My takeaways:
1. A much-structured way of approaching pediatric assessment.
2. A better understanding of spinal and cranial findings and how they can guide clinical decision making.
3. The importance of having a clear process of assessment, correction and recheck.

Professionally, the program has given me a much clearer framework for pediatric assessment and care. Although I have not yet had the opportunity to treat infants in practice. Personally, it has also encouraged me to continue developing my knowledge in pediatric chiropractic rather than approaching it simply as a smaller version of adult care.

I haven’t had the opportunity to apply the techniques with an infant in clinical practice yet. To be honest, I’m also not 100% confident at this stage, as I’m still learning, reviewing and trying to fully understand the concepts and techniques taught in the program. There is a lot of information to take in, and I feel that building confidence will come with continued study and eventually more hands-on experience. However, the program has given me a much clearer framework and foundation for pediatric assessment, and I now have a better idea of what I need to look for and continue working on before applying it in practice.

Yes. I would recommend it to chiropractors who are interested in pediatric care and want a structured framework rather than simply learning a collection of techniques. The program goes into considerable depth and has helped me understand the reasoning behind the assessment and correction process.

I really appreciate the depth of knowledge and clinical experience shared throughout the program. Thank you to Dr. Rosen and Dr. Watson for sharing their knowledge and experience so generously.

The importance of every child and baby to get checked by a chiropractor. That chiropractors can treat so much more than just spinal/joint issues. The role and importance of the dural- meningeal system and how it relates to the vitality and health of a patient.

I feel that I can make so much more of a positive change in babies, children and parents’ lives. One really positive story I can share was that I treated a 3-month-old Down syndrome baby whose mom was at the absolute brink of despair as she was pumping full-time day and night to provide breastmilk for her baby. She was so close to giving up on the night pumping and supplementing with formula because she was so exhausted from constantly waking up at night. They struggled with breastfeeding from day 1: her baby had low motor tone, poor core strength, breastfeeding was uncoordinated and she tired easily at the breast and most times would just end up rejecting her breast or falling asleep after a few minutes. She was only able to breastfeed with a nipple shield. Often breastfeeding would last 1-2 minutes max, the longest she breastfed for was 5 minutes and that was only very occasionally at night if she caught her baby at the “right” time and it was only on the one breast – i.e..” dream feeding”, but only when she was sleepy enough but not too sleepy, not too hungry otherwise she was just fussy at the breast – there was a very fine line and she only managed to get it right a couple of times). Mom had exclusively breastfed her 2 previous children until age 2, naturally birthed all her babies and was headset on breastfeeding her Down Syndrome baby, at least for the first year (she came into my office, just hoping to get to 6 months but not thinking she would even make that). She sat in my office chair and cried because she was so tired of pumping around the clock and she was about to give up on their exclusive pumping feeds at night, possibly during the day too as it was all just getting too much for her, especially with other children to look after. After 1 chiropractic treatment, her 3-month-old baby was able to latch and effectively breastfeed from both breasts for 10-15 minutes on each side. She went from exclusively pumping to exclusively breastfeeding off the breast within 1 week of her first chiropractic treatment and it saved her mom’s sanity! She is now able to breastfeed at night (without a shield) and can go out in public without having to pump and prep a bottle beforehand. She is forever grateful for Chiropractic. This was after seeing Lactation Consultants, craniosacral therapists and physiotherapists. 1 Chiropractic treatment was all it took for them to go from exclusive pumping to exclusive breastfeeding after 3 months of struggling. Powerful stuff!

I used the ear infection protocol on an active ear infection of a 5-year-old little boy who came in crying with acute ear pain and a fever. 2 hours after his chiro treatment, his fever broke and his ear pain went away – in his mom’s words “he went back to his normal self like nothing had happened”.

Yes, of course I would recommend it to others! It is probably the most in-depth and comprehensive chiropractic course I’ve taken – worth every cent! And it’s very interesting to be able to treat the cranial aspect of things.

Narrowing it down to only 3 takeaways is a hard task. This course has taught me so much, but to list 3 down would be:
1. Understanding that cranial adjusting is not about pushing cranial bones from point A to point B, but rather guiding the body’s primary respiratory system and CSF flow into its most optimal position as the brain continues to grow.
2. Understanding what primary reflexes & neurological tests in the pediatric population translate to at a neurological level, and how we can start our approach in care. Such as how TMJ issues are involved in visual convergence.
3. An even better understanding of cranial bone motion and its involved cranial nerves.

Personally, attending this course reignited my passion for chiropractic. Being able to discover new ways to understand and approach our nervous system has excited me to grow in different ways. Professionally, it has improved my method of assessment, including more cranial visual analysis, neurological tests etc., and although there is much to practice, it’s given me a more things to notice, and to tailor my care more specifically

A 6-year-old boy came in asymptomatic, but with a preference to sleep only on one side the whole night. Visually, his left occiput was protruded but I didn’t have the required tools to objectively measure. After assessment, I found restriction in sphenoid extension and also an externally rotated temporal bone. Worked on both and finished off with RTRT and after only 2 sessions, his skull appeared much more balanced. It was such a relief to both mom and I especially so early in care (Also very early in learning this course)

I’d definitely recommend this course to chiropractors, especially those who aspire to provide more for their patients (beyond just adjusting vertebral subluxations)

Thank you for your patience and guidance throughout this 1-year Drs! I’m super excited to meet you guys in person and for this one-of-a-kind seminar to happen. Looking forward to it!