Benefits of Chiropractic Care in Babies & Children

When most people think of chiropractic care, they don't often think that children, babies, and even pregnant mothers can be seen by a chiropractor. Over the past few years, chiropractic care for children has become more widespread among the parenting community. In fact, according to Scott A. Darragh, DC, MPH, more and more parents have begun to seek chiropractic care for their children because they have become aware that spinal problems seen in their children may have the potential to manifest into dire problems that can arise later on. 

What most people don't know is that chiropractic care provides many benefits to a child's nervous system, just as much as it does to an adult's. Two common misconceptions that people often have is that chiropractic care is only for adults, and that a visit to the chiropractor is only needed when a person is in pain. Both of these are not the case as chiropractic care benefits a child’s health in so many areas such as reducing the symptoms of colic, nursing delays, and sleep disturbances. 

Chiropractic care is not a treatment for disease nor does it cure anything. Its purpose is to reduce spinal nerve stress, which interferes with your nervous system's ability to function properly, so that one’s nervous system can continue to function properly. By freeing the nervous system from spinal stress, a child’s health symptoms may have the potential to become reduced, ultimately allowing your child’s body to function to its full potential. Thus, it is important to get your children checked before, during, and after their developmental years. This creates a strong developmental foundation so that children can grow to be healthy and happy adults.

Babies are constantly moving through fleeting stages of development. Their most critical developmental milestones include sensory pathways, language, and higher cognitive functions, all of which occur before the age of two. Of course, genetics and environment play a vital role in the development of a child's brain as well. Through life's experiences, toxic stressors occur, which interfere with the architecture of the developing brain. This interference puts the child's brain at risk for developing lifelong problems in their learning, behavior, physical and mental health. Although spinal problems in children are rarely preventable because kids are always running around, it is best for parents to get their children checked and adjusted in order to prevent any health issues from occurring in their child’s future.

What Symptoms Warrant a Visit?

There are a number of different signs or symptoms that can pop up in children. Misalignments can happen from birth and can cause an array of issues in infants, such as constipation, ear infections, colic, and acid reflux. In children, we see symptoms continue such as asthma, ADD, and allergies. Through Chiropractic adjustments, we improve the function of the nerves controlling the whole body and we see changes in all these issues. For example, when communication improves through your nervous system to the GI tract, constipation and acid reflux improve. Some signs are more obvious than others, and some require a little extra attention to notice. Here are some common things you should look out for in your child to see if an immediate visit is necessary.

• Nerve irritation

• Constipation

• Ear Infections

• Colic

• Acid Reflex 

• Bad posture 

• Joint and/or muscle pain

• Headaches

• Limited Range of Motion

Remember that these are just some symptoms, and if you are worried, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Woodbury Pediatric Chiropractor. 

When Is the Best Age to Start?

The reality is, it’s never a bad time to start seeing a chiropractor. It is perfectly safe for infants and young children to see a chiropractor. In fact, infants can benefit greatly from a chiropractor because they are trained to assess an infant’s hips, necks, and collarbones. 

As children grow up, regular visits to the chiropractor are important. If you notice your child is expressing discomfort with their back and or neck, avoids certain activities, or is displaying poor posture, that is a sign that you should take them to see a chiropractor.