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Chiropractic Care
for Healthy Children
Why chiropractic care for my child? His back doesn't bother him!
Doctors of
chiropractic hear from parents that they appreciate the importance of
regular check-ups for their child's teeth, eyes and ears, but they draw
a blank when it comes to a spinal check-up. Yet that could be one of
the most important check-ups your child will ever have.
You might be surprised to learn that most adult problems chiropractors
deal with actually have a start in childhood. For example, the "growing
pains" of a 12-year-old boy can become crippling low back and leg
pains in adulthood; the "jolly jumpers" used by a toddler
can cause spinal curvatures (scoliosis) in the adolescent. Your child's
spine is his or her lifeline. Running through it is the spinal cord
containing billions of nerves that send messages and information from
the brain to every part of the body and back again.
Yes, we all have our very own Internet! As long, as none of these messages
is interrupted, your child should have optimal function and the best
health possible. If, however, there is any interference with this "information
highway," the message sent by the brain will not reach the part
of the body it is intended to reach. As a result the body starts to
work improperly. Chiropractors call this "malfunction." It
can be a serious threat to health. This interference will often affect
the immune system, lower body resistance and leave your child prey to
various bugs and infections.
The Function of the Immune System
It is generally agreed that the immune system is very closely linked
to the nervous system. As a matter of fact, Dr Stephen Marini, who is
both an immunologist and a chiropractor and who is on staff at the Centre
for Disease Control in Atlanta, feels that the immune system is like
a "circulating nervous system." He also feels that most diseases
children get are really the result of the improper functioning of that
system. This interference in your child's nervous system is what chiropractors
refer to as a vertebral subluxation - small misalignments of the bones
of the spine pinching delicate nerves.
How does your baby's spine lose its natural alignment?
Vertebral subluxations have many causes. The major cause of most is
actually the process of being brought into the world - birth. For an
infant, it can be very stressful. Subluxations associated with birth
trauma can cause hyperactivity, lowered resistance, ear infections,
asthma and bed-wetting as well as signs of "central motor impairment."
According to Dr Gutman, a German specialist, "a spinal check-up
after birth should be obligatory."
As a matter of fact, certain hospitals in Australia are having, chiropractic
doctors check the infant spine immediately after delivery to ensure
a healthy spine and nervous system, free from subluxations.
As babies get older, they are often subjected to some uncomfortable
traditions: wearing tight diapers that do not allow proper hip development;
"jolly jumpers" which place an infant in an upright position
long before the spine can deal with gravity; poorly designed school
desks and poor mattresses, just to name a few. Then of course there
is the usual process of crawling, walking and running. As your child
matures, other incidents and activities can also create vertebral subluxations.
For instance, falling off a bike or down stairs, hockey, football, skateboards
and rollerblades.
As an example, the so-called growing pains I mentioned earlier that
children often experience in their legs have traditionally been explained
away as part of childhood. Worried parents hear such nonsensical statements
as "It's nothing - they'll grow out of it," or my very favorite,
"It is because they are growing." Many parents tend to buy
these excuses. But when we really think about it, those explanations
simply do not make any sense. After all, when did it ever hurt to grow?
And why only the legs? Don't the arms also grow'? Why don't they hurt?
From a chiropractic perspective, these "growing, pains" are
often called "sciatica" in adults. In other words, a vertebral
subluxation in the low back pinching the sciatic nerve which controls
the legs. These pains can also often be caused by a "functional
pelvic imbalance." In simple terms, it's a subluxation of the pelvic
bones which then changes the way a child walks. These pelvic imbalance
subluxations can lead to the development of early scoliosis (spinal
curvature), knee problems and difficulty with balance. These are often
the children who are wrongly labeled as "klutzy."
If allowed to remain, subluxations are the starting point of nerve system
and body malfunction. When a vertebral subluxation has existed for some
time, it will eventually produce symptoms (pain is the most common)
as a warning to let you know that something is simply not okay, that
there is a threat to health and well-being.
One must remember that symptoms are similar to a fire alarm. They let
you know that there is a fire. At this point you have a choice. You
can put out the fire (correct the subluxation), or turn off the fire
alarm (using medication) to make yourself feel better. Which is more
logical?
Chiropractic care is for everyone who wants to experience wellness,
but especially important for children. It can make a huge difference
in their lives. Conditions easily corrected by chiropractic therapy
at an early age are often neglected and can be carried by a child as
a burden throughout a lifetime.
I firmly believe that all children should be checked by a chiropractor
to ensure a normally functioning nervous system and a healthy body For
more information, or the name of a pediatric chiropractor near you,
please contact the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association
at 404-M-KIDS.
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