to support optimal growth, development, and healing
from birth through childhood and beyond
Pediatric chiropractic care
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Hi, I’m Danielle Perna-Amari, DC. At Root Function, our mission is to create a supportive space for your and your baby to heal and thrive. My hands on approach, clinician brain, and desire to be supportive of new moms truly aligned to create the focus of our practice which is to holistically support moms, from pre-conception through the fourth trimester and beyond.
You may have a ton of questions (and receive so much unsolicited advice) on how to best care for your child's health and we aim to be a supportive, honest, and evidence-informed space for you to be welcomed into. Through pediatric chiropractic and cranial care, we help your infant and child overcome the struggles of their birth, and support them as they navigate growth, stress, and development. Pediatric chiropractic truly fills in the gap between your Mom’s advice and Western medicine’s approach on how to help your kid live a good life.
At Root Function, we provide moms and their infants with a non-invasive, holistic approach to healthcare. We help you navigate the ups and downs of parenthood by supporting you and your infant’s nervous system along the way. Through regular care we encourage your infant’s body to thrive and develop naturally.
Honoring our innate ability to heal from within, starting with birth
- Amber G.
We love Dr. Danielle! I took my newborn to see her last year at the suggestion of a lactation consultant I was working with because we were having issues with breastfeeding. I had no idea chiropractic care could be helpful for something like this but here we are almost a year later still nursing.
You won’t be able to find a more individualized and caring practitioner in the area than Dr. Danielle!
book your child's initial visit
- Colic
- Latching issues
- Cranial molding
- Chronic ear or sinus infections
- Troubles with sleeping
- Constipation
All of these are due to stress in the nervous system which is why we look for and resolve where that stress is, bringing ease into their system naturally. This approach isn’t the end all-be all for kids, but it is a foundational, supportive approach that can be enough to solve a problem on it’s own, or in other cases, it provides the body with more ease and resiliency when it does have to experiences an outside-in approach (ie. a tie revision).
What symptoms does pediatric chiropractic care help with?
I truly believe that all families should have a pediatric chiropractor to support their baby’s journey post-birth. The body, young or old, is intelligent. When we give it a chance to express its intelligence, it will and it uses its internal resources to help heal from within. To me, that is the best and kindest gift I can offer to any human being, but especially babies who are transitioning into this world and traversing childhood. The amazing truth with pediatric chiropractic care, is there is a lot of opportunity to set the stage for their life and health in a very meaningful way, that affects how everything else in their life will impact them (I recognize that this is a big statement and I stand behind it 100%).
Why consider chiropractic care for my newborn/infant?
- improved function: feeding, milestones, pooping, sleeping, crawling, etc.
- improvements in behaviors: colic, tantrums, learning difficulties, stoic/glazed over faces, engagement with others, etc.
- Ease or support during illness/conditions such as: ear infections, constipation, tongue-tie, latching/suck issues (painful latch, dribbling, clicking/popping sounds), sinus infections, etc.
Honestly, so many, but what it comes down to is this: babies are just happier and more resilient under consistent chiropractic care that allows them to heal and develop naturally.
What are the benefits of pediatric chiropractic care for my newborn?
book your initial visit
- Amber G.
'' Dr. Danielle took the time to get to know me instead of just looking at my symptoms. She truly wants the best for you and you can tell that through the conversations that you have with her! ''
Our First visit: This time together is all about gathering information. We will create an in-depth understanding of your child's health history, including your experience with pregnancy and birth. And, we will collect clinical information through exams (physical, neurological and chiropractic). Adjustments will be provided during the second visit to ensure we have enough time during the first visit for a full health history/question answering (plus, after the exams, infants are often sensorily overwhelmed and need a bit of time to rest!)
Our Second Visit: This is where we connect the dots in your baby’s history and exam findings, ask more questions, and help you better understand how we can support your baby’s system and needs. We will discuss what care will look like for them based on your goals and our findings and provide them with an adjustment.
Third Visit + Beyond: Regular care will ensue, and as your baby grows and develops, we’ll periodically re-examine them in order to adjust their care and assess how they are meeting developmental milestones.
What can I expect when I bring my child in for chiropractic care?
Initial pediatric visits must have a CC on file, and a $135 deposit is required. No-show’s will be charged the full pediatric appointment fee of $135, it is not refundable.
HSA and FSA cards are accepted, we do not take any form of insurance and are not Medicare providers.
Those who are dealing with economic hardship are encouraged to apply for our non-profit to see how they qualify for accommodated fees for care. Learn more here
payment
Initial visits are $135 and 45 minutes long. Subsequent visits are $60 and are typically 20 minutes. Periodically, I’ll request a longer visit with you to check-in and perform ongoing exams and these appointments are $90 and take 30 minutes. If you are seeking care for more than one person in your family, ask us about our family rates and packages.
our appointments
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Your pediatric questions, answered
This varies drastically based on the age or complexity of the case. Initial visits are 45-60 mins and regular visits can range from 10-30 mins. We will navigate this based on your child’s needs in the initial phase of care.
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ANSWER:
100%. Pediatric care takes extra education to give “general” care to them, it’s truly a specialization. This is why our fees are based on time, not the type of patient.
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This depends on the child, our rapport together and you the parent. Some issues inherently take longer, some kids inherently do not like other people (ie. anyone but mom), same families have numerous kids with a hectic family schedule… etc. The culmination of progress is related to all of these factors. This is partially why we see kids more frequently at the start of care- to move through some of these barriers and to start making momentum.
I want to make it super clear: pediatric care isn’t some set finish line. It can absolutely help resolve issues, but at this phase of life it’s so much about supporting the body supporting itself through SO many challenges on their journey! Many kids end up seeing us for wellness visits after resolving issues about every 4-6 weeks for quick check ups.
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ANSWER:
Yes and who knows. I know that this care helps the body help itself, always. Think of it as intelligently reorganizing resources for better use when needed. AND, some things are things we know can’t be changes (ie. congenital issues) but we can make their life easier with that XYZ regardless. Every child has their own trajectory, I’m just here to support the possibilities of that path alongside you, the parent.
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ANSWER:
The biggest assumption ppl make with pediatric chiro care is that we adjust them like we do adults. Heck no. They don’t have the same structures and typically is less about changing their structure, it’s more about engaging the nervous system and the communication pathways.
The adjustment often looks like…nothing. Many infant adjustments are using a sustained hold with the amount of pressure you may use to check a tomato for ripeness or when pressing on your eyeball (about 7-8 grams, super light).
With babies, adjusting is less about force into the system and more about following their body into positions of ease that they cannot get to on their own. Remember, you and I have DECADES of gravity working on our body, they just left a fluid filled space- it’s a completely different system and needs a completely different adjusting approach.
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ANSWER:
Yes! We have 30 and 45 min time slots to see families. Typically 30 min is for 2-3 members and 45 is for 3-5 members depending on the needs of everyone and how much time that takes up. Sometimes, it just is not realistic to get everyone in at one time, many families have hectic schedules! We get it and we have ways to honor the family rates that meet the parameters of your family’s schedule.
We have family rates that help reduce the cost for families while ensuring we are still honoring our practice fees. We have monthly memberships and packages, please contact us further for more details: danielle@rootfunction.co or text 484-552-4108
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ANSWER:
Some kids will have days where they will NOT let other people be hands-on with them or they are just on the struggle bus. If we cannot do any work, we will reschedule them for another day that week, and that visit will either be discounted or waived.
Respecting a child’s agency is just as important as providing care.
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ANSWER:
7. What if my child isn’t cooperating that day of our visit?
6. Do you see families together?
5. How do chiropractic adjustments look compared to the adult ones?
4. Can you help with “XYZ”?
3. How long will it take for my child to see changes?
2. Do pediatric visits cost the same as adults?
1. How long are visits for pediatric patients?
