Many people only think to schedule a chiropractic appointment when they are experiencing pain in either their neck or back. However, the facts are that chiropractic is actually a preventative practice. Chiropractic is effective at assisting the body in healing itself and keeping itself healthy. Another positive regarding chiropractic care is that it is never too early to begin receiving care. In many cases, newborn babies can receive their first spinal manipulation just minutes after being born.
Many parents elect to have their baby’s spine checked right after birth due to the fact that significant spinal trauma can occur at birth. These early chiropractic visits are important to a healthy childhood and help reduce the likelihood of complications such as sleep disturbances, colic, reflux, allergic reactions, chronic infections, and breastfeeding difficulties. Continued chiropractic care throughout the development of a child is also important as milestones such as learning to hold up their head, sitting upright, crawling, and walking are all events that affect the spine and are key times to have a child examined by a chiropractor.
Chiropractic is just as safe for children as it is for adults, when proper techniques are used when treating the child. The main difference in the chiropractic treatment of a child compared to that of an adult is the body structure. While children have the same joints as adults, their bones are not fully formed. Children’s bones are more like cartilage than harden bone, so adjustments need to be a little quicker and have less force. Another difference between treating children and adults is the lack of complaints that child present, especially in younger children. The child may not have any complaints or they may not be able to effectively communicate their complaints, thus making a thorough examination more important.
While the best way to ensure proper spinal function in children is to keep them on a regular chiropractic schedule, if your child has not been receiving consistent chiropractic care, there are a number of ways to tell if your child may have spinal dysfunctions and therefore may need to schedule a visit. Some of the more common signs of spinal problems in children include disturbed sleep patterns, restricted head or neck movements to one side, one shoulder is higher than the other, bedwetting or constipation, and persistent sore throats or cold symptoms. In addition to these physical signs, emotional and chemical issues can signal an issue in the body’s nervous system.
If you or someone you know has a child and are interested in getting the child on a regular chiropractic schedule, give Advanced Chiropractic & Rehab a call today at (330) 726-7404 to schedule a free consultation to see how we can help. We have been servicing the Youngstown and Mahoning Valley area since 2001 with convenient locations in Boardman, Hubbard, and Kinsman. At Advanced Chiropractic & Rehab, we are a multi-disciplinary rehabilitation group that treats work comp injuries, whiplash, sports injuries and specializes in much more than just lower back pain.