Pediatric Chiropractic Services in Cobleskill

Chiropractic for Infants & Children

Most people do not realize that infants and children are just as much in need of chiropractic care as adults. Infants, in particular, are susceptible to a wide range of possible ailments related to slow or traumatic birth and c-sections. Sometimes just an uncomplicated birth due to in utero constraint can result in a need for chiropractic care.

The incision of a c-section is smaller and nowhere near as elastic as the birth canal. Pulling a baby out of this smaller incision by its neck or arm can cause injury to the neck or traction the nerves that originate in the neck when the arm is pulled. The resulting Subluxation can cause a delicate spine to grow in crooked and misaligned which can set the child up for pain, discomfort, other ailments and a lack of mobility later on in life. It can cause them to cry, to not sleep well, to spit up more, to have trouble moving their bowels, change how their brain works and develops. ( video with Karen P about her son Connor) You may have noticed that your baby tends to nurse more on one side or tends to turn their head more to one side.

These misalignments or subluxations put pressure on the delicate spinal nerves and interfere with the body’s ability to coordinate and control all phases of growth and development. Chiropractic for infants can help correct these potential problems through careful yet effective adjustments to remedy misalignments as they are identified.

Children particularly need pediatric chiropractic care as they age because a lot of the problems we experience as adults actually come from our childhood – either because we fell (think about how many times a day a baby falls when they are learning to walk, sometimes 10-20 times per day), broke something, or simply had poor posture (which is extremely common today).

Posture problems particularly result from spending many hours in front of a computer or television, or playing rough, or carrying backpacks all day long at school. Another cause of problems are: sports, dance, cheerleading, use of electronic devices and gymnastics. All of these activities exert a tremendous amount of stress on the spinal column – which can result in misalignments that can still cause pain and problems decades down the road.

It is best to deal with any potential injury, misalignment, postural problem or other ailment and condition as soon as possible when it is identified. Changes in the spinal cord affects the CNS (brain) and the stages of growth and development. Your baby or infant may not feel or be able to communicate about neck or back pain and still have a Subluxation. The only way to know is to have a chiropractor check for evidence of Subluxation. Chiropractic care that includes a system to check for Subluxation helps keep your child’s nervous system as healthy as possible through regular treatment.

How my Infant or Child can Benefit from Chiropractic Services?

Satisfied Client Testimonials

I Should've Come Ten Years Ago. I came to Dr. Ludwig for severe back pain which caused me the inability to work or ride. Before coming, I had a hard time just even getting out of bed. After seeing Dr. Ludwig I am fully able to work. My riding is beginning to advance more quickly. I sleep, breathe and function better. I am calm. Chiropractic will be part of my life for years to come, helping me to keep active, functional and healthy. I am 32 and have been coming for three months. I should've come ten years ago!

Connor has been receiving chiropractic care for about a month now and I have seen amazing improvements happen. To name a few, Connor has a lazy eye and since starting care Connor's eye isn't so lazy and is much more focused. Before starting care, Connor would also push away from his dad for a hug, now he doesn't push away as much or as fast. Connor's sensory issues are improving, he is learning to adapt to new environments quicker. I know continuing Connor's care is a must and that he will only continue to improve.

I see that there is a lot more personal interaction in this office, and it has not just been on a patient level but on a treatment level as well. Making adjustments to benefit the patients so they can make progress is a big thing. I've never been in a chiropractic office that has used technology on the level that Dr. Ludwig does to improve your condition and show you where your progress is. I would continue my treatments because it improves my skills when it comes to gardening.

"Dr. Ludwig provided a wonderful, free seminar on how chiropractic care can help with neurological issues that individuals, especially children as they develop, that chiropractic care can help mitigate or even cure. I appreciated the information and time that Dr. Ludwig spent with his audience. I brought my son to see him for an evaluation and then proceeded with care for three months. My son struggled with digestive issues as well as overall global delays, especially with speech and physical development. We saw huge improvements in all areas within a few weeks. My son started speaking in full sentences, was much more engaged in conversations, his behavior improved in the classroom and his digestion/bowel movements became more regular. We can not thank Dr. Ludwig enough for the attention and time he spent with us to help our son. My son continues with his care today and enjoys going to get an adjustment."

"Our family have been going to Dr. Ludwig for over 10 years. He has helped my son with eliminating constant ear infections, which caused permanent damage to the left ear and helped stop the progression of scoliosis. He also kept asthma under control for my son too. For myself I continue to see him to keep my neck aligned to prevent migraines, my spine for back aches and my jaw straight due to TMJ surgery . Without his Chiropractic care I would be a physically in pain and emotionally drained due to all the pain. Some people say he's pricey but, for a great physical and mental well being it's worth every dime. We take no medications for any of our medical problems and our health cannot be any better. We would like to say "thank you Dr. Ludwig" for everything you have done keeping us ALL healthy and well."

"Really appreciated the care i received. Staff was always kind and worked with me. Especially during covid."

"Our son, Aran (Aaron). is 9 years old with Prader Willi Syndrome. He has been with Dr. Ludwig and Proactive for three months. Right from the start, the reception for us was warm and inviting. As Dr. Ludwig did his initial exam with Aran using some of the most modern methods of scanning and thermal imaging, he explained what he saw and what he felt were the "hotspots" he needed to address, and why he needed to address them. Never once did we feel the information we were given was over our heads, and was explained thoroughly. Aran has had several adjustments in that time frame, all done through a cyclic schedule, and we have seen results. I end with this: there are definite benefits to chiropractics with young children, especially those with Special Needs (documented, check it out). If you want the right doctor, with the right equipment, and the newest methods, not to mention the warm and inviting feeling, this is the place."

"I've had chronic back and neck pain for years. Dr. Ludwig was able to help dramatically mitigate my pain, which in turn improved my quality of life. I am very grateful for the treatment, and for Dr. Ludwig."

"My daughter started treatment here at 3 weeks of age because she was unable to breastfeed. After one treatment, she was able to properly latch! Dr. Ludwig's thermal scan showed that she had some cervical trauma and other inflamed areas of her spine. She went in for adjustments 1-2 times a week for 3 months and now can not only breastfeed well, but has increased movement and flexibility in her neck that I did not even know was a problem. The staff here is professional and very helpful, I am so pleased with my daughter's results. Thank you!"

"Being treated by Dr. Ludwig has been amazing. I went from severe back and neck pain daily to very rare if any. Its been a work in progress but that's the beauty of it, he is healing my body slowly to last longer rather than a one time shot just to be back in pain the next week. He truly is an amazing chiropractor and person. I recommend him to everyone!!!!"

"In my sales job, I spend a considerable number of hours driving and in in front of a computer. After experiencing chronic headaches, back and neck pain, my friend recommended Progressive Chiropractic. Initially I was skeptical as I thought Chiropractors only addressed injuries, but I learned differently with my experience at Progressive Chiropractic! Dr. Bryan has a thoughtful approach and provided an educational seminar and reading materials on the importance of chiropractic work for overall health. Additionally, prior to any body work, I had complete X-rays to thoroughly understand my condition. Dr. Bryan re-aligned my spine properly, and the pain subsided so I no longer need to take daily aspirin to manage the pain. An additional unexpected wonderful result is in the two years since I’ve been at Progressive Chiropractic, I have not had any ear infections requiring antibiotics, which I frequently had in previous years. My overall health has significantly improved with Progressive Chiropractic and I continue to see Dr. Bryan on a weekly basis to maintain spinal alignment for excellent health!"

"My wife and I have patients for about 10 years..Dr. Bryan has helped us tremendously. When we first went we were in a lot of pain, with his help he as helped us to lead a more normal life. We would recommend him to anyone who has back pain, neck pain or hip pain.."

Progressive Chiropractic Can Help

Ear Infections

Many children suffer needless ear infections. In an effort to bring some relief pediatricians continue to treat them with antibiotics over and over again despite enormous amounts of research (such as in BMJ 1997) showing this approach makes it take longer to heal and repeat infections are more common. Once the antibiotics fail again and again, parents are often steered toward surgery to drill holes in their ears and insert tubes. (Lidia and Hunter video) There is another way, in our opinion, a much better way, to help kids move beyond the pain and suffering associated with ear infections.Chiropractic helps tremendously by correcting the upper neck misalignment that is often the cause. This helps the Eustachian tubes to properly drain, keeping infections from taking hold, and also boosts the function of the immune system. We can also recommend some simple nutritional changes that may help enormously as the body heals itself from the inside out. If your child is more susceptible than other children, then why not change why they are more susceptible?
There are a huge number of children who get inner ear infections. According to the BMJ ear infections in 90% of cases are self limiting (meaning they go away on their own), take longer to heal if given antibiotics, and have a higher level of recurrence if given antibiotics.
Do chiropractors treat ear infections? No. What chiropractors do us remove two reasons why your child may be more susceptible to ear infections. 1) For instance an upper back subluxation can cause the shoulder and neck muscles to tighten. This tightening causes a block of the flow of fluid from the ears. Think of a pond rather than a stream. One of those water types is more likely to grow stuff. 2) The upper neck supplies direct nerve control of the ears. If the upper neck (Atlas) is subluxated then the brainstem, cranial nerves and brain may not work as well making your child’s immunity less and susceptibility to er infections greater. When the body, brain, and immune system is working properly most children's ear infections resolve in 3-5 days and don’t return.

Neuro-Developmental Disorders – Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD/ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder (READ: Connor, Karen Penman Blog)

There are many different labels, symptoms and diagnoses related to Sensory Processing Disorders. Many studies and reports suggest that sensory type issues are among the most commonly misdiagnoses and are often missed entirely. These different Neurodevelopmental disorders have a common link in sensory based challenges. Chiropractic can help 'reboot' the sensory programming and development that may be disrupted by interference in the Nervous System of babies and young children. Chiropractic can help the processing of the sensory information to be less overwhelming.

Excessive Stress/Anxieties

Research shows that average americans of all ages are under greater levels of stress and anxiety than any generation of the past. Eliminating and reducing stress are definately key ingredients to a healthy lifestyle but here at Progressive Chiropractic , we seek to improve your ability to adapt to the stress that can't be eliminated or reduced by correcting or managing subluxations as detected by specific indicators. By improving the function and balance of your central nervous system, which governs and manages stress for us chiropractic plays a critical role in our battle against stress and it's harmful effects. The nervous system when properly balanced and working normally allows you to adapt to and manage stress better. When you have a stressor you can’t adapt to it can cause a Subluxation. This subluxation reduces your brain and nervous system’s ability to adapt to future stress.