We get asked at least once a week, “Do kids get adjusted?”, “Is chiropractic care safe for children?”, “Should I get my child’s spine checked?”

The simple answer to all of the above is, ABSOLUTELY! We adjust the whole family, from birth to the more mature adults. But, parents often want a bit more information than that!

Why should my child see a chiropractor?

Many of the “little things” that kids deal with can be helped by getting adjusted. From ear infections to growing pains to sports injuries to attitude (…yes, even attitude), chiropractic can make a big difference!

Too often, we discount what children are dealing with as “just part of growing up”. Remember just because it is common, doesn’t make it normal. (Check out our previous post on Normal vs. Common.)

Just like adults, children have a powerful nervous system that controls everything in their bodies, including growth and development. If the spine is misaligned (it’s called a subluxation), it can prevent the brain from communicating well with the body. This leads to a decrease in function.

Infants, children, and adults can all have subluxations in their spine. Infants or children could have become subluxated during birth trauma, other minor or major traumas, developmental changes, as well as when they have experienced physical, chemical, or emotional stressors.

It is common knowledge that the first few years of life are a time of incredible development. The body produces more neural pathways during the first five years than any other time of development. This production can be optimized through chiropractic care.

Your child doesn’t need to be ill or in pain to start seeing a chiropractor. Small traumas like bumps and bruises, sports injuries, times of increased stress, etc. can accumulate over the years and show up as pain, discomfort, health issues, hormonal imbalances, and other concerns as they move into their teens and adult years.

So, when do I take my child to see a chiropractor?

It can be hard as a parent to see when our children’s spine is out of alignment and which problems and concerns could be related to that subluxation. Kids will from time to time express that they are feeling something like pain, but just like adults, pain is a poor indicator. Often you will see it show up in many other ways before your child tells you they feel anything!

You may notice things like:

• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Difficulties with breastfeeding
• Ear infections
• Colic/reflux
• Sore throats, colds, flu
• Headaches
• Bedwetting
• Growing pains
• Constipation
• Anxiety
• Digestive issues

The list goes on and on, so to keep it simple, it is difficult to tell on your own if your child needs an adjustment. The best way to find out if your child should see a chiropractor is to have their spine checked by a chiropractor.

If you would like to have Dr. Todd check your child’s spine to see if they have a subluxation and could benefit from chiropractic care or if you have further questions about this, request an appointment or give our office a call at (402)590-2199 to speak with him.