Chiropractic Care in Children

My children have been going since they were 2 days old.

the adjustments for babies and small children are NOTHING like what we get. My son was breech and his hips totally screwed up, but with gentle chiropractic care, the doctors and midwives were all shocked at how normal he appeared so quickly.

I do believe in chiropractic care helping the body remain healthy. We found an awesome chiro who has small kids and who specializes in them. My 2 1/2 year old goes with me once a month and willingly climbs on the table. My 5 month old goes and usually sleeps through his adjustment....which is in the arms of the chiro or on my belly.

An added bonus is that my little ones usually have a big BM after an adjustment....gets everything moving along!

Hi S.,

My family was blessed for the first time with chiropractic care when the doctors could not stop my eldest's (at 14 months) seizures and her ear infections. I noticed with chiropractic care the regularity of the seizures slowed to almost a stop and the ear infections went away. I began seeing the chiropractor then as well. My next child had her first chiropractic visit before we even made it home from the hospital when she was born.

Chiropractic care is essential in the overall well being of anyone. The neurological system is key to everything working right. If you have a short in a wire, you usually don't even attempt to use the apparatus. Why don't we treat our bodies with as much care? The neurological system not only operates our brain but every impulse that goes from our brain to every organ, muscle and tissue in our body. When things are in line, all of our body parts function as they should and our immune system works at their optimum level.

If your chiropractor understands the immune system, then I would definitely treat my 2 year old. If a chiropractor says they can't help a certain health issue, at least to some degree, then they don't have the proper understanding of their own profession. Ask yours why he wants to treat your child and I'm sure he'll make his position known.

Most parents take their kids to an MD for a well baby visit when nothing is "wrong." My chiropractors, over the years, have done more for our family's health than any MD.

Hope I helped!

M.

S.- I worked for a wonderful whole family wellness chiropractor for about 8 years. Many children, including my own get adjusted. It is a natural form of Health and wellness care. Your chiropractor should explain to you how your body works and why it is important for children to be checked by a chiropractor regularly. My son was 11 months old when he first started getting adjusted and my girls were adjusted straight out of the hospital- they were in the chiropractors office before they were even home. We still get them checked about once a week. My DC also does not charge for my children (my insurance doesn't even pay for Chiro) but insists on taking care of them. My kids are every healthy and very happy. We do not have need for medication, etc. My kids are 11, 6 and 4 now. They can't imagine not going to see Dr Meg. My daughter even wants to be a chiropracto when she grows up.
I am sorry that Liv B had such a bad experience but she has no idea how the body actually works. The muscles do not control the spine (nor can they hold them into allignment) but the Central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) does control the muscles and everything else in your body and if their is misallignment that causes pressure and interference on the spinal cord which does not allow the messages from the brain to reach the rest of the body as they should.
Chiropractic is wellness care- it will help healthy people stay healthy and can help those who are sick get healthy. MD is for treating symptoms and disease.
I truelly believe in Chiropractic and would recommend it to everyone for the whole family. From birth to death. Hope this helps :)

Both my girls have had adjustments. I took my 8 month old when she was roughly 6 months. There was nothing majorly wrong with her, she was just a little off center. The chiropractor was very very gentle and just did a few minor adjustments. My 3 year old went right before her 3rd birthday. Again, there was nothing majorly wrong with her, she just had a slight adjustment. I see nothing wrong with taking your child in to see a chiropractor. The only thing I would find a little off is if they say they need to do a bunch of adjustments. My chiro told me that she likes to do an adjustment on all her patients about once a month, depending on the situation. I go about every 2 months. I usually have the kids checked too. If they're out of whack, she'll do an adjustment, if not we just wait till next time.

I can understand weighing the risks before you take your child in for treatment. Realistically though there's risks with everything you do!

I am a BIG proponent of chiropractic adjustments for everyone, including infants. I have been seeing a chiropractor for years and totally believe in the benefits of chiropractic care. I got adjusted during both my pregnancies and my children have been adjusted since they were days old. We have given our chiropractor the title of our primary family physician and we see him before we go to the medical doctors (that’s how much we respect his expertise!). If you go this route, be sure that you see a pediatric specialty chiropractor for your son…there are chiropractors that will adjust infants and children without specialized training and it may not be a good experience.

All three of my children have been seen by chiropractor within days of their birth. Birth can be tough on their little bodies and treatments right after birth can help them greatly. We use chiropractic treatments as preventive health care and they rarely need to see their regular dr. When they get sick I take them to the chiropractor first and only to the dr if they aren't improving within a few days. Adjustments help the body heal itself and strengthens the immune system. I wish more parents would see the importance of chiropractic care and then there would be less of a need for antibiotics and ear tubes.

Adjustments are very good for anyone's immune system. Find one that deals with subluxation. Kids are hard on their bodies and the more you take care of their bodies now, the easier it's going to be for them to heal from injuries as they get older. I use to think it was horrible, but I've learned that it is good for overall health.

My only experience with a chiropractor is that my oldest stepson went for a good long while when he was a kid...ages 5-12 constantly and then off and on 13-17 yrs old....and he is the MOST "loose" person I have ever met! He cracks everything there is to crack on his body, including his neck (ouch) and it is LOUD...and he does this daily! He constantly feels as if he needs to be realigned or "adjusted"...I feel bad for him, it's like he is never comfortable anymore.

FYI-His mom took him to the chiropractor to help with his bed wetting...it didn't help!

Does your child have a reason for needing a chiropractor? If not, I wouldn't do it just because someone says "it's good for them"...and definitely not because your chiropractor believes in "treating the whole family"...Uh? Of course he believes that...that's how he makes his $!!!

I have taken my kids to the chiropractor since they were a few days old with great results. HOWEVER, wanting the whole family treated "just because" sounds like a money making scheme to me!
Chiropractics is GREAT for kids and very safe, but I don't get the point of treating when there is no problem.
Good luck!

My experience with chriropractor care is not good. I went to a chriropractor for a very long time for a neck injury and did not get any better, infact after his treatments I developed new pain. He wanted me there 3X week and every time I went to his office he pressured me to bring my family in for care. I did not feel comfortable bringing my children in to see him. When my husband and children did not go to see him, he would say things to me like "I guess you really don't want to get better", because he felt in order for my neck to get better the whole family needed treatment???? What kind of doctor pesters a patient to bring other family members in to see them, I can see if he suggest it once and then left it at that, but to keep pressuring, he just wanted more patients! I stopped seeing him because my pain got so much worse and I was tired of being asked to bring my kids in to see him. Eventually ended up seeing a physical therapist who diagnosed me with thoracic outlet syndrome a potentially serious, painful condition of the shoulder. So the Chiropractor never would have helped me anyway. As far as bringing my family to a chiropractor NO WAY take care of your muscles and your spine will be fine!!! I have been in therapy for about 8 weeks now and I am already on my way to recovery. I saw the Chiropractor for more than a year without even slight improvement. What is wrong with your children's spine that they need a chiropractic treatment? I think it is dangerous and that is just my opinion. Take them to a yoga class, in my opinion a much better way to take care of your back and entire body.

Best Luck

I've been adjusted since I was a child, and have taken my kids since birth. They are healthier than most kids and when they do get sick they get adjusted and it goes away faster. I have worked in chiropractic for 14 years and have seen many kids' allergies, asthma, ear infections, and bedwetting problems improve or go away.

The reason most people keep going to a chiropractor is that you will always have a spine. It's like never going to the dentist your whole life, or not exercising and expecting to stay in shape. The spinal column houses the nervous system, which controls every function of the body. When there is nerve interference caused by a misalignment or subluxation, bodily functions can be impaired. Pain is actually one of the last symptoms of a subluxation. They start with the birth process, which is traumatic for tiny bodies no matter how delivery was. Then there's bumps, falls, accidents, etc throughout life. I know several people in their 80s-90s who have gone to chiropractors their whole life. They're the ones who still walk daily and don't look or act their age. It truly improves your health!

As far as doing it for money, my office does not charge parents for children usually. If there is insurance, we accept what the insurance pays after any deductible is met. He's a father himself and a great doctor, and it's more important to him that children be given the chance to avoid future problems that were so easily treatable as they occurred.