of coffee, let lemon water be the first thing that hits your stomach after your body has been fasting all night. Then go ahead and have your cup of coffee. PRO tip: Keep a bottle of water or a drinking glass in places where you already have a good daily habit established. For example, if you take a multivitamin every day, keep a full glass of water next to it to remind yourself to drink water every time you take that vitamin. Or keep a glass by your toothbrush to remind yourself to take a glass of water when you brush your teeth in the morning or at night. Tacking on a good habit to another good habit is a great way to build up the healthy lifestyle that you want to achieve! 

Hydration is powerful! it has the power to jump start your health by:  flushing out toxins, helping the kidneys filter properly, regulating body temperature, eliminating constipation by flushing body waste, keeping the skin clear, can help with kidney stones, headaches, weight loss, maintaining blood pressure, and  maximizing physical performance by allowing the muscles and joints to work properly.