Chiropractic for Kiddos

You're probably thinking, "my child is already healthy and happy, what would chiropractic do for them?" or maybe "is chiropractic even safe for my little one?" Here, I will discuss why chiropractic is both safe and beneficial for your children.

First of all, chiropractic adjustments are just as safe for kids as they are for adults. Infant's and children's bones and bodies aren't quite as developed as mom and dad's, so adjustments for babies and kids are adapted for their specific age and stage of growth and development. Chiropractors learn pediatric adjusting techniques as part of their core curriculum, ranging from infants to children and adolescents.

Here are some reasons children often see a chiropractor:

1. Ear infections

Ear infections can be very common in infants and young children for reasons including

underdeveloped or poorly functioning eustachian tubes that do not allow fluids to drain from your child's ears. It is very common for some doctors to recommend antibiotics or place a tube in the child's eardrum to drain the fluid; however, often times chiropractic can help relieve some of the pressure that is built up inside the ear. In fact, thats exactly how my family was introduced to chiropractic.

2. Torticollis

Torticollis is another common condition in babies which responds very well to chiropractic care. Often times a baby will only sleep or nurse with their head turned to one side and becomes very unhappy if their head is turned to the opposite side. This causes the muscles surrounding the neck to become extremely tight, resulting in pain and crying when the head is moved from that certain position. Adjustments help to relax the muscles and nerves and helps to enourage baby to rotate his or her head to both sides.

3. Spitting up & other digestive issues

Let's face it, who doesn't have a baby that spits up or has digestive issues from time to time? Even if a baby is carried to full term, their digestive tracts still may not be fully developed which can cause digestive problems, such as consipation, gas, diarrhea, and spitting up. Other times the tiny muscles that control the valves of the digestive tract become too tight and don't allow food to pass through easily (this happens to adults, too). The nerves in the middle of our back help trigger responses in our stomach and gentle massage of the "tight spots" in your belly can help open the valves, allowing the food to pass through as it should.

But here is THE biggest reason in my opinion that a child should be adjusted: birth is often the single most traumatic experience of your life.

Even if the birthing process goes perfectly, there is at least 20 to 40 pounds of traction placed on your newborn's neck. Just to put that in persepective, the average adult head weighs 12-15 pounds, so it's not surprising that most babies are in need of a chiropractic adjustment.

You may be the type of parent who thinks "if it's not broke, why fix it?" Children tend to be very active, which often ends in falls, bumps, bruises, and lots of boo-boos. Although your child may not be telling you their back hurts or knee hurts, all of the activities they get in to can cause their spine to get somewhat out of alignment, so quick tune ups are a great idea!

Thanks to: Drs. Theresea & Steuart Warner's Famous ChiroPediatric Top 7 List

#chiropractic #health #children