Why Do Your Children Need To See A Pediatric Chiropractor?
One of the most popular questions I get as a pediatric chiropractor is “Why should children get chiropractic adjustments?” My response is pretty simple: Because children have spines and a nervous system just like adults. And just like when we are older, we want to make sure they are taking good care of it now; especially during the developmental years.
It's much easier to raise healthy children then fix broken adults.
That said, there is also a host of common ailments such as ear infections, colic, colds, fevers, sore throats, bed-wetting, asthma or allergies; learning and behavioral problems that have been resolved or alleviated with chiropractic care. The same is true with adults. Why? Because a chiropractic adjustment influences the spinal cord which influences the brain; and the brain and spinal cord control everything.
Pediatric Chiropractic Adjustments Optimize the Brain
According to a study published in Neural Plasticity, Chiropractic care can affect the function of the prefrontal cortex of the brain by a staggering 20%. That is unheard of in brain research! According to The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. From the spinal cord, spinal nerves exit the spine and go out to connect every organ, gland, muscle, ligament and tissue of your body. The nervous system is set up much like a big fuse box, and if there is a “blown fuse” symptoms could most certainly occur. A “blown fuse” in a child's spine could result in symptoms such as constipation, colic, bed wetting, ear infections, torticollis, fussiness, trouble sleeping, reflux and so on. Pediatric chiropractors can help with many childhood conditions, but our focus is not on treating disease or disorders. Quite the opposite, our focus is on allowing the nervous system to function without interference or to remove the “blown fuse” known as a Subluxation (misalignment of the spine).
Do subluxations occur in children? Absolutely! And it begins at birth.
Pediatric Chiropractic is Proactive not Reactive Care
A 1992 study found that the birth process is one of the most physically traumatic events a person will encounter in their lifetime. Evidence from the study revealed that the majority of newborns suffer micro-trauma to brain stem tissues. The research noted that harmful physical trauma during the birth process causes misalignment of the upper neck area. The subtle misalignment creates a disturbance to normal nervous system function. The authors studied six hundred children under the age of two years old and found some form of asymmetry of posture, alignment, and/or movement in every infant assessed. In addition, it's not just physical stress applied to the spine of a child that impacts development, but chemical stress (vaccines, antibiotics, medication, processed food and poor diet) and emotional stress (fear, anxiety) will also cause a protective (fight/flight) response that builds up tension within the musculature that supports the spine. These tense muscles can also misalign the spine and cause subluxation. Bottom line: When a child has been through trauma and the spine becomes misaligned and Subluxated (blown fuse) it needs to be corrected with safe and effective chiropractic adjustments. If the “blown fuse” is not removed, the spine will continue to grow “crooked” and the Subluxation will continue to cause health challenges such as constipation, colic, bed wetting, ear infections, torticollis, fussiness, trouble sleeping, reflux. Later on in life it can create trouble with focus, behavior, mood, hyperactivity, digestion, asthma, allergies, headaches and sensory integration.
The majority of spine misalignments occur with no symptoms at all. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology found that spine degeneration was present in 30% – 95% of asymptomatic subjects of varying age. European research done in 2003 changed the perception about why infants and young children need Chiropractic as well. The research study evaluated the spinal health of 154 children using MRI. Of the 154 ten year-old children evaluated, 14 of them had degeneration in at least one or more of their spinal discs. The study concluded that disc degeneration was present in 9% of 10 year-olds without any corresponding spinal pain or symptoms.
Pediatric Chiropractic Adjustments Boost the Immune System
Achieving optimal health requires specific testing provided by Chiropractors specifically educated and trained to make corrections necessary for children and adults to thrive. Studies continue to prove the message Chiropractors have been spreading for over 120 years. All infants, children, and adults deserve to hear the truth about the beneficial link that comes from life lived with properly aligned and mobile spine.
Ground-breaking research from 2011 showed amazing brain and hormonal benefits delivered by a Chiropractic adjustment. Combine this research with the results of a study done at Johns Hopkins University in 2009 and it becomes easy to deduce why everyone deserves to know and experience the benefits of regular Chiropractic adjustments. Research showed that small misalignments in the spine, which usually occur without signs or symptoms, increase stress hormones in the body. This increase of cortisol can suppress the immune system causing all sorts of health problems in the future.
Pediatric Chiropractic Adjustments Influence Organ Function
A 2003 study showed that administering a force (just like that of a Chiropractic adjustment) helps regulate cell biochemistry and gene expression. A Chiropractic adjustment can help change the health and expression of all cells in the body through biochemistry. From heart rate to breathing, and immunity to fertility, every aspect of body function is directed by body chemistry. Chiropractic adjustments positively change body chemistry and lead to better overall health.
Pediatric Chiropractic Adjustments Will Improve Posture
It's no secret that children today are growing up in an environment much different than their parents. There is not one child today who remembers what it was like before the internet, smart phones and tablets. Adults today did not spend a lot of their time hunched over a screen.Everyone hears clichés about eliminating bad posture. But few truly know how dangerous poor posture is to overall health. Memories of being told to sit up straight come to mind as much as any other important tip for improving health. A ground-breaking study published in 2004 proved a significant relationship between bad posture and early death from atherosclerosis and pulmonary disease. That statement bears repeating; poor posture directly related to heart and lung related deaths. The actual study determined a 44% higher risk of death in those with the poorest posture. Medical doctors being completely unaware of this data is just as astonishing.
The study pointed out that the posture with the most dangerous influence on heart and lung health was the sitting posture. Sitting posture presents with hunched shoulders, the head forward, a rounded mid-back, and a forward-tilting pelvis. Sixty percent of the entire work force spends nearly eight hours a day in this position at computers and desks.
Poor posture directly relates to the pandemic of ever increasing cases of heart and lung diseases in America. Medical solutions to this problem begin with drugs and surgery. Drugs and surgery not only cover up the symptoms, they have dangerous side effects that reduce quality of life. The true cause of many of these unwanted symptoms and diseases are being overlooked by almost every other healthcare provider except corrective care Chiropractors.
Anyone standing in a Chiropractic office stands in a place of corrective health. Every Chiropractic adjustment improves health and quality of life.
Chiropractors believe health care should involve proactive education and care that does not involve unnecessary drugs and surgery. Regular Chiropractic care removes spinal misalignments and asymmetries that inevitably cause dysfunction and dis-ease.
Doctors should check all children for restricted movement of the head and increased pain sensitivity of the upper cervical spine. Pediatricians and parents alike often remain unaware of the current research and receive very little training or guidance on necessary steps required to assess and cultivate an infant’s healthy spine and nervous system. Chiropractic does not simply help reduce or eliminate pain. Chiropractors pursue the optimization of body function in every individual by proactively unlocking the body’s innate potential to prevent pain and disease from ever occurring.
An adjustment empowers the nervous system to operate as intended. Health care exists not just when pain subsides but when abundant life flows freely through the body.
Did this information help you to understand more about Pediatric Chiropractic?
Is your child getting regular chiropractic care?
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