The theory behind chiropractic medicine — that the twenty-four bones in the spine are all connected by nerves that help keep the various organs and musculoskeletal systems healthy — has been around for over 100 years. Until two decades ago, chiropractic doctors were only sought after by patients with repeated injuries, patients for whom traditional medicine had run out of ideas, and a few people who understood the benefits of ongoing chiropractic care.
But in the past two decades, the conversion to alternative approaches to medicine has led to health and wellness; a great surge in the popularity of chiropractors in the United States and abroad. Chiropractic doctors have swelled in number over the past fifteen years, and more and more chiropractors are offering pregnant women services in pregnant women; little ones, little ones
Pediatric care is not a new medicine chiropractic, but it is gaining followers. According to the International Pediatric Chiropractic Association, pediatric patients can be helped with a multitude of problems, including ADHD, ear infections, coordination problems , headaches, general health, autism, sleeping problems, food allergies, asthma, and other acute and chronic conditions children are dealing with in childhood.
In a typical visit to a pediatric chiropractor, the child will be with the parent at all times – just like the traditional M.D. visit–and the doctor asks the parent about the changes in the child, for good or bad. . The chiropractor then feels the child’s spine, normally with the child placed on his stomach, on a special table. The pediatric technician then adjusts the subluxations — joints out of alignment — either with the doctor’s hands, or with a small device that helps push the mouth back into place.
The child then turns onto his back, and the pediatric chiropractic doctor adjusts the neck. If the child has an ear infection, the goal is to help open the eustachian tube, so that any infection can escape from here. If the child or his head is bumped, again the doctor’s purpose is to push the bones back to that place, so that the nerves, which are then adjusted, bring them back to health.
Children’s chiropractic appointments last no more than ten minutes, and the younger the patient when they start, the more inclined they are to visit. Many parents report ear infections as the main reason they bring their kids to chiropractors; Chiropractic doctors do not use antibiotics to treat ear infections, but they do send children with difficult to heal ear infections to pediatricians for further care.
Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder is another childhood condition that chiropractors help treat. While no legitimate chiropractor can ever claim that they can “cure” ADHD, there are some treatments that can help children feel less anxious, have better impulse control, and focus more in school. Because chiropractic zooms in on health, pediatric chiropractic specialties do not use prescription medications, but instead use spinal adjustments to help children. Chiropractic care can be used at the same time as medication, however – you don’t need just one or the other.
To learn more about kids and chiropractors, search the web and search for a pediatric chiropractor in your area.
