Chiropractic helps Baby with Neck and Bowel Movement

You may be wondering what a baby’s neck movement has to do with their bowel movements. Before we get to that connection let’s talk about what infantile torticollis is. Infantile torticolis is a common condition in which the bones of the neck, usually the Atlas or top cervical vertebrae, are twisted out of alignment causing the muscles to contract on one side of the neck. The head usually looks tipped to one side and rotated to the other. Traditional medical response is to start with physical therapy, and then if that does not work, surgery may be performed in some cases.

The Neck Movement – Bowel Movement Connection

The Vagus Nerve exits between the skull and the upper cervical spine. The Vagus Nerve controls the Stomach and Colon among other things.  When the Neck is misaligned or subluxated in infantile torticollis, the Vagus Nerve may be interfered with causing dis-ease in the Stomach and Colon.

The Case Study: Chiropractic Resolves Infantile Torticolis and Constipation

A newborn presents to the Chiropractors office at 2 months of age with his head stuck tipped to the right and rotated to the left. The mother reports he is only having one bowel movement a week and usually projectile vomits after eating. The Chiropractor detects and corrects an Atlas Subluxation in the newborn’s upper neck. Immediately the baby is able to move the head more easily and his posture is improved. The next day the mother reports the baby had three bowel movements. One week later the infant has full neck mobility and normal posture with a bowel movement after each feeding and up to 5 bowel movements per day.