What Kinds Of Conditions Can Chiropractors Treat?

All family members can benefit from chiropractic care, regardless of age. The birth process alone can be hard on an infant, and subluxation (spinal misalignment) can occur then. Just watch your children bump into furniture, stumble and fall as they learn to walk and you'll quickly realize that normal development can cause spinal issues. Children, like adults, often suffer from common ailments and conditions that are effectively treated by a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) or "chiropractor."

When Infants and Children Should See a Chiropractor

The trauma an infant experiences at birth, Traumatic Birth Syndrome, is not something that medical doctors are trained to detect and will almost certainly miss. D.C.s are trained to detect and correct Traumatic Birth Syndrome through a simple, gentle exam. Subluxations at birth can lead to numerous conditions that can remain undiagnosed for years to come. Infants should have a chiropractic exam immediately after birth.

When a baby starts to hold his or her head up the neck muscles are under-developed. Spinal injury can occur, as the spine is overworked to compensate for the under-developed muscles. This is a good time for another examination.

Some other crucial times for your child to have an exam include milestones in development, like rolling over, crawling, and eventually walking. When your child experiences a fall or injury, there may be a resulting spinal injury or subluxation. Regular exams allow your chiropractor to detect these conditions before they can cause further health problems.

Is Chiropractic Safe for Children?

Your child's spine is more mobile than an adult's spine so it is possible to achieve very effective adjustments with little pressure. Under normal conditions, adjustments are painless and will not hurt your child. Children generally respond to the treatment much faster than most adults and often require fewer sessions to achieve desired results than adults do. A chiropractor examines and treats the important correlation between the nervous system and disease and does not perform any invasive procedures. Care is individualized and determined only after a complete health history and examination have been performed. Even malpractice insurance providers consider chiropractic to have an excellent safety record and low risk.

What Conditions Does Chiropractic Treatment Help in Children?

Studies have shown that intensive treatment can increase resistance to many common childhood diseases. There are many childhood illnesses that may be related to abnormal body function caused by subluxations.

Some childhood conditions that may be improved with chiropractic care include ADHD, Asthma, Autism/Behavioral/Learning Disorders, Bed Wetting, Colic, Colds, Constipation, Ear Infection, Sleep Disorders, Speech Problems, Scoliosis, Stuttering, and Facial Symmetry.

Children can also suffer unnoticed spinal subluxations from everyday activities like carrying back packs, working on computers and poor posture. The most common reason parents seek chiropractic care for their child is trauma from an injury. Subluxations may occur at the time of an injury but may not cause immediate symptoms. A regular exam can identify potential spinal dysfunction resulting from these kinds of traumas, and help to avoid health issues that could show up later as adults.