Unknown to most parents, chiropractic interventions are crucial in ensuring optimal health and wellness of your child. Recent data from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners in the U.S show that only 17% of chiropractic patients are less than 18 years old. Out of this percentage, only 8% are less than five years of age.
Chiropractic interventions on kids have various proven benefits, including improved immunity, reduced neck pain, better sleep, improved attitude and behavior, and optimal brain development.
Children with the following three conditions may benefit from chiropractic care:
1. Subluxations
Treating subluxations is one of the basic roles of chiropractors. Subluxations occur when your kid’s vertebrae or spine becomes misaligned due to either of the following reasons;
- Natural growth and development – Kids with misaligned spinal bones greatly benefit from chiropractic care
- Slips and falls – Children are active by nature. If they slip and fall when learning to walk, play, run, or ride a bike, chiropractic help becomes imminent
- Athletic activities – Most impact sports involve active twisting that can misalign the vertebra
Subluxation is dangerous, as it irritates nerve supply and interferes with the body’s ability to transmit messages through the spine. Impaired nervous communication often leads to chronic pain and muscle and organ dysfunction. A chiropractor can realign the spine, allowing the body to resume optimum functioning without drugs.
2. Asthma
The American Lung Association report shows that asthma is among the common childhood conditions. An estimated 7.1 million kids suffer from this chronic inflammatory disease, with a third of this population being hospitalized. That aside, asthma is also responsible for more than 640,000 hospital visits.
If your kid is among this population, combining conventional treatment and chiropractic sessions may help. In a study done on 36 subjects aged between six and 17 with mild to moderate asthma, all participants underwent 20 chiropractic sessions in a three-month period to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment alternative on asthmatic patients.
At the end of the study, children reported improved quality of life and a significant decline in the severity of asthmatic symptoms. The positive effects of these sessions also lasted more than one year.
3. Ear Infections
Children are often predisposed to several ear infections, especially after recovering from a cold, sore throat, or upper respiratory infection. While many etiologies can explain this, medics believe that ear infections arise after these conditions due to the small Eustachian tubes and underdeveloped immunity. Even though medications may help treat ear infections, some studies suggest that chiropractic interventions can help.
A recent study monitored 46 children aged less than five years with symptoms of ear infections, such as fever and ear pain. The participants were exposed to chiropractic care on predetermined schedules of three sessions in the first week, two sessions in the second week, and once thereafter until the symptoms improved.
The study concluded that more than 93% of kids with ear infections reported major improvements after chiropractic care. Surprisingly, 10% of study participants reported improvement within ten days.
Endnote
Like most parents, you might not be sure if chiropractic care can benefit your kids. However, you should consider seeking pediatric chiropractic care if you notice your kid has uneven shoulders, limited mobility, or irregular sleep patterns. Most chiropractic sessions for pediatrics focus on improving nervous system functioning.