Pediatric Chiropractic Care: 6 Things To Know

Updated on July 20, 2022

It’s a challenging period—your child is in pain, but the doctors are out of treatment options to relieve the pain. You’ve tried medication without any success. The pain is persistent, and your child’s general well-being is affected. 

As a parent, it’s normal to want your child to be happy and live a fulfilling life. But when there’s pain in the picture, it becomes impossible. If you’re a parent in such a situation, you might want to seek a pediatric chiropractor’s opinion. In most cases, children suffer spinal misalignment and musculoskeletal shifts when moving around that can cause severe pain. In such a case, pediatric chiropractic care is all your child might require. 

What’s Pediatric Chiropractic Care? 

Babies learn lots of things at the beginning of their lives. For instance, they learn to sit, crawl, and walk within the first few months. As time goes by, they start running around and playing. When learning and discovering new things, they suffer falls that might not seem to cause discomfort but can cause shifts in their musculoskeletal system. 

When a child experiences musculoskeletal shift, they can suffer from spinal misalignment or subluxation, a state that can interfere with their nervous system functioning. Additionally, subluxations can negatively affect a child’s body functioning, causing health issues like ear infections, headaches, or asthma. When this happens to your child, it’s advisable to undergo chiropractic care to correct misalignment and relieve pain while improving their general well-being and preventing further health challenges. 

In a nutshell, pediatric chiropractic care can be defined as a therapy whereby chiropractors use their hands to manipulate the spine and other body parts to relieve pain and tension. In some cases, relaxation techniques, heat and ice, and exercise are also used for the treatment. You might also want to visit https://masseyfamilychiropractic.com.au/ to learn more about chiropractic care and when one might need it. 

Is Chiropractic Care Safe For Infants And Babies? 

Mainly, pediatric chiropractic treatment involves gentle massage unnoticeable to babies and infants. Chiropractors use their soft and experienced hands to adjust and manipulate body parts without the little ones noticing. The procedure should be safe if the chiropractor is experienced in handling infants and babies. Given the risks of complications and injuries, a parent should do thorough homework to find a reputable chiropractor to handle their children. 

As far as chiropractic care for infants is concerned, chiropractors advise ensuring they undergo the care since the birth process can be a traumatic experience for the infant as it’s for the mother. That said, an infant’s spine can be affected during birth, resulting in health challenges as they grow up. Since pediatric chiropractors are experienced and trained to handle delicate infants’ body parts, it won’t hurt you to have your child undergo the treatment to ensure their body functions at its best. 

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It’s important to note that chiropractors play an essential role in infant care and treatment. They’re known to successfully correct several infants’ health issues such as difficulty in breastfeeding, acid refluxes, ear infection, underdeveloped digestive system, and misaligned spines. When chiropractors handle such issues early enough, you can rest assured that your baby will grow healthy. 

Can Chiropractic Treatment Cause Pain? 

As already stated, this care is performed by experienced professionals who use their hands gently. The care can rarely cause discomfort, given that only minimal pressure is used. The procedure is aimed at relieving pain, not the other way round. Therefore, if you think your child’s pain results from chiropractic care, talk to the chiropractor to determine the issue. 

How Often Does A Child Undergo Pediatric Chiropractic Care? 

Like with other treatments, the frequency depends on the patient’s requirements. For instance, if your child’s health state requires receiving frequent chiropractic treatment, the chiropractor will advise you on ensuring the same and vice versa. That said, ensuring your baby receives this treatment as soon as possible is vital to correct the issue quickly. Otherwise, the more severe your child’s health issues are, the more chiropractic treatment they’ll require. 

How Do You Tell A Child Requires Chiropractic Care? 

A child or infant who requires chiropractic care doesn’t go unnoticed. This makes it easy for parents to seek treatment immediately to avoid further health challenges. Among the signs that manifest in children who require this care include sleeping problems, colic, neck issues, behavioral problems, and bad posture. 

While these symptoms might be signs of severe health issues, they can be improved with chiropractic care. Nevertheless, it’s essential to check with a health professional to be sure that your child requires chiropractic care and not other treatments. 

Advantages Of Pediatric Chiropractic Care 

Pediatric chiropractic care comes with the following benefits: 

  • Improved Immune System 

Sick seasons can be difficult for both the child and the parent. The fever seems to last forever, and so do the cough and the runny nose. Fortunately, pediatric chiropractic care makes all the difference. It ensures your baby’s free from frequent illnesses and discomforts. For instance, you can bring up your baby without worrying about frequent reflux and digestive issues that cause stomach pain in children. 

  • Behavioral Change 

Stress affects children physically and emotionally. As a result, children experiencing stress tend to act out as a way of coping. The solution lies in alleviating stress to ensure such children live happy lives and behave well. Fortunately, pediatric chiropractic care is among the best ways to alleviate stress, resulting in mood and behavioral change. 

  • Improved Sleep 

Good sleep enhances children’s growth. Without better, enough sleep, your child might not grow as they should, both emotionally and physically. It’s also vital to understand that other health issues, such as spinal misalignment, can cause sleeping challenges in children.  

If your child’s sleeping problems result from physical health challenges, pediatric chiropractic care might be the solution. Chiropractors will correct the misalignment to ensure your child gets better sleep as required. 

Conclusion 

Pediatric chiropractic care is a treatment procedure that relieves a child’s pain resulting from spinal misalignment or other body parts. This treatment doesn’t hurt and is safe for children and infants. The treatment ensures that your child lives a healthy childhood life free of pain and discomfort. Remember, for the treatment to succeed, you must work with a reputable, professional pediatric chiropractor.