Chiropractic therapy is becoming a nice complimentary approach in dealing with young children, remembering to allow your pediatrician to be their primary physician. Think about the trauma a newborn goes through making their way through the birth canal. Pediatric chiropractic care is a gentle approach to realigning your infant’s spine after this trauma and allowing for improved digestion. Chiropractic care wouldn’t be your first choice if your infant has an ear infection, pneumonia, or strep throat but can aid in the prevention of these illnesses along with being proven beneficial in treating infants with colic. Colic, which is characterized by excessive crying, is often severe and fluctuating pain in the child’s abdomen caused by intestinal gas or an obstruction in the intestines. Soft spinal manipulations have resolved this condition quickly.
The Chiropractic profession is a discipline grounded in the general health of the nervous system. The primary focus is the spine with the massive amount of nerves found here. It is also an art and a philosophy based on a drug-free approach. Education consists an undergraduate degree followed by four years of studying anatomy and physiology as well as nutrition and radiology concluding in stress management and holistic health treatments. While in chiropractic school a chiropractic doctor will get extensive hands-on training learning proper diagnosis and the 55 established adjustment techniques. This training includes infants and children.
Most chiropractic doctors would recommend taking the infant or child to the primary physician first from a medical standpoint to see if the treatment is serious enough to come from that office. In fact, 17% of all chiropractic patients are under the age of 18 and of that 17% almost half are five years old or younger. Chiropractic care is growing in the field of pediatrics. It can become an essential part of the child’s overall wellness. Chiropractic adjustments call allow the child’s nervous system and spine to grow optimally without any interference.
The human body is a complex electrical system that communicates via chemical messengers, neurotransmitters and hormones to mention a few. Spinal realignments have reduced bed wetting, asthma and allergies. It can improve the immune system of the child as well as the digestive system. Limiting colic was mentioned earlier and it can also limit constipation. With optimal nervous system communication, it can even encourage brain development. A chiropractor performing an adjustment of a pediatric patient is aware of the fact that the spine is far more flexible with the cartilage and the growth plates. An adult high velocity, low amplitude thrusting adjustment will be replaced with just light thumb pressure. Gentle touches have a calming effect on the infant or child.
Chiropractic care is an alternative approach but in dealing with pediatric patients it is a valuable compliment. The philosophy may introduce other joint manipulation and soft tissues but also include the value of exercise and counseling for both health and lifestyle concerns. What better time to introduce the benefits of a good diet than in childhood? Or to make the child aware of stress and the negative health symptoms that come from the inability to handle stress.
