Pediatric Chiropractic Care in Elkhorn and Omaha Nebraska

Pediatric chiropractic care involves gentle, age-appropriate spinal adjustments and soft tissue work designed specifically for infants and children. According to the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), pediatric adjustments use significantly less force than adult adjustments—typically no more pressure than you’d put on your eyeball.

These techniques are used to address common childhood issues including colic, ear infections, constipation, sleep disturbances, and musculoskeletal problems related to birth trauma or developmental challenges.

What Parents Often See

Your baby has been crying for hours. Nothing seems to help. Or maybe your pediatrician said the ear infections will “probably resolve on their own” but you’re on month three and your child is still suffering. Perhaps your newborn can only turn their head one direction, or they’re so uncomfortable they barely sleep.

Many parents come to us after being told “babies just cry” or “ear infections are normal at this age.” You’ve tried everything your pediatrician suggested, but something still doesn’t feel right. When you mention chiropractic care, you might get skeptical looks or warnings that it’s not safe for babies.

Here’s what’s actually true: Modern pediatric chiropractors are specifically trained in gentle techniques designed for infants. The youngest baby we’ve adjusted was 5 days old. They react almost immediately—you can literally see them relax during the adjustment.

Why Parents Choose Chiropractic for Their Children

Birth is hard work for babies too. Going through the birth canal, especially with interventions like forceps or vacuum extraction, puts significant pressure on a newborn’s spine and nervous system. Research published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has documented the mechanical stress placed on infant spines during delivery, particularly in complicated births.

Babies who were breech, faced the wrong direction, or had a particularly long or fast delivery often need extra support to recover. Even without birth complications, infants and children can develop tension patterns that affect everything from digestion to sleep to immune function.

Here’s what tension from birth and early development actually looks like in babies:

How This Shows Up in Infants

Feeding Issues:

• Difficulty latching or nursing on one side
• Turning head only one direction during feeds
• Fussy or painful during feeding
• Preference for one breast over the other

Digestive Problems:

• Colic (excessive crying for no clear reason)
• Constipation or straining during bowel movements
• Gas and bloating
• Reflux or frequent spit-up

Sleep Disruption:

• Won’t sleep on their back comfortably
• Constantly waking or never settling into deep sleep
• Can only sleep in certain positions
• Arching their back when laid down

Physical Tension:

• Always turning head to one side (torticollis)
• Flattened spot on one side of the head (plagiocephaly)
• Tight, clenched fists or stiff body
• Arching away when held or during diaper changes

Frequent Illness:

• Recurring ear infections
• Chronic congestion or sinus issues
• Slow recovery from colds

As They Grow (Toddlers & Children)

By the time kids are walking and playing, new issues can develop:

• Learning to move: Every fall, bump, and tumble adds micro-trauma to growing spines. Most are minor, but they accumulate.
• Posture problems: Slouching over screens, carrying heavy backpacks, sitting at desks all day
• Sports injuries: Repetitive movements in sports create imbalances
• Growing pains: Rapid growth can create tension in muscles and joints

The Key Insight

Most parents don’t connect these symptoms to tension in the spine and nervous system. They think colic is just “something babies go through” or ear infections are “normal at this age.”

But when the nervous system is functioning optimally, babies and kids are more comfortable, sleep better, digest better, and get sick less often.

The good news? Kids respond quickly to gentle chiropractic care because they haven’t spent decades accumulating stress, trauma, and tension. Their bodies are designed to adapt and heal—they just need the right support.

How We Treat Babies and Children

Once we understand what’s going on with your child, here are the approaches that might help:

Treatment List

Pediatric Chiropractic Adjustments: Age-appropriate techniques using sustained pressure (no more than you’d put on your eyeball), gentle mobilizations, and soft tissue releases. Most babies visibly relax during the adjustment.

Soft Tissue Release: Gentle massage and stretching of tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and back. Helps babies who are stuck turning only one direction or who have a hard time settling down.

Functional Medicine Testing: If your child has chronic ear infections, persistent digestive issues, or behavioral concerns that don’t respond to chiropractic care alone, we can run labs to check for food sensitivities, nutrient deficiencies, or gut imbalances that might be contributing.

Nutritional Support: Targeted supplementation and dietary guidance based on your child’s specific needs and lab results.

Not sure which approach your child needs? We can discuss that during a free consult or your first appointment Most children benefit from a combination of gentle adjustments and supportive care.

* If you’re currently pregnant, learn more about our pregnancy chiropractic care.

What to Expect

Your First Appointment (Full Hour)

We spend the full hour talking through your child’s health history, birth story, and current symptoms. Then I’ll do a gentle physical exam to check for areas of tension or misalignment.

You’ll be with your child the entire time. Most parents are surprised by how calm their baby stays during the adjustment—many even fall asleep.

What Adjustments Look and Feel Like

Pediatric adjustments don’t look like what you’ve seen in adult chiropractic videos. There’s no cracking or popping with babies. It’s sustained pressure, gentle movements, and soft tissue work.

I often tell parents: I use no more pressure than you’d use to check if your eyeball is comfortable. That’s it.

When You’ll See Results

Babies respond fast. You might notice changes immediately—better sleep that night, a calmer demeanor, a bowel movement before you even leave the parking lot (that happens more often than you’d think).

Some issues take a few visits. Chronic ear infections or stubborn colic might need 4-6 adjustments over a few weeks before you see lasting improvement.

We don’t like to make parents more anxious by saying “you should have brought them in right away.” If your baby is 2 months old, 6 months old, or 2 years old and you’re just now learning about pediatric chiropractic—that’s okay. We’ll start where you’re at.

What Makes This Different

Unlike conventional pediatrics, we’re not just managing symptoms. We’re helping your child’s nervous system function the way it’s designed to. That means fewer interventions over time, not more.

Kids who get adjusted regularly tend to have fewer ear infections, fewer colds, better sleep, and easier recoveries when they do get sick.

Real Patient Stories

“Dr. Julie is AMAZING with my kids. My daughter had chronic ear infections and after just a few adjustments, we finally broke the cycle. No more antibiotics every month. I wish I’d found her sooner.”

Mikayla, S.

“Our son could only turn his head to the right after birth. The pediatrician said to wait and see. Dr. Julie fixed it in 2 visits. Now he’s 18 months old and we bring him in anytime he’s ‘off’—and he’s almost never sick.”

Sarah K.

Colic and Constipation Success Story

One of my first pediatric patients in school completely changed how I think about adjusting babies. This baby had severe colic, multiple food allergies, and struggled with constipation from the first week of life.

After the first adjustment, mom barely made it out of the office before baby had a bowel movement. Every single visit after that—same thing. Adjust, check out, diaper change in the parking lot.

But it wasn’t just the constipation. The baby slept better, cried less, and gradually became more comfortable in their own body. I adjusted them from their first week through about 4 months old, and watching that transformation was incredible.