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PEDIATRIC HOMEOPATHIC OPTIONS
Everyone knows that visiting a chiropractor can lead to significant improvements in wellness for adults. However, you don’t have to be a grown-up to enjoy the many advantages offered by chiropractic care. Kids are also welcome in the chiropractor’s office, and that’s a fantastic thing for both their health and their parents’ peace of mind. The benefits of chiropractic care for children are numerous.
Childhood can be a physically traumatic time. Most children will take plenty of tumbles as they learn to crawl, walk, run, and engage in games, sports, and other physical activities. While small stumbles may not seem to cause extensive discomfort, they can cause shifts in the child’s musculoskeletal system that set the stage for subluxations. These misalignments can press on spinal nerves and interfere with the efficient function of the child’s nervous system, harming their body’s ability to function optimally. Correcting these misalignments can improve a child’s wellness and help to head off future problems.
HOW PEDIATRIC CHIROPRACTIC WORKS
Children aren’t just small adults. As any parent knows, children’s young bodies are growing and changing at an amazing rate. While this allows chiropractic care to be particularly effective for kids, it also means that treating them requires more than a good bedside manner and plenty of patience for wiggling. As the American Chiropractic Association explains, children’s joints are still forming, so adjustments should generally be delivered more quickly and with less force. Pediatric chiropractic adjustments require changes in depth, contacts, and technique. That’s why the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) offers specialized training programs for chiropractors who want to offer pediatric chiropractic services.
WHAT TO EXPECT
When children are treated with chiropractic care, their parents are likely to notice several important benefits. According to ICPA, parents of children who receive chiropractic treatment report the following:
o Better Sleep: Tension, discomfort, and dysfunction can make falling and staying asleep difficult. By alleviating these issues, chiropractic care can improve children’s sleep and help them to get the rest that they need to function and grow effectively.
o Improved Attitude and Behavior: As anyone who has dealt with a tired child will testify, better sleep can improve a child’s outlook and conduct. In addition, reducing problems in the neurological system by treating subluxations can also foster better attitudes and improved behavior.
o Better Immune System Function: Like the rest of a child’s body, their immune system is immature. Subluxations that impair neurological function can interfere with the proper function of the immune system. Correcting these misalignments with expert chiropractic care supports the child’s immune system and facilitates its effective function.
Dr. Lehr explains how chiropractic helps with colic and demonstrates how gentle the adjustment is on babies.
CONDITIONS CHIROPRACTIC CARE CAN TREAT
Wellness visits allow a chiropractor to identify and treat problematic subluxations quickly, which can improve a child’s overall health and wellness and offer welcome support for their immune system. The benefits of chiropractic care for children also extend to the treatment of many specific conditions, including the following:
o Ear infections
o Digestive issues, particularly colic
o Trouble latching
o Allergies
o Asthma
o Sleep issues
o Sports injuries
o Headaches
o Hip Dysplasia
o Concentration and focus issues
o Torticollis (trouble turning the neck)
o Plagiocephaly and brachycephaly (misshapen head)
o Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
o Delayed motor skills
o Asperger’s syndrome, autism, and autism spectrum disorders
WHEN TO BEGIN
It is never too early to improve wellness with chiropractic care. In fact, ICPA encourages parents to take their children for their first chiropractic visit as soon as possible. Childbirth can be incredibly traumatic, and many common challenges that infants face like colic, ear infections, and breastfeeding difficulties may be due at least in part to misalignments resulting from the birthing process. Of course, the argument can also be made that children can benefit from prenatal chiropractic care. The Webster technique is often used to correct misalignments in the pelvic area, reducing pain and improving neurological function. Mothers-to-be treated with this technique throughout their pregnancy generally experience less pain, reduce the likelihood of dangerous breech birth, and increase their odds of enjoying an easier birth. Arguably, a birth that is safer and easier for the mother is also likely to give the child a better start in life.
IS IT SAFE?
Chiropractic care is noninvasive and drug-free. For parents wary of potential side effects and the dangers of antibiotic overuse, these benefits are understandably appealing. Still, a certain level of risk exists with any form of health care, so it is fair to ask: Is chiropractic care safe for children? According to “The Safety of Chiropractic for Children: A Researchers Perspective,” the answer is yes. A review of the available research makes it clear that chiropractic care is safe for children when delivered by a properly trained chiropractor.
PHYSICAL THERAPY: Specializing in Your Child’s Needs
A physical therapist can help in recovery from sports injuries, falls, and many aspects of symptoms resulting from birth trauma. Every year, an estimated 2 million children suffer injuries that require medical intervention. Most parents know how common it is to see their child fall. The most common areas are within the house and tend to occur in the kitchen (tile floors) and around/on stairs. Physical therapy is a great way to ensure that your child recovers quickly and appropriately from these injuries. Therapists can use various modalities and balancing techniques to help prevent future falls as well.
The challenge of labor and delivery takes a toll on the infant more than most people think. A baby is often pulled out of the womb at an awkward angle and any kind of complications can result in a variety of injuries such as torticollis, broken collar bones, hip dysplasia, brachiocephaly, and plagiocephaly. A properly trained physical therapist can help with the recovery of these conditions. In tandem with the child wearing a helmet, a misshapen head can also be addressed via a technique called sacral occipital technique (SOT). This helps the cranium properly form as the infant develops. Hemorrhages and contusions can also linger longer than expected and cause developmental changes. While babies have an impeccable ability to heal, sometimes the underlying bones/joints can be vastly affected and need further intervention. Parents must consider these options when thinking about the long-term health of their little ones.
Here at Health Quest Physicians Group, we have a crew of highly trained chiropractors, physical therapists, medical staff, and even a massage therapist on hand. Children are just little adults who tend to hurt themselves more often than we think. Our office specializes in taking a conservative and natural approach to meeting the health needs of our community’s pediatric population. If your child has been affected by any of the conditions stated above, don’t hesitate to contact our office to schedule an evaluation with one of our specialists.
“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of our children” – Nelson Mandela
Yours in health,
Dr. Brandon Lehr D.C.
573-635-9655
3349 American Ave. Ste. B
Jefferson City, MO 65109
