Babies and Children of all ages may need chiropractic care too!
Children respond very quickly to chiropractic care. I see changes in symptoms, postural problems, headaches, earaches, etc.,occur much faster compared to treatment periods of adults with the same problems.
I completed a fellowship in Pediatric Chiropractic. I am preparing to begin my diplomate studies in pediatrics. Research has shown that individuals who needed spinal surgery in their late 20’s, first experienced back problems during adolescence or earlier. If these problems had been recognized and corrected, a lot of pain could have been prevented and money saved. What’s amazing to me is the number of adults who can remember the exact incident that was the beginning of their problem.
I have delivered thousands of adjustments to children. The youngest child treated was one-week old. Pediatric adjusttments are very gentle procedures and completely respectful of children’s sensitivities and feelings. Most children become very relaxed during an adjustment. As they get older, they will begin to let their parents know when they need an adjustment.
Let’s start at the beginning.
The first visible structure in a growing embryo is the notocord, which becomes the brain and spinal cord. The spine and cranium then grow around these structures to protect them. All organs develop subsequently from these first structures. How the body develops illustrates the importance of the central nervous system-it is the primary controlling system for all bodily functions. The nerve supply coming from the spine to these organs needs to remain optimum for optimum function of the organs. The bottom line is that children benefit from chiropractic as much as adults do because they have spines subject to injury too.
The child may have many physical stresses to overcome in their short lives:
- Birth Trauma — difficult labors, forceps and vacuum extraction births, C-section births, etc. can all have a dramatic impact on the newborn, especially in the upper neck and cranium.
- Infancy- Close to 50 percent of infants experience a significant fall in the first year of life from bed, crib or infant dressing table
- Toddler — How many times does a toddler fall learning to walk?
- Childhood — Accidents, playground bumps and falls, sports injuries, large bookbags etc.
The old adage, “as a twig is bent so shall the tree grow”, is particularly relevant regarding children. We encourage parents not to neglect having children examined by a chiropractor who does pediatric chiropractic.
Don’t rely on your children to complain of “back pain“–they usually don’t. After a fall down some stairs most children bounce back up after crying for a little while. The human body is amazing. It allows us to function for 10, 20, or even 30 years before spinal subluxation-related pain becomes chronic.
As for growing pains, most parents don’t know that chiropractic is often the solution to this problem. If growing pains are due to spinal dysfunction, the child will not address the real problem by taking aspirin until he/she “grows out of it”. Most of the children I adjust who have been diagnosed with “growing pains” are pain free within three to four treatments.
Research has shown children with colic, ear infections, asthma and learning disabilities have improved with chiropractic care. The good news is that there are no dangers or side effects such as there are with prescription drugs. Our children get their hearts, lungs, and teeth checked. The health of the central nervous system and the spine are equally important to overall health. Don’t delay–get your child’s spine checked before little problems grow into big ones.
