Sacroiliac Joint Pain During Pregnancy Sacroiliac joint pain (pain over the dimples in your low back), is extremely common during pregnancy. The pain is often achy, burning, sharp and deep feeling. The “SI Joint” as it’s often called is especially vulnerable during pregnancy because it is where the lower half of the body meets the upper half of the body at the sacrum. The joints on both side of the sacrum are large. When misaligned even a tiny bit, they cause great discomfort and significant inflammation. Why? because the area is very “locked in” with ligaments, tendon, connective tissue and muscle. Under normal circumstances the joints do move, but pregnancy puts additional strain on them, often pushing them over the line into the zone of pain and dysfunction. Will anti inflammatory drugs help? They may help with the inflammation, may help with pain, but I rarely encounter pregnant moms that want to take drugs. Additionally, medications don’t address the underlying joint dysfunction, just the pain. This leaves mom in a state of vulnerability where the slightest change in pelvic alignment or step down off a curb could trigger an SIJ meltdown. Going in to labor and delivery in pain is...

You’ve been told “One leg is shorter than the other.”   Do you have a short leg? When you have a short leg, the discrepancy may be anatomical or may be functional. Either one leads to problems. (Dr. Lou’s video linked here.) Problems like pain, arthritis, immobility, hip pain, knee pain, ankle pain, foot pain, low back pain. Dysfunction in the joints often leads to nerve dysfunction called vertebral subluxation and this condition leads to reduction in function throughout the body. Often without you even feeling it.   Anatomical leg length discrepancies are due to one leg actually being physically shorter than the other. The bone is short. Functional discrepancies are due to muscle tension, spinal and pelvic subluxation, low back torsion or scoliosis and a number of other causes. When all leg bones are the same length but wear and tear, tension, imbalance and asymmetries are present, these are issues that can be corrected. When a leg bone is anatomically shorter than the other side, heel lifts and shoe modifications will balance things out.   If you’ve been told that you have a leg length difference, you should call our office, be evaluated by an expert and then...

Perinatal Yoga With a Twist at Perinatal & Pediatric Chiropractic of Maine           Prenatal Yoga   Pregnancy is one of the three periods in a woman’s life where she experiences major hormonal shifts (menarche, pregnancy and menopause). These are times of enormous change; the body’s chemistry takes over and forces a woman to make physical, emotional and mental readjustments. One of the most important physical adjustments during pregnancy is to tone the muscles; the pelvic floor muscles. Prenatal yoga helps you stay in shape during pregnancy, strengthens your muscles, and improves balance and circulation. In addition, breathing exercises and relaxation will help you connect with your growing baby and prepare you physically and mentally for labor and motherhood.   At Perinatal & Pediatric Chiropractic of Maine we offer small classes for each trimester, focusing on your needs at specific stages of the pregnancy. This calculated timing also encourages you to meet other pregnant women and be part of a community in a safe, positive and supportive environment. By purchasing a 10 week session you will receive an optional perinatal chiropractic examination with Dr Jacobs. At your request, Chantal will work closely with Dr Jacobs to put in place the...

When To Call A Pediatric Chiropractor.   Pediatric chiropractic treatment has been around for a long time.  Chiropractors have been evaluating and gently adjusting children since the turn of the 20th century. It wasn’t until the formation of the ICPA however that the profession had an organization representing the welfare of mothers and children.  “The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA, Inc) is the profession’s oldest, largest and most sought out chiropractic pediatric association. The ICPA was founded by Larry Webster, D.C. in 1986. His vision and passion in working with children had a major impact in redirecting the profession to care for more children.” The key to finding a great and highly qualified pediatric chiropractor is to look for one trained by the ICPA. A fully trained ICPA doctor and local chiropractor is going to be most qualified to work with you and your children.   A pediatric chiropractor evaluates your child as gently as a medical pediatrician but without the needles.  A thorough evaluation of a child’s nervous system, spinal and pelvic alignment, reflexes, muscle tone, head shape, sensory processing and a host of other, primarily nerve based, tests will be done if indicated. The exam is gentle, involves no...

Does your Child Seem Disconnected?   Parents know their children, even if the child has only been around for a few months. Many parents report that their child does seem disconnected in a way that is atypical. Does your child’s gaze roam away from your eyes? It doesn’t take a doctor to recognize that something is off, in fact, the parent is often the best judge of what is normal.   A child that appears disconnected very likely, almost certainly, has neurological imbalances that need to be evaluated.  Stress in utero, labor and delivery stress, can lead to brain development that is not balanced from side to side.   There are tests that can be done at various stages of childhood development that let a chiropractor know whether or not your child has been wired normally.  If the tests reveal that the child is neurologically disconnected, there are steps that may be taken to re-wire your child that have proven effective clinical practice.   **Time is of the essence** The younger your child is when the work on your child starts, the greater the likelihood the results will be optimal.  Younger children have greater neuroplasticity, meaning their brain will...

Why Should Children Receive Chiropractic Adjustments?   When was the last time you watched a child over the age of one?  Kids fall a lot.  They bump, bruise and crash as they are learning to stand, walk, run and ride.  Each bump is an opportunity to misalign bones of the spine that may result in harmful pressure on nerves.  These spinal lesions called “subluxations” decrease the quality of nerve control that supplies the body with control, regulation and healing messages.  Messages that are interfered with, lead to dis-regulation of body systems which may negatively impact the growth and development of the child.  Removing interference improves function.  In fact, removing interference to anything, improves function.     Spinal adjustments to remove subluxation in children are much different than those adults.  Extremely light touch to the spine in the presence of the parent is the standard.  While there are no guarantees that the child will develop perfectly, one thing is certain.  A child with less nerve interference will function better than that same child would function with interference.  Giving our children the best opportunity to develop into the best version of themselves is one of the greatest gifts we can share...

Childhood Stress Can Permanently Affect Your DNA. A recent study done at Tulane University School of Medicine has shown that mental stress during childhood leads to permanent change to telomeres. Telomeres are the part of your DNA responsible for protecting chromosomes from sticking together and being damaged leading to early cell death. The work has been published in the journal Pediatrics. Damaged or shortened telomeres have been associated with higher risks for heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and mental illness, among others.   How do people process stress?   The answer is: Your brain.   How does your brain communicate with the rest of your body down to a cellular, even genetic level?   The answer is: Your nerve system.   Does a poorly communicating nervous system deal with childhood stress properly?   Answer: NO.   Do Subluxations of the spine impact the nerve system in a negative way that compromises communication?   Answer: YES, by definition, subluxations or misalignments of the spine that cause nerve communication breakdown from the brain to the body. This negatively impacts the way the brain interprets the environment and how it then controls, regulates and heals your body.   Does chiropractic improve brain-nerve-body-cell...

Questions asked of a chiropractor for kids.   A former patient recently called and wanted to ask about chiropractic for her 9 month old baby.  She had a lot of really legitimate questions and I want to share some of them with you.  Asking questions is the best way to know if an office is right for you or a loved one.   –  Do you work with children and if not who can you send us to? I happen to work with children and have for 12 years.  I am also trained by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.  Any Chiropractor for kids should complete the entire certification course by the ICPA.  Portland, Maine and surrounding areas have very few fully trained pediatric chiropractors.   – What is the exam like? The majority of the exam is performed in the hands of the parent or lying on a blanket.  There is as much observing as there is palpating (touching) the baby.  The doctor examines the baby’s reflexes, symmetry in the body and head, the joints and movement of the child.   – What are you looking for? We are looking for subluxation of the spine and asymmetries within the neuromusculoskeletal system....

Birth Roots “Doula Tea”   On Sunday, May 18, 2014, Dr. Lou will be speaking at Birth roots “Doula Tea”.  A clear mind and focused vision of a wonderful birth is supported by having a great plan for being in the best shape possible for labor and delivery.  Dr. Lou will supplying information and discussion regarding setting the stage for the best labor and delivery possible.   Dr. Lou is a Portland, Maine chiropractor completing his advanced certification in Pediatric and Perinatal chiropractic through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) .  Dr. Lou is also the monthly host of “Dr. Lou’s Art, Science and Human body Workshops For Kids”,  a science based art project/craft workshop that is on the second Saturday of every month from 9am – 11am.  For more information call (207) 774-6251....

Pediatric Chiropractic In Maine More and more parents are turning to natural alternatives to medicine and drugs when it comes to their children’s health.  Portland, Maine has become an east coast hub for great food, great outdoors, great music and great healthcare. Parents looking for more than a damage control, child medicating approach to caring for their children will be happy to learn that vitalistic healthcare is alive and well in Portland, Maine.   While there are currently less than a dozen chiropractic specialists in Portland, Maine, there are a few criteria that you can look for that may help you decide which office to choose.   Does the chiropractor have children themselves?   Has the chiropractor completed training with the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association?   Does the chiropractor have a long history of treating children and how many do they see each week?   Do they have an environment that is low stress for parents and children?   Does their staff have experience with children?   Does the doctor have reasonable cash rates for wellness visits?   Does the doctor moonlight as a balloon animal sculptor, do magic tricks and donate time, money and balloon skills to charitable...