When people consider Chiropractic Care, pediatrics is not usually the first thing that comes to mind, but it’s important to remember that the benefits of Chiropractic care are not just for adults! The Peak Method utilizes a non-invasive and drug-free approach to your families health, using chiropractic adjustments, with a major focus on the nervous system. This offers a wide variety of benefits for people of all ages. We strongly recommend considering our more conservative treatment options for your child's health before resorting to dangerous drugs or surgeries.
Starting at conception, a child’s body is being put under stress at every point, from developing in the womb to the point of delivery. Birth itself is a huge stress on an infant’s body, considering they are pushed and pulled with great force. This results in misalignments, stress and traumas on an already fragile body and nervous system. These stresses and traumas may result in dysfunction and a decreased immune response. Colic, chronic ear infections, failure to thrive are just a few common symptoms from birth traumas that chiropractic has been known to help with.
Newborn infants should be checked for vertebral subluxations hours after birth. The birth process, even under natural and controlled conditions, is potentially traumatic. During the pushing stage of labor, the spine, particularly the neck, may be subluxated as the baby is compressed and pushed down the birth canal. Although birth subluxations may cause immediate symptoms, such as respiratory problems, there may be far reaching effects that are manifested over years. The child’s ability to fight against disease, for example, may be lowered. Colds, ear infections, colic, and other illnesses may result.
Chiropractic care can be immensely helpful as your child develops and matures. Physical stress and traumas increase as they grow into toddlers, as they are faced with the developmental challenges of crawling and learning to walk. There is significant straining, twisting, and falling - all which contribute to further misalignments that can affect their health.
When should a parent consider Chiropractic for their child?
The sooner the better! Younger bodies are usually flexible and resilient and can handle the stresses that they put on their bodies without much difficulty. We usually do not experience the symptoms of the fun that we had when we were young until we are older. However, due to Chiropractic’s full-body approach, children with a properly aligned spine tend to have better posture and generally are in better health. The Peak Method helps to clear the neural pathways in order for the nervous system to function as it is meant to, which is vital to healthy living.
Ear infections are no fun for a child or the parent that cares for them. Ear infections account for more than 35% of all pediatrician visits. For many children, these infections become chronic, which puts them at risk for permanent damage. In an attempt to avoid antibiotics or surgery, many parents have now turned to Chiropractic Care for help with this terrible ailment, as recurring ear infections can often correlate with a misalignment in the spine. A study conducted by the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics found that in children ranging from 27 days to 5 years old, 80% did not experience another ear infection after being adjusted up to 6 months or more after their initial visit.
Colic, another common childhood ailment, affects nearly 20% of babies. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer or cure for it, but one successful treatment includes pediatric Chiropractic Care. While there is no clear cause of Colic, symptoms likely include gas, stomach pain, and crying. When it comes to a variety of childhood illnesses and conditions, numerous studies have proven the efficacy of Chiropractic care - over 90% of colicky babies have demonstrated improvement with Chiropractic adjustments alone.
Other ways in which Chiropractic Care can improve children’s health include: Improvements in breastfeeding, sleeping, bed wetting,asthma, and strabismus, all which can be attributed to misalignments or subluxations of the vertebrae. Correcting these subluxations through Chiropractic Care will allow the nervous system to resume function and restore health, resulting in eliminating stress on both the child and the parent.
Several studies have revealed positive results with using Chiropractic Care to treat even ADHD, with several studies suggesting chiropractic is more effective than some medications. Parental surveys of their children’s behavior indicated that they believe their childrens’ symptoms improved after being treated.
Women commonly seek out Chiropractic Care during and after their pregnancy, due to persisting neck pain, lower back pain, sciatica and pelvic floor issues to name a few. Many women seek out chiropractic care or are referred by their OBGYN to help naturally alleviate back pain, hip pain, headaches and much more during pregnancy or to even help manipulate the way the baby is positioned in the womb (breech presentation). This often results in a much easier and quicker labor as well. It is common for women to see a Chiropractor after their pregnancy due to the pain from labor, which often causes misalignments in the pelvis (this is especially common if the baby is posterior). Other reasons women seek chiropractic care after the baby is born is due to postpartum symptoms such as: poor posture while breast or bottle feeding, carrying car seats, wearing baby carriers, lack of sleep, lifting children out of the bath, stroller, car seat, etc. Many women also experience postpartum conditions such as sciatica, tailbone pain, neck pain, or headaches.
The Peak Method was designed with people of all ages and stages of life in mind. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, are pregnant, have just given birth, or have children of any age, we would be happy to serve you and your families to help improve nervous system function and restore health, healing and function.