Kids Need Chiropractic Too!
Chiropractic For Growing Bodies:
Our children are perhaps the most precious things that we can have in this world. It is a miracle how they are created and we as parents, family members and friends watch these little humans grow up from infancy into adulthood. I myself have the pleasure of watching my very young children get bigger each day.
Of the many choices that we make for our children’s welfare on almost a daily basis, the topic of healthcare is likely on the forefront. For example, as a parent there have been times where your child has had an elevated temperature or fever that was high enough to be of concern, but low enough to not rush them to the hospital. How long did you sit there by yourself or with your spouse asking whether or not you should take them to the pediatrician? How many times have you questioned the choices that you make for your child’s benefit? It is only natural as parents that we agonize over some of these decisions. Luckily, things turn out for the best mostly.
I write this article to explain a facet of pediatric health care that is more popular today than it has ever been. I am referring to Chiropractic care for children. It is amazing to me how many reactions I get from adults or parents when they either ask or I mention the idea of having their children adjusted. Some adults have a look of shock, disbelief and even fear while others nod their heads and relate the stories of how they were adjusted since they were young children. No matter what camp you come from, I hope to enlighten you as to why it is so positive and powerful for children’s health.
When adults get injured playing sports or have common ailments like headaches, sore muscles, inflammation or other painful conditions, taking an aspirin or popping some type of pill is often considered normal. When it comes to our kids however, the thinking is different. Rarely do I meet a parent or care giver who wants their child to take over the counter or prescription medication unless it’s absolutely necessary. As a society, we tend to not want to put a lot of chemicals or foreign substances into our kids’ bodies. We look for ways to help our children as naturally as possible.
Chiropractic is a health discipline that offers an alternative to taking drugs and medications. We work with the body’s inborn healing abilities and allow the body to essentially repair itself. By using our hands to gently move or re-align various bones of the body we address the source of many problems that can lead to pain. People have asked me “why a child would possibly need a Chiropractor? They are too young to have any back problems”. Remember, children can have the same types of injuries, problems and pain that adults do. The key is to identify any problems early and intervene so that they don’t follow them into adulthood where they can become even worse.
Children are amazing because their bodies are constantly changing and growing. From the day they are born to around age 25, all of their bones continue to lengthen and harden. The human body has 206 bones in it so that’s a lot of growing to do. Their organs and tissues are also growing and learning to perform bodily processes more efficiently. Their muscles, tendons and ligaments start to work as they go from crawling to standing to walking and running. Imagine the amount of work the body is going through to develop and then coordinate all of these body parts in the growing child. For the most part, the body does a great job keeping things going, but just like adults, kids will fall down or perform activities during the day that put stress on their little bodies.
Stress can be placed on children in the same manner it is placed on adults. It could be due to sports; sitting in the car seat for too long; falling down while they are playing; birth trauma or falling out of their crib/bed to name a few. The important idea here is that children are not always good at letting you know they are in pain or having a problem. The key is to be able to make observations that indicate when you may need to have your child evaluated by your local Chiropractor.
Some children have a difficult delivery where as they pass through the birth canal, their shoulders, heads, hips or legs can get stuck or are placed in awkward positions. In some cases, the mother has tried hard to have a natural birth, but in the end, a cesarian section must be done. Even C-sections can be physically traumatic to the parts of the baby’s body.
When children begin crawling, they start to develop the curve in their neck. They also begin developing the coordination in their arms and legs. As they move into walking, you start to see them using their limbs to balance and move upright. Early in their lives, you may be able to notice some of the following signs.
a. hunched shoulder on one side or both
b. head tends to turn to one side more than the other. The child resists you or becomes noticeably uncomfortable when you turn their head to the other side.
c. Do the hip and leg on one side kick or move differently from the other
d. When the child walks or runs are their toes pointing inward? Do the toes point outward?
As children grow older and get into more sporting activities, it is a lot easier to understand when a child is injured or is in pain. They are vulnerable to many of the same types of injuries that adults are. Even without any pain, many of the activities discussed above can cause problems with children’s bones, joints and muscles that may not be detected or become painful for years to come. Preventative Chiropractic can give a child a solid foundation for the rest of their life.
Did you realize that Chiropractic care that works so well for adults, works even better for children? The same treatments that we administer in our office to adults are just as safe for children. Ailments that adults commonly come into our office for like headaches, neck pain, back pain, sprained ankles happen to children as well. But children heal faster than adults. A child’s immune system is working so efficiently that it takes less time to heal.
Techniques in a Chiropractor’s office that are done on children are modified so that procedures are more gentle for the child’s particular body type. We can also utilize exercises, ice/heat and other home care instructions to bring the parents into being part of the care-giving process.
Chiropractors also have the knowledge to analyze children’s feet to make sure they are supporting the weight of the body. By age 6 or 7 the 3 arches of the foot have fully developed and we can determine if arch supports are needed. Thus we can help support proper development of the whole body.
Chiropractors have long cared for children and now it is being understood and accepted as being a viable health care choice. Thousands of children across the world each day are having their bones adjusted by Chiropractors and it is a great way of relieving pain, restoring their function and keeping them happy. I hope this inspires you to think about your own children and how much Chiropractic can help them.
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Our children are perhaps the most precious things that we can have in this world. It is a miracle how they are created and we as parents, family members and friends watch these little humans grow up from infancy into adulthood. I myself have the pleasure of watching my very young children get bigger each day.
Of the many choices that we make for our children’s welfare on almost a daily basis, the topic of healthcare is likely on the forefront. For example, as a parent there have been times where your child has had an elevated temperature or fever that was high enough to be of concern, but low enough to not rush them to the hospital. How long did you sit there by yourself or with your spouse asking whether or not you should take them to the pediatrician? How many times have you questioned the choices that you make for your child’s benefit? It is only natural as parents that we agonize over some of these decisions. Luckily, things turn out for the best mostly.
I write this article to explain a facet of pediatric health care that is more popular today than it has ever been. I am referring to Chiropractic care for children. It is amazing to me how many reactions I get from adults or parents when they either ask or I mention the idea of having their children adjusted. Some adults have a look of shock, disbelief and even fear while others nod their heads and relate the stories of how they were adjusted since they were young children. No matter what camp you come from, I hope to enlighten you as to why it is so positive and powerful for children’s health.
When adults get injured playing sports or have common ailments like headaches, sore muscles, inflammation or other painful conditions, taking an aspirin or popping some type of pill is often considered normal. When it comes to our kids however, the thinking is different. Rarely do I meet a parent or care giver who wants their child to take over the counter or prescription medication unless it’s absolutely necessary. As a society, we tend to not want to put a lot of chemicals or foreign substances into our kids’ bodies. We look for ways to help our children as naturally as possible.
Chiropractic is a health discipline that offers an alternative to taking drugs and medications. We work with the body’s inborn healing abilities and allow the body to essentially repair itself. By using our hands to gently move or re-align various bones of the body we address the source of many problems that can lead to pain. People have asked me “why a child would possibly need a Chiropractor? They are too young to have any back problems”. Remember, children can have the same types of injuries, problems and pain that adults do. The key is to identify any problems early and intervene so that they don’t follow them into adulthood where they can become even worse.
Children are amazing because their bodies are constantly changing and growing. From the day they are born to around age 25, all of their bones continue to lengthen and harden. The human body has 206 bones in it so that’s a lot of growing to do. Their organs and tissues are also growing and learning to perform bodily processes more efficiently. Their muscles, tendons and ligaments start to work as they go from crawling to standing to walking and running. Imagine the amount of work the body is going through to develop and then coordinate all of these body parts in the growing child. For the most part, the body does a great job keeping things going, but just like adults, kids will fall down or perform activities during the day that put stress on their little bodies.
Stress can be placed on children in the same manner it is placed on adults. It could be due to sports; sitting in the car seat for too long; falling down while they are playing; birth trauma or falling out of their crib/bed to name a few. The important idea here is that children are not always good at letting you know they are in pain or having a problem. The key is to be able to make observations that indicate when you may need to have your child evaluated by your local Chiropractor.
Some children have a difficult delivery where as they pass through the birth canal, their shoulders, heads, hips or legs can get stuck or are placed in awkward positions. In some cases, the mother has tried hard to have a natural birth, but in the end, a cesarian section must be done. Even C-sections can be physically traumatic to the parts of the baby’s body.
When children begin crawling, they start to develop the curve in their neck. They also begin developing the coordination in their arms and legs. As they move into walking, you start to see them using their limbs to balance and move upright. Early in their lives, you may be able to notice some of the following signs.
a. hunched shoulder on one side or both
b. head tends to turn to one side more than the other. The child resists you or becomes noticeably uncomfortable when you turn their head to the other side.
c. Do the hip and leg on one side kick or move differently from the other
d. When the child walks or runs are their toes pointing inward? Do the toes point outward?
As children grow older and get into more sporting activities, it is a lot easier to understand when a child is injured or is in pain. They are vulnerable to many of the same types of injuries that adults are. Even without any pain, many of the activities discussed above can cause problems with children’s bones, joints and muscles that may not be detected or become painful for years to come. Preventative Chiropractic can give a child a solid foundation for the rest of their life.
Did you realize that Chiropractic care that works so well for adults, works even better for children? The same treatments that we administer in our office to adults are just as safe for children. Ailments that adults commonly come into our office for like headaches, neck pain, back pain, sprained ankles happen to children as well. But children heal faster than adults. A child’s immune system is working so efficiently that it takes less time to heal.
Techniques in a Chiropractor’s office that are done on children are modified so that procedures are more gentle for the child’s particular body type. We can also utilize exercises, ice/heat and other home care instructions to bring the parents into being part of the care-giving process.
Chiropractors also have the knowledge to analyze children’s feet to make sure they are supporting the weight of the body. By age 6 or 7 the 3 arches of the foot have fully developed and we can determine if arch supports are needed. Thus we can help support proper development of the whole body.
Chiropractors have long cared for children and now it is being understood and accepted as being a viable health care choice. Thousands of children across the world each day are having their bones adjusted by Chiropractors and it is a great way of relieving pain, restoring their function and keeping them happy. I hope this inspires you to think about your own children and how much Chiropractic can help them.
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