Chiropractic
care and children
For over a hundred years, chiropractors
have cared for children, alongside adults. Many common childhood ailments have
been proven to respond to this safe, natural form of health care, and a growing
number of parents, especially those who are already chiropractic patients
themselves, seek chiropractic care for their children. A child encounters
many physical stresses during their growing years, and the resulting problems
in children’s spines may occur at any point in their growth and development. The cause of many newborn health complaints
such as reflux, sleep issues, allergic reactions, breastfeeding problems, and
chronic infections can often be traced to nervous system irritation caused by
spinal and cranial misalignments.
The first challenge a growing spine faces is the position it is
forced into inside the womb, such as the breech and posterior positions. Spinal
segments can be pushed out of place even in the womb. If this position is less
than ideal, it can result in a longer and more difficult labor. Even natural
birthing methods can stress an infant’s spine and nervous system, much less interventions
such as induction, forceps, or caesarean section. The latter (which account for
a growing percentage of births in the United States), while appearing to offer
a less traumatic birth for the child, may actually create additional traumas
and compromises to the infant’s future health.
Because significant spinal trauma can occur at birth or in the
womb, many parents choose to have their newborn’s spine assessed after birth.
Many growing milestones, such as holding up the head, sitting upright,
crawling, and walking, are affected by spinal alignment and are important times
to have a child checked by a chiropractor. Falls, sports injuries, playground mishaps,
heavy book bags and sitting for long periods in the classroom are physical
stresses to the spine and nervous system are other reasons for seeking
chiropractic care on a regular basis.
