If you have been seeing a chiropractor and treatments have made an improvement in your own life, you may be wondering if there are benefits to bringing your child(ren) in for an exam or consultation. Maybe they have complained of a sore neck or back, or you’ve noticed them slouching under the weight of their backpack, or they are complaining of headaches, or maybe they have had a tough time coming back from a sports injury. If you have an infant or toddler, you may notice they are colicky, prone to ear infections, or have sleeping issues and wondering if perhaps seeing a chiropractor would help.

These are all valid questions and hopefully you’ll find some answers and guidance on when you should consider taking your child to a chiropractor – and when you may want to wait.

Children and chiropractic care

Some parents may not know that chiropractors regularly treat children. But indeed they do. The Journal of American Medical Association estimates that 11% of all chiropractic patients are children. They are specifically trained to recognize misalignments more common in children and work to gently fix what is needed.

Treating kids at any age

Parents really don’t need to wait for a certain age to see a chiropractor. At the Greenville Spine Institute, we see newborns all the way through teens, adults, and mature ages. Birth can often be traumatic for babies, putting pressure on the baby’s spine and neck, which can lead to breastfeeding problems, colic, sleeping issues, and inflammation. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can immensely help newborns in all of these areas.

For older kids, things like tripping over a tree root or falling off a swing or a sports injury can all lead to instances where seeing a chiropractor trained in recognizing and treating children would be a positive step for the child’s immediate and long term health. All treatments are gentle, non-invasive, and natural.

Childhood and chiropractic care go together

Most kids are naturally active and take tumbles as they are learning to crawl and then walk, play hard outside and with each other, fall off a bike while learning to ride, and all kinds of other movements that could easily throw off the alignment of their spine.

It’s not just the alignment of their spine that is thrown off when a child is injured or takes a fall. These misalignments can not only affect movement in the body but also can lead to ear infections, constipation, and headaches because the body isn’t working in an optimal way. Correcting misalignments goes such a long way in taking care of other issues in the body as well.

Symptoms in kids where chiropractic care would be helpful

There are some common signs and symptoms parents should look for in their children that tell them their kids may benefit from at least an initial exam from a chiropractor:

• Irregular sleeping patterns
• Complaints of neck or back pain
• Noticeable limping
• Constipation
• Headaches
• Constant crying in infants
• Limited head or neck mobility
• Chronic pain after an injury

When not to seek out a chiropractor

If you are on the fence about taking your child to see a chiropractor, that’s understandable. Insurance does not typically cover chiropractic visits and sometimes, results can take a significant amount of time and investment.

A valid reason you may not want to take your child to see a chiropractor is if there are no chiropractors in your area that specialize in children. We are trained to properly care for both children and adults at the Greenville Spine Institute and if there is not a chiropractor in your area that is trained to care for children, seek one out that is.

Making the appointment

If you’re considering chiropractic treatment for your child, we take the time to do a thorough exam, take x-rays, and do motion studies before doing any sort of adjustments. We understand how precious your children are and do everything in our power to make you and your child feel comfortable, listened to, and taken care of.

If you’d like to see us for possible treatment, give us a call at 864.631.1420 or visit our website.