I am often met with surprise when I tell current patients that I also adjust children. They are surprised that children also need chiropractic. But children, including babies, have spines too.
If you think about it, it is actually more important for children and babies to get adjusted. As they are growing and developing, it is important to make sure that they have a good structure so they can grow and develop healthily.
As children begin to walk they often have tumbles and falls. These tumbles and falls, while seeming minor, can still cause abnormal shifts in posture and spinal alignment. If these abnormal shifts in posture and spinal alignment are not corrected, they can become worse and turn into bigger problems later in life.
As our children get older they learn to ride bikes, skate, and play other sport activities. These activities can be associated with bigger falls. Just like described above, these falls can cause postural and spinal displacements. Left unchecked, these too can lead to problems down the road.
Many children also play sports. Repetitive sports like baseball and gymnastics are associated with their own injuries. Again if these injuries are left unchecked they can cause problems in a young child’s health and wellness.
Just going to school is associated with its own issues. Sitting at a desk all day and carrying heavy backpacks can cause postural misalignments. It is important to teach your child proper backpack wear and encourage them to sit with good posture while at school or even at home while doing homework (or playing electronics).
It is not normal for a child to experience chronic pain (or an adult for that matter!). If your child is experiencing headaches, neck pain, back pain, or pain anywhere else it is important to have them checked by a licensed and skilled chiropractor. Pain is your body‘s warning signal that something is not right. Simply masking pain with medication does not cure anything and only perpetuates the underlying issue.
Sometimes postural and spinal misalignments don’t represent themselves as pain. Postural and spinal misalignments can also be associated with fatigue, migraines, allergies, asthma, indigestion, and many other health issues.
If your child is experiencing any health issues, it’s important to have them properly evaluated. Consider trying chiropractic.
Chiropractors are trained to recognize if a chronic problem is associated with a postural or spinal issue. If there is another underlying cause, chiropractors are trained to refer out to the proper health care provider.
Chiropractic care for younger children is very different than chiropractic care for adults. Light force adjustments are used to correct any postural or spinal deviations.
With very young children, like babies, the force is similar to the amount of pressure you would put on your eye ball. Because children are more pliable you do not need as much force as you do as when you adjust an adult.
It is vital to remember that your posture and spinal alignment are important at any age. But especially as we are growing and developing, it is of the upmost importance.