In our quest towards a community of families living amazing lives, we know something needs to set those families apart from the status quo.
The obvious thing here is the nervous system.
The following list has been curated with the intention to show some of the things that we encourage ourselves and our own families to do, in order to promote healthy and vibrant nervous systems. This list supports….
- Proper brain development and health from a young age
- Vibrancy and resiliency in our wellbeing
- Regular nervous-system-nourishers
- Healthy response to illness
- Connected, amazing families
If we want it for our own families, we absolutely want it for yours too!
So here’s the list…
Ins:
Under the weather checks
When under the weather, your body is working hard to bring about a proper immune response. Things such as a fever, cough, runny nose or upset stomach are clever ways to rid your body of invading ‘bugs’. Being adjusted during this time is always our first stop when fighting an infection, or generally feeling under the weather. A balanced nervous system can best command the immune response.
Bare feet
Time spent with bare feet will change the way your brain perceives balance. When cradled in shoes, our proprioceptive muscles (sense of position that feeds to the brain) are recruited differently than if our feet were free to roam. Proprioception and joint position are two key feeder pathways into a part of the brain known as the cerebellum.
The cerebellum is used for a variety of functions, but can be mainly attributed to
- Head and neck control
- Hip and shoulder stability
- Balance
- Mood and emotion
Although everyone needs and will benefit from barefoot time, this is most essential for our developing toddlers and young children.
Balance practices
As mentioned above, balance is directly related to input received from the body. Meaning the more we practise, the better we can support our overall function. Engaging in regular balance practices such as those mentioned here can stimulate your brain in both a calming, and a productive way.
Chiropractic adjustments help to optimise the information flowing between the brain and the body, meaning you get the most out of these practices.
Extension positions
Extension positions are the opposite of a flexed, or slouched posture. Extension positions signal to the brain that we are safe and can focus on healing and growth. Conversely, a slouched or flexed position signals a protective posture, and the need to prepare ourselves for fight/flight. In chiropractic, the more time we can engage our brain towards growth and healing – the better our outcomes tend to be. Chiropractic optimises your extension practice, as it instantly creates ease within the body which you can listen to on the Vagus Nerve podcast here.
Swiss ball tummy time
Tummy time is a form of extension, and is vital for all babies. Tummy time can be achieved on the floor, a parent, swiss ball or against your chest in the shower.
The small pockets of time spent on the tummy contributes to proper order of development in the brain, building a series of steps which amount as outward signs of development.
These developmental processes allow for rolling, rocking, sitting, crawling, walking, talking and learning.
On top of this, a baby able to coordinate themselves in a balanced fashion is better equipped to feed on both sides. This goes on to encourage good head shape, postural control and development of both sides of the brain. If you are looking for more support with tummy time, find our podcast here.
Monkey bars and spinning equipment
Playing on the monkey bars creates cross-body movements, another vital part of development for children. Stimulating both sides of the brain in this way supports neck control, shoulder stability, posture and coordination. We learnt earlier that these movements are feeders to the brain with known positive influences on handwriting, attention and learning.
Likewise, vestibular (movement) to the brain supports this too and is achieved in a fun way with spinning. You can find our Raising Healthy Kids video series here for more on this.
Weekly listen to “Chat on This” podcast episodes
We share our very best content weekly on the Chat on This podcast. This tool has been designed so that you can best understand and optimise chiropractic care for your family. We may be biased, but we think it’s a pretty invaluable resource ;-)
Outs:
Baby containers
Following on from our Hips, Head Shape and Home Care podcast, we now know that putting babies into positions they are not developmentally ready for – can affect proper development. Our brains are designed to develop sequentially, meaning one step must come before the next and order is important.
Each step our children make will trigger changes in the brain that go on to influence the next, without taking each step in an appropriate order – they simply are being forced to “run before they walk”.
In terms of movement, the following order can be observed in healthy development
Head holding – Rolling – Rocking – Sitting – Crawling – Cruising – Walking
In order to not interfere with these movements, it is best to keep babies unrestrained and free to explore their environments as much as possible i.e. out of containers such as walkers and Bumbo seats. Let them explore on the floor, always being sure to place them on their tummy first.
Jolly Jumpers
As above, the same goes for Jolly Jumpers. Although who doesn’t love seeing a giggling baby jumping up and down in the door frame? We know they love it! However, they simply are not ready to hold themselves in a standing position, until well…. they’re ready.
Weight bearing before they are ready can affect and damage their growth plates in their legs.
The same goes for bouncing on a parent’s lap. When a child is bouncing their legs in a standing position, they are actually displaying normal, reflexive behaviour which must integrate prior to walking. They are not yet ready to weight bear before standing occurs.
Head-down device time
It’s a no-brainer! Text neck is crippling our teens and tweens already, but there is lots we can do to support them and experience better health outcomes. Start by listening to our podcast on this very topic here.
Like we mentioned earlier in the blog, forward-flexed positions such as the one we adopt when looking down at devices, leads us away from a calm nervous system. This position, especially if prolonged can switch on a fight/flight response and is often initially seen in our practice amongst those experiencing mood challenges such as anxiety or depression
Rushing Women’s syndrome
Well of course we have a podcast for this one!. And it’s with the best-selling author and speaker Dr Libby Weaver herself. This is our MOST played episode EVER and it needs no further explanation, please listen and enjoy. Perhaps 2023 will be the year that we SLOW down and smell the roses!
Cancelling when sick
You already learnt from the first of the ‘Ins’ list why our team, and those we look after at Advanced Health Chiropractic often come RUNNING to the practice when under the weather or experiencing health challenges. So I am sure it will come as no surprise that this really is one of the best times to be checked and adjusted. We know when you are feeling horrible you most likely want to be in bed, however, with a well-adjusted nervous system your body is far better able to heal itself and make the most of all that rest you will be getting following your adjustment.
Many of our people also report beautiful deep sleeps after their regular adjustments too – that’s a whole other blog post in itself!
Holding babies to stand
We are focused on keeping the nervous system clear and free of any interference that might get in the way of proper function. For our little ones, this means supporting an environment that nourishes their brain so that they can lead the way on development. You’ve already read our Jolly Jumper section so you understand why this is vital, however instead of bouncing our babies on our laps we can instead choose to get down on the ground with them, roll around and play together whilst they explore on their tummy.
Missed milestones
Missed milestones are well and truly OUT for us. Well, they always have been. Seeing as movement and posture are linked to how well a child may hold a pencil, or use language skills later in life, nurturing these milestones happens from Day 1 in our practice. Lots of time spent on their tummy will assist with this as they build up the movement steps in order of….
Head control – rolling – rocking – sitting – crawling – cruising – walking.
If your child has skipped a step, or you have any questions about how best to support them, it’s best to bring them in so we can meet and support your family health goals.
Stress exceeding adaptability
This last one is the absolute crux of what we do. We are all exposed to stress on the daily, and it’s not something to be afraid of. Instead of running from the latest bug or virus, avoiding mud, or generally living in fear and avoidance – we choose to create as adaptable a body as possible so that we may handle these experiences well. The way in which your body handles stress is entirely measurable and we do it regularly in the practice, have a listen to see what’s involved in an HRV scan and why we are so wildly PASSIONATE about them.