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Chiropractic care is for all humans. If you have a spine, chiropractic care can offer benefits. Because chiropractic is used not just to relieve pain in the neck, low back, and joints, but to prevent problems, parents often bring their children in for treatments. From infants to teens, children of all ages can benefit from regular chiropractic adjustments.
Chiropractic Care to Treat Subluxations From Birth
Misalignments can happen as soon as the baby moves through the birth canal. Those misalignments or subluxations can interfere with the way the spine sends signals between the body and the brain. Studies show that chiropractors commonly provide appropriate and effective care to children, and children under 18 account for about 14% of all chiropractic patients. A chiropractor helps to correct spinal misalignment for infants, children, teens, and adults.
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The same study shows that chiropractors often see children who have musculoskeletal issues like scoliosis, sprains and strains, and spinal pain. But, they also see babies who have other problems like feeding issues and persistent crying as well as frequent ear infections. Chiropractors also provide alternative therapies for children with asthma, learning disorders, and frequent headaches. Before any treatment is administered, parents must give chiropractors their consent.
Find a DC Who Specializes in Treating Children
All chiropractors receive some training in treating children, but parents who want chiropractic treatment for their children should find DCs who specialize in children. Their physical needs are different than that of adults and some manual treatments can be problematic for children. For example, some children have hypermobile joints which could react in unexpected ways with manual adjustments. Studies show that chiropractors can exacerbate spinal issues with too many adjustments.
The best chiropractors often work hand-in-hand with pediatricians as they provide complementary care for children.
Why Children See Chiropractors
There are several reasons why children should have chiropractic care, and the most common is to maintain a healthy spine. Often, young athletes will see chiropractors to help them with their performance on the field. But, parents will also bring their babies, toddlers, and school-age children for adjustments to maintain their brain and nerve development to avoid subluxations.
When the brain, spine, and nerves develop properly, messages are sent accurately and without problems. This can help with learning as well a child’s overall health and wellbeing. Children also see chiropractors for these reasons:
● Strengthen the Immune System
Studies show that patients receiving chiropractic care have better immune-system functioning than people who do not receive regular adjustments. Children are often faced with immune challenges at school and in childcare settings. Chiropractic care better prepares them to be more resilient to fight off the common illnesses from childhood.
● Improve Posture
It’s no secret that chiropractic care can improve posture, as the methods directly affect the spine. Now, more than ever before, treating slouching posture is important, especially as children frequently crouch over computers, gaming systems, and mobile phones. Studies show that chiropractic care is a non-surgical way to improve slouching posture.
● Reduce Colic
Studies show that newborn infants who are colicky and often cry uncontrollably for hours to benefit from chiropractic care. Infants who cry between 4 and 7 hours each day cried for one hour less after receiving chiropractic care. Fortunately, once infants reach about three months of age, colic tends to cease.
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● Treat Asthma and Allergies
Parents often bring their children to chiropractors to bring some relief to asthma and allergies. Rather than seeing improvement from adjustments, studies show children often find help from nutritional counseling from chiropractors.
● Improve Concentration
Children with trouble concentrating and focusing can benefit from chiropractic care. Studies show that children with focus issues find more comfort in their bodies through spinal therapy, soft-tissue therapy, and regular stretching. The same study showed that with two to three appointments per week, children do see improvement in their level of focus at school and home.
● Help Manage Behavioral Disorders
There are several clinical case studies of children with behavioral issues finding some relief through chiropractic studies. Chiropractors do not offer psychological therapy, but many parents find that treating subluxations in their spines help children with their psychological and behavior issues.
Studies do show that patients who receive chiropractic care are more relaxed and are less likely to have issues related to anxiety and depression. They also trigger the spine to release three hormones that cause the body to respond in positive ways. Neurotensin causes stress-induced pain to stop, which oxytocin helps people feel happier and more connected to the people around them, and cortisol prevents the body from feeling pain from inflammation. These hormones can help children relax and improve their behaviors.
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● Treat Digestive Problems
There is very little evidence to prove that chiropractic care can treat digestive issues, but many chiropractors do offer nutrition counseling for patients of all ages. Studies do find that patients receiving chiropractic care do not have worsening symptoms. Those same studies do show that patients report improved digestion after chiropractic care.
● Treat Sleep Issues
Repeated studies show that chiropractic care improves the quality of sleep. Adults report that they have better sleep after their first visits. The same goes for children who have sleep issues, as subluxations often cause enough pain to keep people of all ages awake at night. To maintain good sleep patterns, patients need regular chiropractic care as the sleep benefits are temporary and often return when care stops.
New parents and babies often have sleep issues, and chiropractic care can help soothe colicky babies, so they sleep better. When the baby sleeps better, so do new parents.
Consider the importance of the first five years of life. Children learn their native language. They build neural pathways that lead them into a life of learning. They also have accidents and injuries along the way. Children who live a healthy and safe life can still develop subluxations that can cause pain now and into the future. With chiropractic care, those subluxations are treated to keep the spine functioning at its best while preventing pain and discomfort later in life.
Dr. Brent Wells founded Better Health Chiropractic Alaska in 1998. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree before moving on to complete his doctorate from Western States Chiropractic College. The goal for Dr. Wells is to treat his patients in Juneau, Alaska through chiropractic care, massage therapy, and physical therapy with care and compassion while providing them with a better quality of life.
