I am often asked why would a child need a chiropractor? what signs point that they might need adjusted? and, is chiropractic really safe for little ones?
We are going to discuss that right now!
Let’s start off with "Is chiropractic care safe for my little one?"
The short answer here is yes, chiropractic care is generally safe for children. If it was not, do you think that I would still be doing what I am doing? I am approaching 12 years in practice and have never had a complaint from a parent about their child's care!
I think this safety question comes up so frequently because the general population does not realize how different a pediatric adjustment is from an adult adjustment. The pediatric and adult spine are analyzed in a very similar way, but the adjustment is so different.
To start off, the pressure that I use when adjusting a newborn is around the same pressure that you would use to check the ripeness of a tomato- not very much! And the adjustment is typically made using my pinky! And as the child grows, this pressure does increase due to their developing muscles, but it is never the full pressure of an adult adjustment.
The other big difference is that during a pediatric adjustment, there is absolutely zero rotation of the spine. The child is either lying flat on their belly (usually on mom’s lap) or lying flat on the table on their back. The reason for this is that part of the bones in their spine do not fully turn to bone, or ossify, until they are 7 years old. Any force that has rotation involved in it has the ability to alter the development of the bones.
So if you are bringing your child to a chiropractor who does not specialize in pediatric care, there may be some risks associated with it…
Their little spines are very different than the adult spine and must then be cared for differently!
Okay so now that we know that chiropractic IS safe for kids, what are some signs that your child may benefit from chiropractic care?
Difficulty Sleeping- misalignments in the spine may result in the dysfunction of our autonomic nervous system which may lead to being in a more sympathetic dominant (fight or flight) state verse parasympathetic (rest and digest) state. One mom just reported after 2 years her child had only slept through the night 2 times before starting chiropractic care. Now he is sleeping much better! He may wake up a bit, but he rolls over and puts himself back to sleep! LIFE CHANGING for that family!
Weak Immune System- if your child is chronically getting sick and has reoccurring ear infections, chiropractic may be super beneficial for them! Now getting a little cold here and there cannot be avoided, but there is no need for your child to have multiple sick days or to constantly be on antibiotics due to an ear infection. So many parents report that once starting care, their child no longer has ear infections, and they are no longer thinking of getting tubes for their child! AMAZING!
Digestion and Elimination Problems- when there is nerve interference many body functions can be off resulting in common digestion and elimination problems such as colic, reflux, constipation and diarrhea. When these interferences are corrected with chiropractic care, the body is able to function properly, and your kid is healthy. A few months back, a mom came in with her second baby who had colic- crying for over 3 hours a day and was inconsolable at times… after a few chiropractic adjustments, baby was much more content, to the point that mom was saying that he seems so much calmer and content all of the time! They just finished their care in the office as he is now thriving and beyond being happy, he is having regular poopy diapers!
These are just a few of the reasons that kids can benefit from chiropractic care, a few other that I will not expand on at this time include asthma, ADHD, bedwetting and growing pains!
And just a reminder that the absence of symptoms does not always mean the presence of health.
If you recognize one of these signs in your child, please reach out and let me know, I would love to assist your family in being as healthy as possible!
Also, if you know a child who may benefit from chiropractic care, please share this with them!
Their parents deserve to know that their child can be healthy, happy and strong!
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