Although children haven’t had as much time to age or have the stress on the body that adults have had, children are still susceptible to the stress and physical ailments that plague many of us in our daily lives. In fact, this is a good reason why we should invest time in teaching our children healthy living practices and preventing many of the ailments and diseases that can occur later in life.
As most disease is related to diet and lifestyle, this is where it’s most important that our children are healthy and taught to take care of their health. So how does chiropractic fit into all of that?
Ensure Spinal Health
Taking care of your spine is more than just having good posture or not sleeping on your stomach. Many children have subluxations (minor dislocations in the spine) even before they have the chance to really do anything to get them. Subluxations can be caused by many things including exposure to stress, toxins, physical injuries or just bad posture, poor diet, not getting enough water, etc. However, even in the womb children can experience these things.
The health of the spine is so important. The spine is essentially a bunch of nerves in a column that connect to our brains and basically controls everything that goes on in our bodies. Your child’s nervous system is part of the system of things that ensures that your child is emotionally healthy, physically healthy, has optimal nerve communications, and good posture. The healthy nerve communication is key for the body to be able to successfully regulate everything from digestion to behavior to energy to sleeping well.
Encourage Proper Alignment and Healing
Our bodies have these amazing abilities to heal themselves. However, when the body doesn’t have the proper resources to take care of itself (such as good nutrition, essential accurate nerve communication, and enough sleep), it can’t properly do its job. This is why regardless of whether or not your child has had an injury or has developmental delays or even poor posture, it may be a good idea to take your child to a chiropractor.
Dr. Gil Kentof of Dr. Gil Center for Back, Neck, and Pain Relief in Franklin, Tennessee shares his experiences with children in chiropractic.
“Treating children with chiropractic care has many advantages: chiropractic adjustments insure a properly functioning nervous system. This helps the entire body function at an optimal level. Children respond very quickly to gentle chiropractic care, and adjustments can help prevent a lifetime of pain and suffering. I have personally seen improvement with neck and back pain in children suffering from sports injuries and falls. Babies with colic, torticollis (a painful condition in which the neck is locked to the side), and even chronic ear infections have shown improvement from chiropractic adjustments as well.”
What Does the Chiropractor Do?
Chiropractors are doctors that are trained for years to understand the spine and all its workings. An experienced chiropractor knows how to handle children’s spines as well as adult’s. In fact, some chiropractors are even able to adjust babies shortly after birth to ensure that their spines are healthy and working properly. This can also help with babies who are very irritable. The chiropractor will examine your child, with or without x-rays (your choice), and should be able to tell if certain areas are tight, if subluxations are present, and will most likely examine your child’s posture.
Getting adjusted may seem strange to your child at first, but it is generally painless and your child will probably feel better after getting adjusted. Chiropractors do not use pharmaceuticals or any other medications in their practice. The word chiropractic has roots in the Greek words “hands” and “practice”. So these procedures are very minimally invasive and are done through your clothes and only involve adjustments done with the chiropractor’s hands. An experienced chiropractor will be able to feel if the spine is out of alignment and should be gentle yet thorough with your child’s treatment.
If your child is experiencing any adverse health symptoms, it may be a good idea to take him or her to a chiropractor. Be sure to find one who is experienced in children. Chiropractic adjustments can help everything from the immune system to the respiratory system to proper development. Chiropractic adjustments can ensure your child’s development is healthy and create good postural practices for the future!
Guest post by Jenn Ryan
