It may come as a surprise to some that chiropractic is not only recommended for adults, but for children as well. Can chiropractic really help kids? The simple answer to this question is YES! How so? Children can benefit from going to a kids chiropractor to receive chiropractic care in much the same way as adults. Spinal nerve health is the key to optimal function for all ages!
Infants experience trauma during birth from tugging and pulling on the head and neck. Chiropractic puts a developing spine in proper alignment to aid in proper formation as the child grows. Chiropractic has been shown to help small children with ear infections to reduce frequency and intensity of infections by aligning the cervical spine (neck) which allows the Eustachian tube to function properly. Not surprisingly, regular adjustments can be especially useful for toddlers and adolescent aged children because of the increased number of falls, tumbles, and accidents that may occur on the playground or in the sports arena.
It is important to note that the actual adjustment administered to a child’s spine can be administered with a gentle technique that is not the same as the “cracking” type of adjustment that is normally associated with chiropractic, and chiropractors are trained to perform adjustments specifically for babies and young adults. All in all, chiropractic offers a safe, natural and cost effective way to prevent and treat children for many different ailments and injuries.
Any questions?!
Chiropractic treatment of children has not been curtailed by such bad publicity. Today, building on a program that began in 1993, the International Chiropractic Association offers a postgraduate “Diplomate in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics” (DICCP) and publishes the “peer reviewed” Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. The diplomate program is a thirty-module, 360-plus-hour classroom course that takes place during weekends over a three-year period. There is no hospital training and no contact with diseased or injured children—only a “mandatory observational/training weekend at a chiropractic center for special needs children under multi-disciplinary care” (ICA Council 2009).