Benefits of Randour Pediatric Chiropractic Care
With the mainstreaming and growing acceptance of alternative and natural treatments, chiropractic care for children is becoming increasingly popular among parents today. There’s good reason for this.
Significant Spinal Trauma Often Occurs at Birth
In recent years, it’s been concluded that many childhood and adult health problems can actually be traced back to spinal trauma that occurred at birth. In fact, a number of newborn health complaints such as colic, nursing difficulties, chronic infections, respiratory problems, allergic reactions, and sleep disturbances are now being linked to nervous system stress and irritation brought on by spinal and cranial misalignment.
Even prior to the birthing process, the baby’s positioning in the womb or its trip through the birth canal can cause spinal segments to jam or be pushed out of place.
Spinal Alignment Is Affected as a Child Grows
Small, yet significant, injuries to the still developing spine occur from the time an infant learns to sit up, crawl, and walk to when they’re older and engaging in typical childhood activities like riding a bike or playing sports. Not to mention every tumble and fall along the way.
These spinal misalignments (subluxations) don’t always result in immediate pain or symptoms and typically go unnoticed. However, this neglected subtle trauma over time means the spine is impaired as it develops to accommodate physical growth spurts.
Since the spinal cord is an extension of the brain, carrying signals from the brain to other parts of the body and then back to the brain again, overall body function is affected. The nerves’ ability to transmit vital information is compromised, which can negatively impact the function of everything from our circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and immune systems. Various chronic ailments or physical problems will then manifest.
Chiropractic Care for Children May Be the Key to a Healthier Life
Most of these subtle spinal injury traumas can be identified and corrected by just a couple routine chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractors can help with numerous childhood conditions such as allergies, asthma, ADHD, autism, persistent sore throat, upset stomach, headaches, ear infections, bed wetting, colic, or any other condition if it is resulting from impingment of the nervous system. Any child suffering from such ailments should be checked for possible spinal misalignment and an impaired nervous system.
From there, a chiropractic adjustment can be the key to restoring optimal nervous system function for better health and a greater sense of well-being.
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe for Children?
Chiropractors are mindful that a child’s spine is still developing and proceed with caution and gentle care. The first thing a chiropractor will do is carefully and thoroughly evaluate a child’s spine to identify and treat any observed pediatric spinal problems.
If a chiropractic adjustment is needed, the procedure is modified to suit a child’s size, weight, and specific spinal condition.
Adjustments are safe for infants since only a very-light fingertip adjustment is needed to correct malfunctioning spinal structures. This light spinal adjustment uses minimal force (no more than 2 lbs. of pressure) to sufficiently restore spinal joint mobility. Chiropractors actually recommend that parents bring their child for chiropractic care within a month of their birth and then every 3 months for the first year and every 6 to 12 months every year thereafter.
While many parents may think their child’s pediatrician can find and treat spinal problems, it’s important to remember that a pediatrician isn’t a trained specialist in spinal conditions. They are great for treating what’s physically ailing your child, but most pediatricians have yet to link common health problems to subtle spinal trauma nor can they identify it.
There are rarely reports of pain or discomfort and most parents suggest their children look forward to subsequent visits to the chiropractor more so than visits to the dentist as they get older. The risk of a child being permanently injured from a spinal manipulation is extremely low. Chiropractors have provided chiropractic care for kids and infants for over 100 years.
