Did you know that during birth, an average of 60-90 pounds
of pressure is applied to the cervical spine of the baby?
The birthing process is a traumatic experience for both
mother and child. The amount of pressure
applied to the baby's neck can cause significant misalignments in the spine
which can inhibit nerve communication between the brain and the body and vice
versa. That break in nerve communication
can lead to a reduction in immunity, pain, muscle tension and a long list of
other issues. If left unchecked and
untreated, these issues can continue past infancy into childhood and even into
adulthood. Children can be evaluated and
treated as early as a few days after birth.
Does your child suffer from ear aches, ear infections,
asthma, allergies, colic, digestive problems, inability to concentrate, scoliosis,
athletic injuries, joint pain or overuse of technology? Keep reading
Below are 7 common reasons children see a chiropractor:
1. To encourage good neural plasticity
No need to visit dictionary.com! Neural plasticity, simply put, is the brain's
ability to reorganize itself by forming new nerve connections throughout
life. Those nerve connections travel
from the brain to the body through the spinal cord which is protected by the
spine. If there are misalignments in the
spine, pressure can be put on the nerves which interrupts those connections.
2. To help strengthen a child's immunity
The immune center in the body is located in the brain stem
which sits at the level of the upper cervical spine (neck). Recent studies show that chiropractic adjustments
to that region encourage fewer colds, ear aches and general illness. Consistent adjustments have also been shown
to reduce the occurrence of ear infections and decrease the need for
antibiotics.
3. To help with colic and trouble latching during
breastfeeding
Colic is characterized by the presence of loud, piercing
crying, flexed legs, tension in abdominal muscles and clenching of fingers.
Research has found that up to 94% of colicky infants show improvement in
symptoms with chiropractic care. Spinal
misalignments in the mid to lower thoracic and upper lumbar regions, which
carry nerve supplies to the stomach and intestines, cause disruption to the
digestive system resulting in colicky symptoms.
Chiropractors are trained to correct spinal misalignments thus relieving
the symptoms and bringing great relief to your baby.
Many new mothers experience pain or difficulty with
breastfeeding their baby. Often times,
difficulty breastfeeding is a result of poor latching by the infant. This can be caused by misalignments in the
upper cervical spine and/or temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to
help in as many as 78% of cases, especially when an infant tends to feed
primarily on one side.
4. To help support digestive strength
Many children deal with issues such as constipation or acid
reflux, which can be caused by misalignments in the thoracic and lumbar regions
of the spine. Correction of these
misalignments will clear the nerve connection to those areas, thus clearing up
the problem.
5. To help with a child’s capacity to learn and concentrate
Countless children suffer from attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and parents are becoming more and more cautious
about medicating their child for it. While
medication has been shown to help, there can be significant side effects. Chiropractic care is a treatment option to
consider with few to no negative side effects.
A diagnosis of ADHD often comes from answers on a questionnaire; however
Dr. Robert Melillo, a chiropractic neurologist says that is not enough. He says, "True ADHD patients have other
signs — tics, tremors, balance or postural problems, or unusual sensitivity to
touch, movement, sights, or sounds."
Doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic neurologists offer
a non-drug and non-invasive treatment alternative for ADHD patients that
targets the underlying problems, not just symptoms. "Motor
activity—especially development of the postural muscles—is the baseline
function of brain activity. Anything affecting postural muscles will influence
brain development. Musculoskeletal
imbalance will create imbalance of brain activity, and one part of the brain
will develop faster than the other, and that's what's happening in ADHD
patients," says Dr. Melillo.
6. To help promote body balance
With the increasing prevalence of kids with cell phones,
video games, computers and tablets, there is a noticeable increase in poor
posture. Kids seem to be constantly bent
over a mobile device of some kind thus promoting forward head carriage and
rounded shoulders; a condition known as Upper Crossed Syndrome (Tech Neck). This posture causes tightening of the
pectoral and trapezius muscles and weakening of the deep neck flexors and
rhomboids (muscles that draw the shoulder blades together), thus drawing the
head forward and putting extra pressure on the cervical spine and causing a
loss in natural cervical curve. The
cervical curve, or lordosis, is important to bear the weight of the head
properly and minimize and slow down degeneration of the spine. Consistent chiropractic adjustments and specific
corrective care can help restore the natural curve.
Chiropractic care can also help with issues such as asthma,
allergies and bed wetting. Pressure on
the nervous system can disrupt nerve connection to organs such as the lungs and
bladder thus causing problems with breathing and wetting the bed.
7. To help relieve joint pain
As children learn to crawl, walk, run and play, tremendous
amounts of pressure are put on the spine causing misalignments and decreasing the
communication between the brain and the body.
Kids fall! It is inevitable. Whether the fall is minor or significant, it
will cause the soft tissues that support the spine to compensate thus pulling
the spine out of alignment. Consistent
adjustments will help correct that and keep the body healthy during the
important years of growth.
Backpacks seem to be getting heavier and heavier as the
years go on. Not wearing a backpack
correctly can put excess stress on the spine.
Encourage your children to wear both straps even if it isn’t “cool” and
show them how to load the pack with the heaviest contents towards the back so
that it sits closer to the body.
Cinching the straps so the backpack does not hang too low is beneficial…and
also, get them in to a chiropractor to get adjusted!
Scoliosis starts during adolescence which is the worst time
because that is when the majority of growth occurs. If scoliosis goes untreated, a growth spurt
can make the curve worse. Consistent
chiropractic care can help reduce a scoliotic curve and promote proper growth.
Kids are starting athletics earlier and earlier in life,
which is great for physical fitness, however, it increases the risk of
injury. Things like ankle sprains,
muscle strains, knee injuries and the like can inhibit a child’s ability to
continue play. Chiropractors are trained
in adjusting more than the spine. They
can adjust extremities as well. If your
child suffers an injury, a chiropractic adjustment will help speed up the
healing process and get them back to what they love sooner.
Think of chiropractic care like dental care…you wouldn’t want
your first dental check up to be when you’re an adult, so why get your first
chiropractic adjustment when you’re an adult?
There is always a reason for children to get adjusted.
