Reflux, also known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a condition characterized by extreme vomiting and chronic coughing. In infants and children it can commonly be observed through refusal or trouble eating and/or crying associated with mealtimes before, during or after. 

Unfortunately, reflux is termed as “normal” and infants are placed on medications and made to “wait until they grow out of it.”  This process leads to a fussy baby who is subject to painful symptoms and commonly results in difficulty eating. While reflux is quite common among infants it is by no means normal. 

Integrating Chiropractic Care and Craniosacral Therapy can lead to the much needed break-through in your child’s gastrointestinal health. 

To best understand how chiropractic care can facilitate successful treatment in reflux patients it is helpful to start with a basic understanding of reflux.   Reflux is a chronic condition where the stomach’s contents, primarily acid, come-up the esophagus and produce burning and pain. Symptoms of reflux in infants are vomiting associated with eating, obvious pain during or after eating, and arching the back. Some infants have “silent reflux” which does not exhibit the usual vomiting or spitting up as is seen in most reflux cases, but it is just as serious and painful. 

Reflux has long been attributed to a weak sphincter connecting the stomach and esophagus, and while this may be the case in some circumstances, more research is showing how the nervous system and subluxations of the spine may create this painful condition in children. Having your child with reflux examined by a chiropractor to determine the cause and possible correction could be a beneficial step in the process of healing. 

Subluxations that occur in the spine correlating to the stomach and esophagus area cause physical stress resulting in nerve system compromises associated with their functions. Chiropractic adjustments in these spinal areas have been shown to reduce and alleviate the symptoms associated with reflux. 

The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association conducted a study wherein a 3-year old’s reflux improvement after four sessions of chiropractic adjustments. The practitioner used spinal chiropractic adjustments. The mother reported that the infant began sleeping longer at night, vomiting reduced to once per day rather than after every meal, the child’s eating became easier and with less crying involved, and the child’s body became less rigid and more relaxed also resulting in less pain and vomiting. 

It’s also worth noting growing body of evidence is beginning to support the use of other alternative modalities as effective means for addressing reflux in infants. Craniosacral Therapy or gentle touch/baby massage, is becoming a popular means of both relaxing the infant suffering from reflux along with bringing relief to the symptoms. Craniosacral therapy works in babies by helping to relieve stresses and strains in the tissues resulting from pregnancy, labor and birth. Very gentle techniques are used to assist in the release and unwinding of the tissues around the baby’s head, neck, upper back and sacrum (base of the spine).

Within Craniosacral Therapy altered nerve function from altered spinal alignment is referred to as “nerve interference”.  Nerve interference can reduce the amount of vital nerve energy reaching the organs, including the stomach. If left untreated, the stomach and digestive tract will go into a state of dysfunction, and eventually digestion. Many GERD sufferers under the care of Craniosacral Therapy have reported significant reduction in their symptoms. The reason is realigning and returning the spine back to full health along with strengthening muscles and other soft tissues, reducing the mechanical pressure on the internal organs allowing nerve energy to flow freely throughout the body restoring normal function to the stomach and other vital organs.

About Dr. Kaminsky & Craniosacral Therapy

Having a Chiropractic background since the year 2000, Dr. Kaminsky offers many methods of treatment with an emphasis on Craniosacral Therapy in NYC.

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a method focusing on the link between the cranium (head) and sacrum (the second to last bone at the base of your spine), scientifically proven to work in unison to pump fluid throughout the body, an unknown disruption of which can cause many health issues.  The craniosacral mechanism pumps vital fluid called cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) through the body and in a sense energetically lubricates the joints, tissues, organs; basically all cells of the body. It is the driving force of all your body’s systems of function; including maintaining the tone of your muscles.

The Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) are surrounded with CSF generating energetic rhythmic impulses of fluid delicately pumping throughout your body’s parts “breathing” the movement of life. This measurable rhythm of moving fluid, like the heart rhythm, pulse rhythm, breathing rhythm is the foundational “blueprint” and primary principle of our real-time state of our health. 

Compromises of our rhythmic movements of fluid flow correlates to the impulse restrictions in the system which the body is unable to overcome or self-correct. This is the reason why we have “dis-ease”, symptoms, conditions, basically all ailments.  This is where the skill of an experienced craniosacral therapist becomes valuable.  By placing his or her hands on your body the practitioner can feel, detect, evaluate, and facilitate correction of these restrictive arrhythmic impulses.

The craniosacral therapist helps your rhythm restore and renew in compromised areas allowing for healing to take place of sensory, motor, musculoskeletal, neurological disorders, symptoms, conditions and pain.  To learn more, visit the other pages on this website. Call to schedule your healing treatment with Dr. Kaminsky.