Pediatrics

Chiropractic care focuses on the management of the whole body and aims to improve the quality of life for people of all ages including children. A chiropractic lifestyle can provide benefits to the well being of children throughout pregnancy, birth and childhood.

Pregnancy & Birth

Pregnancy puts a lot of stress on your body that can lead to discomfort and difficulty in routine and daily tasks. Chiropractic care can provide comfort and safety to you and your baby during the course of pregnancy. Many women experience back pain and discomfort as the baby grows and their bodies adapt to the change. Chiropractic can help lessen and reduce the typical discomforts women undergo during pregnancy through specific adjustments that alleviate stress and restore balance to the spine and whole body.

As the baby continues to grow in the uterus, the body expands and accommodates for the growth. If the pelvis is out of balance, the ligaments connected to the uterus can’t remain supportive for the uterus and can lead to a condition known as constraint to the uterus that limits the space for the growing baby. As birth nears, if the uterus is constrained, it inhibits the baby from getting into the optimal position for birth. If the baby is not in the natural position for birth, it can cause pain to the baby and mother during labor. Chiropractors focus specifically on the pelvis during the pregnancy course to keep balance and maintain the best environment for a healthy delivery.

Birth

Even if the delivery is normal and healthy, the birthing process can cause irritation to an infant’s spine and development. It is important for children to see a chiropractor right away because stress on the nervous system is often the root cause for problems with colic, nursing, breathing, sleeping, allergies and chronic infections.

Childhood

Chiropractic checkups should start early in a child’s life because learning to crawl, sit and walk are all fundamental stages that connect to spine alignment and function. As children continue to grow and undergo a more active lifestyle, many common childhood activities can cause misalignment to the spine. Although a child may not immediately experience pain or symptoms, injury to the spine can affect normal growth development and disturb the nervous system. Routine checkups with a chiropractor can monitor and prevent potential spinal trauma and reduce the risk of typical conditions later in life.

The purpose of chiropractic is to alleviate stress and mechanical disorders of the joints, muscles and ligaments affecting spine and nerve function and rely on the body’s inherent recuperative abilities to promote healing. Stress affects the natural functioning of the nervous system and can weaken the immune system. Children contract typical health problems such as ear infections, sore throats, colds, fever, colic, bed-wetting, asthma, tonsillitis, stomach aches and more during the course of growth. Although chiropractic does not treat diseases and illness, it can prevent and reduce these symptoms. The doctor naturally treats the stress in the child, which allows the other systems in the body to function efficiently.

* Information from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association: http://www.icpa4kids.com

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that is more common among females than in males, and typically is observed during the pre-teen and early teenage years. Out of every 1000 children, 3 to 5 get develop scoliosis and the most common type is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (scoliosis of unknown cause), which occurs after the age of 10. Although it is rare, infantile idiopathic scoliosis can occur in children less than three years old and juvenile idiopathic scoliosis can occur in children between the ages of 3 and 10.

It is important to see a chiropractor about scoliosis for your children, especially if it runs in the family. Some people may not need treatment, but many do. Chiropractic care offers a safe, non-surgical treatment that may not cure scoliosis, but offers relief with some of the symptoms, along with easing any pain or discomfort associated with scoliosis.

* Information from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin diseases:http://www.niams.nih.gov