Do Children Need Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is often recommended for children, even babies. If you’re new to chiropractic care, you might be wondering if it’s safe for children and whether or not your child would even benefit from it. Chiropractic care is about the relationship between the spine and nervous system. Chiropractors use spinal adjustment to prevent dysfunction. Although your child is still growing, chiropractors can provide care to help your child be healthier.

Chiropractic Care for Children

Chiropractic care begins with a history of your child’s health. The chiropractor will want to ask about problems and complaints your child has and will want to perform a physical examination of the child before performing an adjustment. Chiropractors use gentler techniques on children than on adults. Pediatric chiropractors understand that care is tailored to the individual. Using softer and gentle adjustments to restore function and mobility helps the child’s body and nervous system without causing pain or damage.

Why Do Children Need Chiropractic Care?

Children go through many physical stresses as they grow up. Their spines can get misaligned through the regular falls and bumps while children are learning to walk, run, or ride a bike. When your child enters school and has to sit at a desk all day, it can lead to spinal stress. Carrying heavy backpacks also puts a burden on your child’s spine and nervous system. 

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association reports that children who get chiropractic care see these results:

  • Improved sleeping
  • Improved behavior
  • Improved immune system

How Can You Tell If Your Child Would Benefit From Chiropractic Care?

Most children don’t have obvious problems with their spine. Children don’t always recognize stress to their body as abnormal. However, some childhood issues can be linked to spinal dysfunction. Here are some signs that could indicate spinal problems:

  • Restricted head and neck movement
  • Disturbed sleep issues
  • One shoulder higher than the other
  • Recurrent ear infections, sore throats and colds
  • Asthma
  • Headaches
  • Scoliosis

Physical trauma is another reason to bring your child to a chiropractor. Soft tissue injuries don’t always show up immediately, but after a car accident or fall, your child’s body may experience stress that would benefit from a spinal adjustment. Children who play sports may also benefit from regular adjustments because they push their body to higher physical limits. Some children who experience emotional stress may also benefit from chiropractic care.

Call Your Chiropractor

If your child has neck and back pain, make an appointment with your chiropractor to see if a spinal adjustment would help. Improve your child’s well-being through chiropractic care. If your child was injured in a car accident, a whiplash doctor, like one from Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab and Chiropractic, could be of great assistance.