Children and Chiropractic

Why should children have chiropractic care? More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children, but why?  The spine which houses the spinal cord controls everything we do. Not only does it allow us to move, but it controls all of our organ systems as well. So, the function of the nerve that comes at every segment of the spine is extremely important for growth and well being. As a kid, think about how many times we fall or get hurt. All of these little micro traumas throughout life cause the body and spine to adapt. Even the smallest adaptations can lead to imbalances of the spine causing not only pain later in life from structural changes, but also other issues such as digestive issues, headaches, etc. These structural changes are called subluxations, or misalignments of the spine.

When should my child see a chiropractor? The answer to that is, as early as 1 day old! Why so early? Let’s stop and think about the birthing process. Being born is tough work!  It is a very intense process that involves a tremendous amount of forces and pressure being exerted on the baby. This pressure can not only cause sprains and strains of the neck but can cause subtle misalignments of the spine, specifically in the upper neck. Left uncorrected it can impact your baby’s spinal development reducing the healthy function of their nervous system and can lead to many health challenges through life that could have easily been prevented. By the time a child reaches 1 year old, their spine lengthens by about 50%! At no other time in our lives does growth like this happen so rapidly. So making sure your baby has proper alignment will help ensure symmetrical growth throughout life.

There are certain times throughout an infant’s growth and development that are most important to see a chiropractor and get the spine checked. During these times in development the spine is changing and creating the normal curves allowing forces to be evenly distributed throughout the spine.

Critical times for an infant to get their spine checked:

• After birth
• When they learn to hold up their head
• When they learn to sit
• When they learn to walk

Now, what can chiropractic care help with? Chiropractic is a natural non-surgical, drug free way to get lasting results for those irritating conditions many people face with their children. These included but are not limited to; colic, earaches, reflux, asthma, allergies, sleep problems, ADHD, bed wetting and the list goes on!

 

Lastly, I know many people are worried about bringing their child to a chiropractor because it seems scary and too intense for them. The adjustments that are done on adults are NOT the same adjustments done on children and infants! With infants specifically, it is a light pressure applied to the spine to correct the subluxation. We love to see kids early in life to help ensure the best function and growth possible! At Oahu Spine and Rehab we are committed to helping people of ALL ages get better! If you have any questions the doctors would love to talk to you more!