Pediatric Chiropractic Adjustments and Injury Treatments
Most visits to the chiropractor for children focus on preventive treatments for asthma
, ear infections, allergies and other non-threatening ailments. However, a significant number of children are left alarmingly untreated after major automobile accidents, and they need to be examined even after minor personal injuries as well.Even a restrained child in a car seat can suffer spinal trauma as the result of an accident. Very often, after being examined and x-rayed at the hospital, if a child is not displaying open signs of pain, discomfort or injury, they are dismissed with no follow-up after the accident except perhaps a family doctor.
While a visit to the family doctor will be of benefit, children involved in automobile accidents also need to have their spine examined by a pediatric chiropractor as soon after the incident as possible to rule out major spinal trauma.
Additionally, regular spinal checkups for children are important not only for monitoring spinal development, but also for periodic realignments. Daily life as a child offers many opportunities to misalign or unknowingly damage the spine, and even minor injuries can effect drastic changes in a child's behavior, mood, and overall health.
Infants and Spinal Health
Infants are subjected to potential spinal injuries almost daily. Beginning with birth and any resulting injuries when traveling through the birth canal, to sudden stops in cars and falls, any significant unsupported movement of the head and neck can cause subluxations of the vertebra. The simple act of learning to walk can bring injury to the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis, and lower spinal trauma, due to the number of times children fall at this time in their development.
How To Tell If Your Child Has a Spinal Problem
Although a specialist is advised for determining factually whether your child is actually suffering from a spinal injury, there are some signs you may look for in determining whether a visit to a chiropractor might be necessary.
If your child tends to favor one side of their head over another, tilting it in one direction only
If your child does not have the full range of motion for their head or neck, restrictions of any kind to normal movement
If your child's sleep patterns become restless or disturbed, they will only sleep for a few hours at a time
In very small children, feeding issues may appear, or they may show difficulty nursing or a preference for one breast over the other
Some typical childhood ailments such as earaches, colic, headaches, sore throats, growing pains and bed-wetting, are some disorders that can be signs of deeper spinal issues
Why a Pediatrician Will Not Be Able to Treat Spinal Injuries
There are physicians who specialize in the treatment of the spine who are better qualified and better prepared to recognize when a spinal injury exists. Of these physicians, namely orthopedic surgeons tend to major spinal injuries, while chiropractors tend to the more subtle areas of injury to the spine and are trained to examine and recognize the various contributing factors and symptoms of spinal injuries.
What Pediatric Spinal Treatment Involves
After a very thorough and gentle examination, the chiropractor will determine whether an adjustment will be necessary to correct the injury. If an adjustment is necessary, very light finger-tip adjustments are all that will be necessary to correct the spines of infants and young children. The treatment does not hurt, though some very young children may be frightened by the sudden movement and cry for a moment.
The number of treatments required will depend entirely upon the nature of your child's injury and the chiropractor's recommendation for treatment. However, because children generally have more mobility to their spines, the treatments take less time and require less visits overall.
According to the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, the care of children comprises nearly 21% of chiropractic practices. Due to this high percentage, the Association has been quoted as suggesting that more research is warranted into this area.
Pediatric Chiropractic Adjustments and Injury Treatments
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