Primitive Reflex
Integration

When babies are born, they don’t have to learn everything from scratch. They come into the world with certain reflexes, which are automatic actions that their bodies do without thinking. These reflexes help babies survive and grow.

It's like their bodies have a set of built-in “programs” to help them out in the early months and years of life.

Some examples of these reflexes are:

Moro Reflex (Startle Reflex): When a baby hears a loud noise or feels like they’re falling, they suddenly fling their arms out and then pull them back in, almost like they're hugging themselves.
Rooting Reflex: If you gently stroke a baby’s cheek, they will turn their head and open their mouth, like they're looking for food to suck on. This helps babies know where to find the breast or bottle to feed.
Grasp Reflex: If you place your finger in a baby’s hand, their fingers will automatically wrap around it tightly, like they’re holding onto something.

As babies grow older, their brain gets stronger and learns to control movement.

This means these reflexes usually disappear as they start using their muscles on purpose to do things like reach for a toy or sit up.

Sometimes a reflex doesn't go away when it should.

This is called a retained reflex.

If a reflex sticks around for too long, it can make it harder for the brain to learn new things or control movement. It’s like trying to drive a car while the parking brake is on – it makes things harder than they need to be.

For example, if the Moro Reflex stays active even after childhood, you might get startled or anxious easily, even if nothing is actually wrong.

If the grasp reflex sticks around, you might have trouble letting go of things when they need to.

These retained reflexes can cause problems with things like:

Balance and coordination
Focus and attention
Learning

Fortunately, your body is extremely adaptable, and through specific light, vibration and movement therapies, those reflexes can be integrated even into adulthood. It's never too late to improve how your brain processes information and change how you experience the world.

Cold Laser Therapy

In our office we use cold laser therapy when addressing primitive reflexes that are retained.

Cold laser therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate healing in tissues without generating heat. It’s called "cold" because it doesn’t cause any warming sensation, unlike traditional lasers. The light penetrates the skin and is absorbed by the cells, which helps boost energy production within the cells (specifically in the mitochondria). This can improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and promote tissue repair.

It’s commonly used for pain management, reducing inflammation, and speeding up recovery from injuries like strains, sprains, or even post-surgical healing, but is very useful for retained reflex integration as it reinforces brain pathways and builds neural plasticity.

Because it's a non-invasive treatment (no surgery or needles involved) that works with the innate healing abilities of the body, it fits right into our chiropractic clinic and philosophy of care.

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benefits of laser therapy

Improves circulation
Speeds up mitochondrial activity
Reduces inflammation
Decreases healing time

Who can benefit from chiropractic care?

Chiropractors are "back doctors," right? So why would you see one if you have something going on in your hip, or head... shoulders, knees, toes...? Or what's the point if you feel great and have no pain? Or if you are a baby who was just born?? We do focus on the back, but that's because that's where your spine is. Your spine is such a vital part of your health because it is the protection for your spinal cord, an extension of your brain. Nerves branch off the spinal cord and pass through the vertebra in the spine on their way to connect your brain with every single part of your body. When a joint isn't moving well, it causes stress in the nervous system. That stress can cause pain, but even more than that, it compromises function. We refer to this situation as a "subluxation." Chiropractors locate the joints or areas that are causing stress or irritation to the nerves (subluxations), make specific adjustments to restore normal motion, and alleviate the stress so the brain and body can communicate clearly. When your brain and body can communicate, not only do you often feel better, but your body is able to function at a higher level! You'll hear people report chiropractic care helping with a variety of issues, because at the core it's not treating a specific condition, it's supporting your body to be able to optimally function. And that's something that's good for every body!
How many adjustments do I need?

Wouldn't it be great if ONE adjustment could resolve all the issues you came in for? Unfortunately, that's about as likely as one salad negating years of fast food, or one workout cancelling out years of a sedentary lifestyle - that's just not how things work. But just like with healthy food choices and movement, the more consistent you are as time passes, the better changes you will see. We go over your health history, current lifestyle, and what we find during our exam process to determine the best plan for you to reach your goals. After you receive our recommendation, then the choice is yours how you would like to proceed.
What is subluxation?

The driving force behind the chiropractic care we provide in our office is not a quick fix or even pain relief, it's addressing subluxation. Subluxations are areas where there's stress or tension in a joint (where bones come together) that causes interference in the communication between the brain and the rest of the body. When proper motion is returned to the joint from a specific chiropractic adjustment, that stress is removed allowing the brain and body to talk clearly, and function is improved! Improved function means you're better able to adapt to and enjoy the world around you. The focus is not on what is wrong with you, but rather supporting what is right.