Newborns & Kids

Spinal Injuries Often Began at Birth

More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even so called 'natural' birthing methods can stress an infant's spine and developing nerve system. The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal and cranial misalignment can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, breathing problems, nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions and chronic infections can often be traced to nerve system stress.

As shown on the picture here, it is very common for newborns to have their tiny fragile neck or head being twisted and pulled, sometimes over and over again. Since significant spinal and cranial trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked right after birth by doctors of chiropractic. As the infant grows, learning to hold up the head, sitting, crawling and initial walking stages are all times in spinal development where injury may occur and therefore spinal alignment can be adversely affected. They are therefore important times to have a child checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Watch this short 2 minutes video below to understand WHY KIDS NEED CHIROPRACTIC CARE:

Daily Childhood Activities Often Cause Undetected Injuries

As the child begins to participate in regular childhood activities like climbing up the couch, skating or riding a bike and experiences traumas associated with these activities, small yet significant spinal misalignments (subluxations) may occur. If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead to more serious problems later in life. Subtle trauma throughout childhood will affect the future development of the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. Any interference to the vital nerve system will adversely affect the body’s ability to function at its best.

One of the most common reason parents seek care for their child is trauma from an injury of some sort. These spinal misalignments may or may not result in immediate pain or symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify potential spinal injury from these traumas, make the correction early in life and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults. We have treated many student athletes, cheerleaders, gymnasts, soccer players, softball players, who have multiple spinal problems due to these high impact, injury-prone sports. The worst part is if these teenagers go through their growth spurt (3-12 inches in a year) but they start out with "crooked" spine and hips or feet that are structurally imbalanced, they will grow up with multiple health problems, from frequent and weak back pain, scoliosis, migraine headaches, scoliosis, upper back hump, and many more. Proper spinal hygiene is an important key to better health.

Another sought out reason for care is the resolution of a particular symptom or condition. Parents seek care for conditions such as colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies and headaches (to name a few) because they have heard from other parents that chiropractic care can help.

It is important to understand that the doctor of chiropractic does not treat conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor is in checking the child’s spine for misalignments that impair nervous system function therefore affecting overall body function. The bones of the spine, the vertebrae, house and protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and carries information from the brain to the body parts and back to the brain again. Subluxations interfere with the nerves’ ability to transmit this vital information. Think of the circuit breaker in your house. If one of the breakers trips, wherever the wires go, it will no longer transmit electrical power.

At every second, your brain sends and receives signals to and from every organ, tissue, and parts of the entire body. It sends signals through the nerve down the spinal cord, and to every organ (heart, lungs, liver, bladder, etc.), tissues (muscle, ligaments, etc.) and system (endocrine, immune, respiratory, digestive, etc.). The nerve system controls and coordinates the function of all the systems in the body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, eliminative and immune system. Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference caused by spinal misalignments . The chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function allowing the body the ability to express a greater state of health and well-being. Even though some therapist or medical doctors claim to be able to manipulate joints, only doctors of chiropractic trained in the detection and removal of nerve interference caused by spinal misalignments.

The doctor of chiropractic will take a case history and perform a chiropractic exam to determine if spinal subluxations exist. Chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to fit a child's size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care.