Kids and Chiropractic

So why would a child need to see a chiropractor? We get that question all the time. It makes complete sense. Most people relate chiropractic to low back pain, neck pain and headaches just to name a few. Generally kids don’t deal with these ‘old person’ problems. So why then do you see all these dang kids laying on our tables in the office? Well here are some reasons…

1. Sleep Problems – When a child’s nervous system is being stimulated abnormally, due to improper spinal mechanics, it will create a body that is always in overdrive. When this takes place sleep becomes very sporadic and difficult for all involved.
2. Digestive Problems – This same nervous system irritation can and will affect how digestive function works and is coordinated. Issues with this typically result in reflux, constipation or excessive diarrhea. In some cases, colic is a better recognized version of this in infants.
3. Ear Infections – problems in the upper neck structure can lead to the inability of the inner ear tube to open and close correctly therefore also effecting its ability to drain fluid. This causes a buildup of fluid that leads to the infection. Chiropractic helps to take the stress off the nervous system that is in charge of opening the ear canal.
4. Recurrent colds – When the spine is altered and has the nervous system on overdrive it starts to suppress immune system function, and leads to more infections and illnesses in general. If the spine is aligned and moving well the immune system has ample energy to battle these illnesses.
5. Joint aches and pain – As kids grow their mechanics of their bodies change. As these changes occur, if the spine and pelvis aren’t balanced, it leads to excess stress on certain joints that causes inflammation and pain cycles not normal to children. By keeping the spine well-adjusted we can prevent joint injuries from everyday life and various activities kids participate in.

How do you recognize these problems? This is a common question that many parents ask. Here are a quick few things you can look for yourself in your child…

1. Postural issues – If your child has a hard time maintaining a good posture chances are they are not balanced well. When the spine doesn’t work correctly it causes the body to have problems maintaining proper muscle tone to the spinal support soft tissue.
2. Leg length issues – Have your child lay flat on the ground and check for a difference in leg length. This leg length is more often than not caused by pelvic distortions that affect their spine and nervous system abnormally.
3. Muscle tone – When your child lays on the floor or bed face down check the muscles that run along their spine. If one side feels more developed or tighter than the other that is a good indicator that spinal mechanics are not good.
4. See a chiropractor – To get the ultimate read on your child’s spinal health get in to see a chiropractor. They will be able to find these issues many times before permanent problems have happened. Good chiropractors can help develop a plan to fix these issues not only via chiropractic but at home as well.

Don’t leave your child’s spinal health to chance. It affects so many things from birth to adulthood. Small changes can make big differences in their health and quality of life.