Chiropractic Care for Children and Mothers

Chiropractic care for children can mean the difference between a happy child and one plagued by medical problems. Children under regular chiropractic care can also help avoid problems later in life.

Not only is chiropractic care important for children but mothers can also help their children before they are born by seeing a chiropractor. During pregnancy, chiropractic problems that may have been caused as a result of delivery can be treated more effectively the earlier they are addressed.

The prenatal chiropractic checkups a mother has during pregnancy are but one of the ways she can help guarantee her baby will be healthy. Along with a healthy diet, proper exercise and working to achieve a stress-free environment, prenatal chiropractic care can benefit the developing baby and reduce the complications of labor.

But even the delivery process can result in problems for children as a consequence of “subluxations.” Subluxations are areas of the spine that interfere with or distort nerve impulses between the brain and the body. Subluxations are usually a result of pulling, forcing and twisting a baby from the birth canal. These methods, and the resulting subluxations, are far too common. Cesarean section, forceps, suction extraction or eager hands can do unseen damage. Even “natural” birth methods can cause subluxations.

Babies cannot express their pain, but there are signs parents can look for that might indicate a need
chiropractic care:

• Unexplained crying
• Poor appetite
• Breathing problems
• Allergic reactions
• Holding their head to one side or preferring breast feeding from one side (which can be a sign of abnormal spine function and an impaired nervous system)

Ignoring subluxations can result in the impairment of a child’s health from the moment they are born. It can also lead to other problems can appear later in life, including:

• Colic
• SIDS
• Hyperactivity
• Autism
• Chronic earaches or infections from poor drainage from the eustation tube
• Greater risk of catching childhood “bugs” as a result of a weakened immune
  system
• Neglect of “growing pains” that may in fact be only aches or muscle spasms, which left undiagnosed and untreated can lead to chronic, expensive and hard-to-fix problems later in life
• The development of scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, which left untreated, can result in a patient needing braces, surgery to correct the problem, and or psychological effects such as lack of self confidence.

In toddlers, spinal injury caused by falling while learning to walk can be helped through chiropractic care. Left untreated, bumps caused from falls by toddlers can lead to scar tissue, decrease mobility and arthritis later in life, and may also increase the potential for scoliosis and a weakened immune system. As they age, the need for chiropractic care is even more crucial among children involved with contact sports. The injuries caused by these activities, whether they cause pain or not, can interfere with proper growth during rapid stages of spinal development.

Many spinal problems seen in adults began in childhood. Proper spinal care and maintenance is an important key to better health. Chiropractic care while a child is young can bring relief without the pain associated with surgery or side-effects of drugs. Because children heal faster, most conditions can be corrected quickly.

Chiropractic care not only provides relief from pain, but also helps with proper growth and development in children. Like regular visits to a pediatrician, children should also see a chiropractor often as they grow.

Chiropractic care is important because of its ability to restore the integrity of the nervous system and the workings of every cell and tissue in a child’s body.

As with any treatment, chiropractic adjusting techniques are also modified based on a child’s size, weight and unique spinal misalignments. Parents whose children are under chiropractic care frequently report that their children seem healthier than others their age. Chiropractic care is also very successful in treating many childhood ailments such as ear aches, asthma, hyper-activity, and colic.

Recommended treatments may include specific spinal adjustments, recommendations on exercise, nutritional advice or other conservative methods of care based on health history, age and lifestyle (factors which are considered for both children and adults).