What You Should Know Before Taking Your Children to a Chiropractor
Most adults know that chiropractic treatment offers many benefits, including a natural way to treat and manage pain, but surprisingly, many parents don’t know that kids need chiropractic treatment the most. Children can easily get injured due to falls or other types of accidents and may struggle with growing pains or pain and discomfort just from lugging around a full backpack at school all day.
Pediatric chiropractic treatment is not the same as treatment provided to adults. A pediatric chiropractor will use special techniques to help children suffering from pain and discomfort. They can also correct any misalignments in the spine to ensure the nervous system is functioning optimally.
Pediatric chiropractic treatment is a natural, safe way to keep infants and children healthy and pain-free, using gentle, effective adjustments. However, there are many misconceptions about chiropractic care for children and what it can help treat. Chiropractic care does not have any beneficial effects on conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, speech disorders, developmental disorders, or childhood diseases.
However, it can help to restore balance within the body, relieve pain and discomfort, and promotes proper growth and development.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Children?
The joints of an infant or child contain more cartilage and are not as boney as an adult’s. Chiropractic treatment for children offers many health benefits and requires the use of special techniques and gentle adjustments. A skilled chiropractor that treats children will not use the same types of techniques that are commonly performed on adults.
How Chiropractic Care for Kids Can Help
At our chiropractic practice, we commonly treat children for:
Sports Injuries
Kids take many tumbles and falls and can seem almost invincible, especially when it comes to their ability to bounce back so quickly. However, if a child plays sports, they are at a higher risk of injury. Regular visits to a chiropractor can help identify a minor injury, hidden injuries, or slight misalignment, and can help a child to recover from an injury faster. Regular treatment can also prevent injuries in the future.
Misalignments
Misalignments are common in children, whether it’s caused by spending countless hours bent over their phone or at their desk at school, by a fall, or from carrying that heavy backpack around at school for several hours a day. A chiropractor can examine a child and identify and treat spinal misalignments to restore balance within the body, improve nervous system communication with the rest of the body, improve range of motion, and relieve pain and discomfort.
Signs of misalignment can include the restricted movement of the head or neck, difficulty sleeping, headaches, and pain and discomfort.
Common Questions Parents Have Regarding Chiropractic Treatment
A common reason parents don’t bring their children to see a chiropractor is that they aren’t aware that many chiropractors treat patients of all ages. Over the years, our licensed practitioners have had many discussions with parents regarding treatment, what a proper adjustment is, and what they can anticipate at an appointment. A big concern for parents is pain and discomfort, but pediatric chiropractic treatment is very safe and gentle, and necessary to ensure a healthy spine and proper growth and development.
Below, you’ll find a few common questions parents often ask:
How Do Chiropractors Treat Kids?
At Advantage Chiropractic, our chiropractors will use some of the following techniques and methods to treat younger patients:
- Gentle Manipulations. Spinal manipulation will improve communication between the body and the brain and restore alignment to the spine. This treatment can also eliminate subluxations, which are the source of most problems that occur in patients.
- Massage. Massages can reduce anxiety, address muscle tension and soreness, and improve the function of various body systems.
- Exercises and Stretches. At Advantage Chiropractic, we believe in educating parents on how treatment can improve their child’s coordination, strengthen their muscles, and reduce their risks of injuries in the future. Aside from medical treatment, such as a spinal adjustment, we will also recommend stretches and exercises that can improve a child’s range of motion, strength, and flexibility.
What Can a Chiropractor Treat?
Chiropractic treatment for children can help with:
- Headaches/migraines
- Growing pains
- Cervical spine pain
- Knee pain
- Low-back pain
- Certain chronic conditions
- Injury of nerves
- Colic symptoms
- Pain and discomfort due to a fall and other types of injuries
- Sports injuries
- Spinal misalignment
- Scoliosis
- And more.
How Can Chiropractic Care Benefit Your Infant?
There are many benefits that come with chiropractic treatment for infants. As an infant grows in the womb, the small space can quickly become cramped. Additionally, the birthing experience can be very traumatic. Because of this, some infants may be born with a spinal misalignment Spinal manipulation after birth can be crucial after an especially traumatic delivery.
Chiropractic care for babies can identify a misalignment, can help with latching issues, and can improve sleep. Treatment is safe and effective and requires only a small gentle manipulation. Proper alignment of the spine can positively impact physical development allowing them to grow at the right rate. A gentle spine alignment can also prevent lasting pain and discomfort.
Schedule Your Child’s First Chiropractic Visit Today
To learn more about the proper adjustment for children and how a licensed chiropractor can help your child thrive, contact Advantage Chiropractic today. Our experienced chiropractors work with patients of all ages, ranging from newborn babies and toddlers to adults and the elderly. Our goal is always the same, regardless of a patient’s age, and that’s to address any issues with pain and discomfort, create a treatment plan unique to each patient’s needs, and provide gentle and effective treatment that will restore balance within the body. Contact Advantage Chiropractic today to learn more.
