The position a baby is in during the final weeks of pregnancy, and the mechanics of how they pass through the birth canal, both place forces on the cervical spine and soft tissues of the neck. When a baby spends extended time in a head-down position with the neck flexed to one side — as sometimes happens in a crowded uterus or in a persistent occiput posterior presentation — the muscles and joints of the neck can develop patterns of tension before birth even begins. Labor itself, particularly when it is prolonged or when instruments are used to assist delivery, can add compressive and rotational forces to a cervical spine that was already under some degree of asymmetrical load.
Dr. Bronstein asks about birth history in detail during every infant consultation at Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic because that history often explains what he finds in the physical assessment. A vacuum-assisted delivery with leftward traction, for example, is consistent with a right-sided cervical restriction and a right tilt of the head. Understanding the mechanism helps him target the evaluation and approach the structural pattern more precisely. San Luis Obispo families who remember details of their delivery — even if they are not sure whether those details are relevant — are encouraged to share them at the consultation with Dr. Bronstein at Beacon Clinic in Grover Beach, California.
