Common Questions About Children and Chiropractic
How effective is chiropractic care for children?
Most chiropractors, even those who do not specialize in pediatric chiropractic, safely and effectively adjust both younger children and teens. Without efficacy, parents would have long ceased seeking a Doctor of Chiropractic for their children. A 1992 survey showed that the most common conditions for which children visit a chiropractor are: earaches, neck pain, check-up, headache, upper respiratory, low back pain, allergies, asthma, enuresis, and thoracic pain. Other reasons are ADD and ADHD, colic, torticollis, insomnia, growing pains, and persistent crying in infants.
How do most children react to an adjustment?
Most children must become comfortable with their family chiropractor first. We often recommend that they come with you to an appointment and into the treatment room so that they have an opportunity to experience the relaxed environment and friendly staff. Both children and teens often laugh or smile when they have an adjustment. For an anxious child we usually get the parent involved by holding them or playing games. People are often surprised at the various techniques available to make the experience so easy and how their child looks forward to their visits.
Why should I bring my child for chiropractic care if they are not ‘sick’?
Chiropractors do not treat diseases; they help to correct spinal misalignments that can cause health problems. Through regular adjustments, and counseling on proper nutrition, exercise, and posture, the chiropractor can help you raise a structurally and functionally sound child.Many people forget that the leading cause for illness and injury in kids is accidents. For example, they say that most of us will fall more before the age of 4 than at any other time in our life. Another example of spinal stress includes athletic activities. Think about how the “sack” of a quarterback could twist a young spine or how pitching a ball can throw a vertebra out of alignment. These underlying injuries, if left uncorrected, can cause serious problems as the child grows into adulthood. Your family chiropractor can also help improve performance on and off the field by helping the body to function at its best.Throughout the lifecycle, various stressors can lead to imbalances in the body. For example, when a chiropractor finds a vertebral subluxation in your child, it is a response to a stressor. Unaddressed stress can and at some point will lead to an expression of symptoms. Here are some physical mental/emotional and chemical stressors in infants, children, and teens.
When is the best time to start my child with chiropractic care?
This is a personal decision. If you want to give your child the best opportunity for healing you should consider a conservative, drugless approach to health care first. It is essential to have a chiropractic exam during the first year of a child’s life, as spinal trauma can occur during birth, and from tumbles while learning to sit up or walk. Don't forget your child’s spine grows almost 50% in length during the first year! This kind of tremendous growth and developmental changes make a complete chiropractic examination so important in the early stages of a child’s life. I suggest that most patients have their children checked at least once a year, and consider quarterly check-ups to optimal spinal maintenance. Instead of allowing a child to grow into dysfunctional movement patterns or endure unnecessary stress on their nervous system, it is better to identify minor problems before they become big ones. The earlier a problem is identified and corrected, the less likely it will become a chronic or more serious problem later in life.
