Back pain is a common problem among adults. Many of them turn to chiropractors for help with this ailment. Now, the patients waiting in the chiropractor’s waiting room are getting younger and younger.
Chiropractic treatment for children and infants has a number of benefits, which may mean that they will experience fewer problems as they become an adult.
Why do Children need to see the Chiropractor?
In order to understand the treatment of children, you must first understand chiropractic care in general.
The goal of chiropractic care is to align the spine correctly. All the nerves in the body are connected to the spine, and each vertebra controls certain nerves, and therefore certain bodily functions.
When the spine is misaligned, nerves become pinched, cutting off the flow of neurological signals to the parts of the body that are controlled by that nerve. This situation is called subluxation.
Subluxation does not always cause pain in the back or neck, but it is caused by a problem in the spine. When the vertebrae are realigned correctly, the nerves are no longer pinched, and the body begins to function properly.
Babies in the womb have perfect spines, provided there is no trauma to the baby before birth. The birthing process, however, puts extreme pressure on the neck and spine. Also, when the baby is right at the point of being born, there is not much room in the uterus, and the spine can become compressed. Once the baby is born, the acts of crawling and learning how to walk can cause subluxation in the spine.
Is it Safe to Take a Child to a Chiropractor
You might be thinking that there is no reason for a healthy child to visit the chiropractor. If you view a chiropractor as a “bone cruncher” then this assessment of chiropractic treatment for children is probably well-founded.
However, chiropractors rarely fall into the stereotype of back-cracking, pain-inducing doctors. In fact, today’s chiropractic treatments are often painless and even relaxing!
Parents who are worried about the painful treatment that their child or infant might endure need not worry. Chiropractors are sensitive to the delicate nature of young children, and they have less aggressive methods for treating them.
It would behove a parent to seek chiropractic treatment for their young child, especially infants, because it reduces the instance of colic.
Chiropractic treatments also lead to sleeping better at nights, which, in turn, lead to more alertness and less irritability during the waking hours.
Signs that your child might need to visit the chiropractor are frequent bouts of crying that are inconsolable.
Children who experience colic or reflux symptoms can find relief from the chiropractor. Because a misaligned neck leads to headaches, many babies who need to be seen by the chiropractor will be quite fussy for no apparent reason.
Other persistent physical problems, including chronic sore throats and chronic ear infections, often stem from subtle problems in the spine.
Chiropractic treatments are not a popular option among paediatricians. But with this practically risk-free treatment, a parent would be hard-pressed to find a reason to shun it as a means of assistance for their child’s symptoms.
All in all, the advantages of seeking chiropractic care for your young child far outweigh any of the drawbacks associated with this type of medical practice.