Chiropractic Care for Kids
An increase in chronic childhood disease is part of the reason parents today seek alternative health care for kids.
Chiropractic care is an effective and affordable program that addresses children’s health conditions associated with the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
Gentle, noninvasive and drug free, chiropractic adjustments treat, resolve and prevent a wide range of health problems.
Recent research by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) found spinal manipulative therapy safe and successful in treating children of all ages.
Acute Conditions
Acute conditions may result from birth trauma, sports mishaps and accidental injury.
Chiropractic care benefits children by correcting the spinal alignment to improve their overall health. When vertebral joints are misaligned during birth or from a blow or fall, muscle tissue and nerves may also be affected.
Spinal adjustment frees joints, restores motion and relieves nerve pressure, which may be the cause of additional ailments.
Parents report successful treatment of children’s health issues such as:
- acute earache
- constipation
- ear aches
- bed wetting
- problems latching in newborns
- facial rashes
- upper respiratory infection
- muscle pain
- neck pain
- accident trauma
Spinal manipulation for children as young as newborn babies is an alternative treatment for the discomfort of colic and other digestive disorders as well.
Chronic Conditions
Parents surveyed by the ICPA reported behavioral improvement for kids who saw a chiropractor, as well as improved sleep and stronger immune systems.
Chiropractic America reports that natural, drug-free chiropractic care is sometimes more effective than traditional medical approaches for chronic earache, scoliosis and neck pain.
Headaches and sleep disorders of nonspecific causes respond well to spinal adjustments, which affect and repair interrupted neural pathways.
Asthma and allergy symptoms and patterns of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also be treatable with chiropractic.
Prevention
Success in these areas has implications for chiropractic care’s preventive capacity.
Periodic ongoing adjustments at a young age may help stave off the above ailments before they begin.
Proper spinal alignment now may delay or prevent degenerative bone or joint disease, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
In addition to maintaining children’s health, regular visits to the chiropractor also instill the value of proactive health care in kids. They’ll be more likely to monitor and manage their health as they grow up and less likely to be afraid or in denial of any health problems.
Encouraging good lifelong health habits is one of chiropractic’s best benefits for kids.
How Do Chiropractors Adjust Infants and Children?
Adjustments for infants and children vary from extremely light vibratory adjustments for infants to the utilization of a soft adjusting tool for children.
As the ligaments, tendons, and bones have not yet fully solidified, only a light touch is needed to restore proper function to the spine.