Infant + Kids Chiropractic Care

Gentle, child-centered chiropractic care for growing bodies

Babies, children, and teens are constantly learning, moving, growing, and adapting. From those first stretches and head turns to crawling, walking, playing, and participating in sports, every stage comes with new physical demands.

At Chiros for Mamas + Minis in Sherwood Park, we provide individualized pediatric chiropractic care for infants, kids, and teens, with care that is adapted to your child's age, development, comfort, and needs.

Our approach is gentle, collaborative, and child-centered. We take the time to understand what you're noticing, assess how your child is moving and functioning, and work with you to determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate.

What does pediatric chiropractic care look like?

Chiropractic care for children looks very different from adult chiropractic care. Techniques are adapted to your child's size, age, development, and comfort level. For infants, care may involve very gentle contact and light pressure. For toddlers, children, and teens, we may use a combination of hands-on techniques, low-force adjusting, instrument-assisted techniques, movement strategies, and rehabilitation approaches.

There is no need for twisting, high-force adjustments, or the traditional “cracking” approach often associated with adult chiropractic care.

When appropriate, we may also incorporate Craniosacral Therapy (CST) into care for infants and children as part of a gentle, individualized approach.

Appointments are designed to feel comfortable and engaging for your child. We follow their cues, explain what we're doing, and involve you throughout the process so you can feel informed and confident in their care.

Infant Chiropractic Care

Supporting your baby's movement, feeding, and development

The first year of life brings an incredible amount of neurological and musculoskeletal development. Babies are learning to turn their heads, develop head and trunk control, roll, reach, sit, crawl, pull to stand, and eventually walk.

Parents often notice when something doesn't seem quite right:

“Why does my baby only look one way?”
“Why does my baby hate tummy time?”
“Why is my baby so tense?”
“Why is my baby always arching their back?”
“Why does my baby have a flat spot on their head?”
“Why won't my baby latch?”
“Could my baby's tongue tie be affecting feeding?”
“Why isn't my baby crawling yet?”

These concerns can have many different causes. Our role is to assess your baby's movement and musculoskeletal function, provide appropriate care when indicated, and collaborate with your baby's healthcare team when additional assessment or support is needed.

Common reasons parents seek care for their baby include:

• Infant torticollis or a preference for looking to one side

• Limited neck or head movement

• Flat head syndrome, including plagiocephaly and brachycephaly

• Difficulty with tummy time

• Head control concerns

• Asymmetrical movement

• Body tension or stiffness

• Frequent arching or extension

• Difficulty settling into certain positions

• Feeding-related tension or discomfort

• Latching difficulties

• Jaw or oral tension

• Concerns related to tongue, lip, or buccal ties

• Delayed or asymmetrical motor development

• Difficulty rolling, sitting, crawling, or transitioning between positions

Infant Feeding, Oral Function + Tension

Feeding is a whole-body activity

Breastfeeding and bottle feeding involve much more than the mouth. Efficient feeding requires coordination between the tongue, jaw, lips, cheeks, palate, neck, shoulders, rib cage, and nervous system.

When parents notice shallow latching, clicking or smacking sounds during feeds, leaking milk, difficulty maintaining a latch, prolonged feeds, frequent breaks, coughing or sputtering, nipple pain, bottle-feeding difficulties, or a baby who seems uncomfortable during feeding, it can be helpful to look beyond the mouth alone.

We assess the way the infant's body is moving and functioning and consider how tension and movement restrictions may be contributing to feeding challenges.

Tongue ties and tethered oral tissues

Tongue ties, lip ties, and buccal ties can affect oral function in some infants, but the appearance of a frenulum alone does not tell us how it is functioning.

Our approach focuses on function rather than appearance. We look at factors such as tongue movement, jaw function, oral coordination, body tension, and how these may relate to feeding and overall movement.

We do not perform tongue-tie or other tethered oral tissue revisions. Instead, we provide supportive care and collaborate with appropriate members of your baby's care team, which may include lactation professionals, dentists, physicians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and other providers.

Chiropractic care may be one part of a larger plan when an infant is experiencing oral-motor or feeding challenges.

Infant Tension + Motor Development

A baby's movement develops from the head down and through the entire body. Tension or asymmetry in one area can influence how a baby explores movement and learns new skills.

We may assess how your baby moves through different positions and transitions, including:

• Head and neck movement

• Tummy time tolerance

• Reaching and bringing hands to midline

• Rolling

• Sitting

• Crawling

• Pulling to stand

• Early walking

• Symmetry between the two sides of the body

• Balance and coordination

• Crossing midline

If you're wondering “Is my baby behind on milestones?”, “Why isn't my baby crawling?”, or “Why does my baby only roll one way?”, we can help you understand what we're seeing and whether chiropractic care may have a role.

Developmental milestones vary, and one milestone or movement pattern does not tell the whole story. When we identify something that warrants further assessment, we will help connect you with the appropriate healthcare professional.

Chiropractic Care for Kids + Teens

Children don't stop needing support once they start walking.

As kids grow, their bodies are constantly adapting to changes in strength, coordination, posture, school activities, sports, and physical activity. We provide pediatric chiropractic care for school-aged children and teens, with treatment adapted to their age, development, activity level, and goals.

Parents may seek care for:

• Growing pains and activity-related discomfort

• Back, neck, or shoulder pain

• Hip or pelvic discomfort

• Heel pain, including Sever's disease

• Knee pain, including Osgood-Schlatter disease

• In-toeing or out-toeing

• Toe walking

• Foot and arch concerns

• Coordination and balance challenges

• Frequent tripping or falling

• Movement asymmetries

• Scoliosis support

• Sports injuries

• Concussion recovery support

• Muscle imbalances and mobility concerns

For active kids and teens, care may also incorporate rehabilitation, mobility, strength, and movement strategies to support their return to the activities they enjoy.

Care for the Whole Family

At Chiros for Mamas + Minis, we believe your child's care should feel welcoming, respectful, and collaborative.

We work with parents and caregivers to understand the bigger picture, while also making sure your child has a voice in their care. We don't expect every child to sit perfectly still or cooperate immediately. We meet them where they are and build trust at their pace.

Our chiropractors have advanced training in pediatric and perinatal care, allowing us to support families through pregnancy, postpartum, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.

We also believe in working as part of a team. When your child would benefit from another perspective or additional care, we collaborate with other healthcare and allied health professionals rather than working in isolation.

Pediatric Chiropractic Care in Sherwood Park

Located in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Chiros for Mamas + Minis provides infant, pediatric, and teen chiropractic care for families in Sherwood Park and surrounding communities, including Edmonton, Beaumont, Fort Saskatchewan, Ardrossan, Leduc, and surrounding areas.

Whether you're looking for support with your baby's torticollis, flat head, feeding or oral function, wondering about your child's motor development, or looking for care for a growing child or teen, we're here to support your family.

Book an appointment with Dr. Joanna or Dr. Caylee at Chiros for Mamas + Minis and let's figure out what support makes sense for your child.