Chiropractic Care

It’s not just for adults! By Susan Hoffman.

Chiropractic care is safe and not restricted to adults who are complaining of a bad back or stiff neck. The various techniques, which include manipulative, cranial, sacro-occipatal, myofascial as well as stretch and exercise techniques, are ideal for both adults and children. Spinal complaints from adults often originate from birth. A traumatic or difficult birth can result in stress to the infant’s skull, neck, shoulders, hips, spinal column and pelvis. Research has shown that even though a child may appear free from pain, the initial damage from various birth or childhood traumas affects the future and wellbeing of the function of the nervous system.

Newborns and Babies

Children of this age have no way of communicating pain except by their crying and general irritability. Chiropractors are trained to examine nerves, muscles and ligaments in the spine. In addition to a pediatrician consult, a visit to a chiropractor can be beneficial. The exam might involve finger pressure into a muscle or ligament or gentle holding of the skull in different positions. The exam is not painful or aggressive.

Toddlers

Toddlers are very busy and adventuresome and there are many developmental changes involving coordination, reflexes and spacial awareness. A typical toddler experiences falls, and although minor, can result in significant spinal misalignments (subluxations) which may lead to more serious issues later in life. The crucial nerve system can be impaired by such traumas. Research has proven that with proper spinal care one is able to attain optimum health in daily living. Clinicians also will tell us that the nervous system controls and coordinates the essential functions of our entire body-circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, eliminative and immune systems.

Preteens and Teenagers

Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine, and if it goes undetected a child experiences a disfiguring problem. The typical growth spurt happens between 12-16 years of age. The critical culprit of this situation is often the ever present backpack, which often is extremely heavy and is not worn ergonomically correct. This is also the age of sports mania-football, basketball, soccer, wrestling, skiing, hockey, volleyball, tennis, horseback riding, and lacrosse. And the newest sport- the computer! Many of these activities involve falls or being hit hard or thrown to the ground, and the computer lends itself to poor posture and cranial misalignment. The ideal situation is to catch a problem and fix it immediately to prevent further injury and ailments.

Chiropractic care is not a treatment for disease but strives to reduce spinal nerve stress. Many parents have reported chiropractic care to be successful with their children’s health issues such as earaches, upper respiratory infections, neck pain, muscle pain, allergies, accidental injuries, colic, and digestive disorders. Chiropractic care is gentle, noninvasive and drug free and the American Chiropractic Association reports a considerable increase in people who seek care and give a positive endorsement of the benefits. One patient reports, “ Chiropractic for me is wellness and healthy wellbeing for life. It is so wonderful to feel good all the time and to know that I will feel like this for a lifetime.”

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