Your children don’t have any back pain, neck pain, headaches or injuries so they don’t need Chiropractic, right? Or is it?
Your nervous system is the master control system of your body, controlling everything from breathing to growth to concentration to your skin and even your immune system.
If the messages from the nerves are garbled or fuzzy then we are going to experience fuzzy or garbled health.
Having a distorted spine that can choke the nerves is one of the main causes of fuzzy nerve signals and it’s called a subluxation. The signs may be subtle, but the effects over time can affect your child’s long-term development.
Studies show that the birthing process is a significant cause of paediatric subluxation in newborns that is often not addressed. Even in utero, the baby can get stuck in one position, potentially for several months resulting in plagiocephaly or torticollis.
You may notice problems with feeding, colic type issues, irregular soiling of nappies, sleeping problems, allergies, ear infections, asthma, digestive issues, bedwetting and a host of other subtle signs that may indicate nerve irritation because of subluxation.
While Chiropractor’s see results with many of these conditions, their focus is not on treating or curing ailments. Instead, they focus on helping the nervous system to work efficiently and effectively, taking the tension off the nervous system as soon as possible to allow for optimal growth and development.
Regardless of symptoms or conditions, all roads to well-being lead to the body regulating itself via the nerves.
You’d take your child for dental check-ups when they get teeth so why not have their Spine & Nervous System checked?
In 2000, a survey found that there were about 30 million pediatric visits to Chiropractors; by 2009, that figure had more than doubled, to 68 million. In South Africa, paediatric Chiropractic care is under-utilized but awareness is slowly increasing.
Many developmental milestones such as learning to hold up the head, sitting upright, crawling, and walking are all activities that are affected by spinal alignment and are important times to have a child checked by a Chiropractor. Additionally, falls, sports injuries, playground bumps, heavy school bags and sitting all day in the classroom are all physical stresses to the growing child’s spine and nervous system and warrant a Chiropractic assessment.
When we look at studies that focus on the difference between children that are checked by a Chiropractor regularly vs ones that aren’t there are some glaring differences.
One study compared the difference between the health of children of paediatricians vs those of Chiropractors and they noted that the Chiropractic Children had 5 times fewer antibiotic prescriptions, fewer cases of tonsillitis, fewer allergies and fewer ear infections.
When you consider that these Chiropractic children would have been exposed to fewer dangerous drugs than their non-chiropractic friends these differences are potentially life-changing.
Even if your child is in excellent health, minor traumas accumulate over time and can result in pain, discomfort and/or health issues in their teen and adult years. Chiropractic care can identify potential problems early on before the body starts to create compensations and help prevent future issues.
References:
Gleberzon BJ, Arts J, Mei A, McManus EL. The use of spinal manipulative therapy for pediatric health conditions: a systematic review of the literature. J Can Chiropr Assoc. Jun 2012;56(2):128-141.
Karpouzis F, Bonello R, Pollard H. Chiropractic care for paediatric and adolescent Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder: A systematic review. Chiropr Osteopat. 2010;18:13.van Breda WM; van Breda JM. A comparative study of the health status of children raised under the health care models of Chiropractic and allopathic medicine. J Chiro Res 1989; 5:101-3 / Mantis ID: 10048
Peak Chiropractic Centre located in Claremont are family-friendly chiropractors focused on relieving aches, pains and posture correction. We offer in-house X-Ray facilities.
