I’m so glad you asked! Here are my top two reasons that kids need to get checked by a chiropractor:
- To support their neurological development now.
Most of us know that all the bones of the skeletal system are very soft when a baby is born. Those bones grow and develop for several years, and eventually harden into their “mature” shape and size. That includes the bones of the skull. If certain bones in the skull are out of place, they can put unusual pressure on the parts of the brain underneath those bones, which can lead to dysfunction. We have had a number of kids in our practice who came to us because their speech was severely delayed or their enunciation was very poor into the late toddler years. When we checked and gently adjusted the cranial bones that were out of place, their speech improved rapidly!
Beyond that, subluxations in the spine interfere with communication between the body and the brain. We want kiddos to have normal and regular bowel movements, healthy sinuses, great balance, open airways, etc. All the amazing parts of their bodies that are developing in infancy and childhood need healthy a nerve system. Subluxations prevent the nerve system from communicating properly and effectively.
- To prevent problems later.
We see So. Many. Adults. who start having pain in their late teen years/early 20’s with no known cause. They tell us, “I don’t know, I guess it has hurt for as long as I can remember”.
Kids are really good at ignoring and overcoming pain conditions. I have this theory - purely based on what I have seen over the years, not based on research, it’s just my own personal theory - that we don’t really start to recognize chronic pain signals until that time of life. Prior to the late teen years, we are just really good at ignoring chronic pain signals. Many of those adults who suddenly wake up one day and become aware of their chronic pain - the underlying pain that has been there for a long time - had injuries in childhood that never got corrected.
Kids fall down. They fall out of trees. They fall off of beds. It’s good for kids to have those experiences and learn how to control their body, but we want to check them regularly so that we can correct subluxations that arise from all their many adventures. They will thank you later.
Research shows that kids who are under regular chiropractic care sleep better, digest better, breathe better, recover from illnesses more quickly, and have less colic than kids who are not under regular chiropractic care.
We use the gentlest techniques on our youngest patients. Their joints require a fraction of the adjusting force that adult joints require. Most kids love coming to see us, because we don’t have any shots in our office!
Please visit the Chiropractic Care for Kids page on our website to learn more, and to submit a request for an appointment for your child.
