Up All Night...Until the Adjustment, That Is.

This story came up in conversation tonight and I felt it was worth sharing

This is Levi. He is now 4 years old, but he was only 1 week old in this picture. About a week after this picture was taken, Chiropractic became one of my favorite things on Earth.

We have been blessed with very easy-going babies. They sleep well and have minimal fussiness. Because they have had chiropractic in their life from the beginning, I cannot say whether that was just the way they are wired or if the chiropractic has influenced some of that behavior. I am inclined to believe the latter, and here is why.

Two weeks after our first child was born we were winding down for the night. My husband would often take the first shift and stay up a little later while I caught a few hours of sleep, then we would switch. At 10pm it was my turn to be with the little guy. I fed him and rocked him, hoping that he would soon slip into dream land (and that I could do the same). This had been the trend and I felt that it should continue. By midnight, I got the sense that this was NOT how tonight was going to go. I tried my best to sooth him and cuddle him, but I was loosing steam. By 2am I was a bit ragged. I had spent the last three of four hours calming a fussy baby, but if I stopped moving for even a second, he would start crying again. I finally brought him into the bedroom and woke Matthew. I begged for him to take the next shift. I needed some sleep! He graciously (and sleepily) got up and took little Levi into the living room. He returned about 15 minutes later with a sleeping child!
"What did you do?!" I asked. I had been trying everything to sooth him.

"I gave him an adjustment and within a few minutes he calmed down and was sound asleep about 10 minutes after that."

Several thoughts/emotions ran through my head.
1.) I was once again reminded of how wonderful chiropractic is.
2.) I was SO grateful that my husband was a chiropractor. (How else could I get him adjusted at 2am?)
3.) I realized I wasted three hours of sleep trying to soothe a baby that needed an adjustment.
4.) I started kicking myself for not asking him to adjust him three hours ago.


This is one of those events that changed how I diagnosed the little issues with my children. I know longer just wait and watch. I sense an ailment coming on and I get them adjusted. This may not fix the issue, but what if it does? It is an easy preventative measure that has NO UNDESIRED SIDE EFFECTS. But the side effects I experienced that night was sleep!

I have not had a colicky baby, but I have friends who do. If you know someone who is dealing with this issue, please click on the link below for more info on how Chiropractic is a known resource for colicky babies. The research is out there. You can also just Google  "Chiropractic and colic".

colicky babies and chiropractic

If at First You Don't Believe...

If someone would have told me 10 years ago that Chiropractic would be a part of my life, I would have laughed right in their face. I was one who easily joined in on the joke that Chiropractors were quacks. My position came from one of ignorance, but it was how I felt nonetheless. All of that changed in February 2005.

Matthew and I met at a young adults’ ministry in 2005, the common question of “What do you do?” came up rather quickly. He told me he was a Chiropractor. Well, instantly I counted that against him. All of my preconceived notions about his profession came to my mind, but he was nice so our conversation continued. He was so passionate about helping people that I began opening up to the idea of chiropractic. I asked for literature so that I could make my own decisions. He was respectful of this and provided factual information about the science of chiropractic. After several months, I became a patient of his. As a young twenty-something woman, I didn’t feel that I needed chiropractic, but kept an open mind and gave it a go.  A month into my treatment, allergy season hit, and I typically fall prey to the runny nose and stuffy head. People at my office were all complaining of these symptoms when it dawned on me that for the first time in years, I was not experiencing those symptoms! I relayed that to Dr. Ferris and he just smiled and said, “That is one of the first things people notice.” The next benefit that I experienced was I began sleeping through the night. I thought it was normal to wake up several times a night, tossing and turning to get comfortable. It is amazing how much we put up with and chalk up to normal just because they are consistent in our lives.

Fast forward 7 years.

Dr. Ferris and I are married and have had three children. I can’t tell you how great it was to have chiropractic throughout all three pregnancies! With every pregnancy, as the belly grows the center of gravity changes. The spine slowly alters its position to accommodate that. Chiropractic helped to ease many of the discomforts associated with the vast changes a pregnant body endures. I also can’t imagine living life with a baby, a 2-year old and a 4-year old without some pain. But I almost NEVER take painkillers. This may seem odd to most but let me tell you my remedy to the daily aches and pains that comes along with common activity.

My days consist of carrying around any one of my three children several times a day; up and down stairs, to and from the car, etc. Then there are the errands around town; lugging heavy bags to the car and in the house. Finally, I have a house to keep. Sometimes my cardio workout comes from cleaning my house! The next morning, I am feeling it. You know that stiff neck the aches that start in your shoulders and make their way up the sides of your neck. I usually get a headache due to the pain I started the day with. An easy thought is to go to the medicine cabinet and find the painkiller. Here is MY solution. I load the kids in the car and call my husband to schedule an appointment. Since I have been going for a while I am on the maintenance plan. I come when I need it and I am self aware enough (now) to know when I do. I get an adjustment and I fell like a new woman! The headache subsides and the stiffness is eased. Within an hour or so I feel 100%. Trust me if I didn’t believe in this I wouldn’t take the time to write you. I am passionate about being aware of what I put in my body and I am leery of the long term side effects of painkillers. I know that the adjustment has no unpleasant side effects, but it can have a positive ripple effect over other ailments in my body. I am treating my whole body wellness, not just covering a symptom that has a root cause.

I realize this sounds bias, but I hope you see where I started. I was a non-believer plain and simple. I “felt” fine so I didn’t see the need at first, but after experiencing what “feeling good” really was, I would never go back! Beyond explaining my own personal benefits, I can tell you that Dr. Ferris is passionate about assisting people in finding their real “feeling good” point. Don’t settle for “just dealing with it” anymore! 

Welcome to my blog. I am on a mission to educate people on the benefits of chiropractic. I want to share my experiences both past and present. I hope to link you to helpful resources that encourage you to give your body what it needs to reach its fullest potential.