It’s common even for adults to become defensive and feel uneasy during his or her first chiropractic adjustment. Because it’s true! The sounds of the bones cracking  (The Sound of Freedom) is intimidating at first. But did you know that there’s tons of parents that send their toddlers and kids to see chiropractors? The reason’s simple; big or small, everyone has a functioning spine and nervous system that needs to be checked and adjusted for optimal health.  

 

 

Is it Safe?

The most common question or concern from the parents when they first send their loved ones to a chiropractic office is its safety. The main reason why some parents raise the issue over safety is due to false media reporting. On 16 October, 2013 -- An Australian chiropractor was falsely claimed to have fractured a baby's neck during a chiropractic adjustment. Soon after, it was revealed that these claims were false and was apologised for in a live broadcast. Read, Chiropractor cleared over 'break' -- The Australian. The reality is that chiropractic care is the most risk-free healthcare to date; "reports of serious complications (regardless of age) following chiropractic adjustments and/or manipulations are extremely rare.* However, when it comes to healthcare, everything poses potential risks and its clinical benefits must be weighed against them. 

The ICPA’s research department have conducted a vast study and concluded that: spanning the last 32+ years, there has been only two reported cases of neurovascular complications related to pediatric patients receiving chiropractic care. The number of pediatric visits to chiropractors in the U.S. alone over the same time span amount to over 1/2 billion visits. 

 

 

 All Toddlers Suffer from Birth

Nerve irritations and vertebral subluxations can occur as a part of normal daily life. They may be a result from physical, emotional and chemical stressors in life, such as poor posture, poor diet, birth traumas to slips and falls. Did you know that on average, toddlers cover more than two and a half miles a day, along with 102 falls a day!

 

 

 

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Children

There are numerous health benefits for kids under chiropractic care. The following are top 10 reasons why parents take their children to see a chiropractor (first published on welladjustedbabies.com)

 

1. To encourage good neural plasticity (brain and nerve development).
2. To support “first-class” nerve communication throughout the body to promoting health and wellbeing.
3. To help strengthen their child’s immunity – encouraging fewer colds, ear-aches and general illness.
4. To help resolve breastfeeding issues and colic.
5. To reduce the detrimental impact our modern world has on our children’s health.
6. Encourages children to thrive by supporting digestive strength.
7. To diminish nerve interference which may impact their child’s capacity to learn and concentrate.
8. To promote body balance – helping to resolve poor posture, asthma, allergies and bed-wetting..
9. To help kids stay fun and light hearted.
10. To help kids stay in tip-top shape.

 

Be Proactive and Prevent

Chiropractic care is not only recognised as an effective means of alleviating serious health conditions, but has amazing preventative capacity. Periodic ongoing adjustments at a young age helps thwart the risks of developing health issues down the road. Proper spinal alignment and correction of the spine is much easily accomplished at a younger age, to delay and prevent degenerative bones or joint diseases. 

Chiropractors are not only fully trained in the spine, but are known to be good mentors and promoters of healthy lifestyle and well-being. Chiropractors will monitor and manage your kids’ health as they grow up. The positive influence and encouragement of good lifelong health habits endowed by chiropractors alone would be worthy to take your loved ones to a chiropractor. 

 

 

References*

Crawford JP, Byoung YH, Asselbergs PJ, Hickson GS. Vascular ischemia of the cervical spine: a review of the relationship to therapeutic manipulation. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1984;7(3):149-55.

Dvorak J, Baumgartner L, Burn JB, et al. Consensus and recommendations as to the side effects and complications of manual therapy of the cervical spine. J Manual Medicine 1991;6:117-8.

Fossgren J. Complications in manual medicine. J Manual Medicine 1991;6:83-4.