At first glance, chiropractic care may appear to be a radical new approach to pediatric healthcare. However, throughout its history, chiropractic has always included children within its growing number of patients.
While chiropracticʼs efficiency in resolving adult low back pain has been widely documented, little public attention has focused on the holistic aspect of such care. The doctor of chiropractic seeks to restore optimal nervous system function thus affecting the entire performance of the body.
Childhood health problems such as hyperactivity, colic, earaches, bedwetting and asthma are just a few of the conditions for which chiropractors are often able to provide relief . Chiropractors find and treat the spinal segments that are locked or jammed out of their normal resting position and thus affecting the surrounding nerves. These nerves run not only to muscles and skin but also to the bladder, ears, lungs etc. For example, tight muscles in the neck, caused by malfunctioning spinal nerves can block the flow of fluid from the middle ear, resulting in persistent earaches.
How can a child have joints out of place and nervous system interference? First, from the trip down the birth canal which in not gentle on either the baby or mother–12 out of every 100 babies have upper cervical spine problems from birth. Cervical trauma can also occurs from falls while learning to walk, sudden starts, stops and turns while riding in a car seat, sports and active play. These everyday traumas cause the vertebrae that protect the spine to lose their normal motion or position and interfere with the delicate nerve tissue and its function.
Some signs which parents can look for, which can be an indicator of a spinal problem are:
• the babyʼs head consistently being tilted to one side
• restricted head or neck motion to one side
• disturbed sleeping patterns in which an infant sleeps for only an hour or two at a time
• feeding difficulties in the very young infant
• difficulty nursing at the breast on one particular side
• persistent earaches
• sore throats
• colic
• headaches
• bed-wetting
• growing pains
Chiropractic care for children is absolutely safe. Of all the forms of childrenʼs healthcare, chiropractic is one of the most conservative. Dr. Ashley Kauffman at Rushmore Family Chiropractic has post-graduate training in pediatrics. She has worked with children from birth though the teen years and has been successful in helping resolve many of the issues discussed. Please feel free to call our office with any questions you may have.
By:
Dr. Ashley Kauffman
