Chiropractic care is important for children. But why would I bring my child to see a chiropractor you may ask?
Our early years can be full of trauma & injury which can affect a child’s health and development. The period from birth to age two is the most dynamic and important phase of brain development in humans. At birth, a person’s brain will have almost all the neurons (fundamental units of the brain and nervous system) that it will ever have. The brain continues to grow for a couple of years after a child is born and by the age of 2 years old, the brain is about 80% of the adult size. It is a critical period in a child’s neurodevelopment. Interference or damage to a child’s nervous system during this period will potentially have effects on a child’s developmental capabilities.
Causes of stress & injury
Position in the womb
Birth, – natural, Caesarian & emergency Caesarian
Vacuum Extraction, Forceps.
Delivery of a baby is the most natural thing in the world but that doesn’t mean that it cannot be traumatic. Many mothers are aware of degrees of pulling and tugging during the delivery. These forces will be felt by your baby also and can cause damage to him or her.
Chiropractors, through gentle palpation and mobilisation, find the areas of the skull (cranial bones) and spine that have been affected and gently correct the area. When administering chiropractic care to children, the same pressure is applied to a child’s spine and cranial bones as you would apply to your eye (It’s very gentle method of treatment). Even though it is a very mild adjustment it can have powerful effects on a child’s nervous system. As a child gets older, learning to sit up unaided, crawling and eventually walking, every child will take some knocks and falls. This too can damage and affect their neuro-musculoskeletal development. At In Health chiropractic we take a detailed consultation about your child (including questions regarding the mother’s pregnancy and labour) and a full physical examination including orthopaedic tests and reflexes. Pictures of your child’s skull and spine may be taken if deemed necessary. When all the relevant information is gathered, a diagnosis and personal care plan will be made for your child, to include home exercise plans and nutritional advise. We look forward to helping the children in our community to have the best start in life.