| ChiroKids
Everyone Should Be Able To Get the Care They Need.
 Your
kids deserve a healthy future.
Your kids can benefits from chiropractic too! Even children
with no pain can receive "wellness" benefits from
regular chiropractic visits.
The
"Wellness" Movement, which is the result of expensive
insurance and medical care, makes more sense than "Crisis"
Management. It's the fulfillment of the old adage, "An
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Wellness
care is focused on taking care of people, even when they have
no signs or symptoms. The "Big Idea" is to allow
people to reach their maximum health potential, aside from
feeling good and having no symptoms.
 Why
so young?
The best time to get started with wellness care is during
childhood. Children go through so many changes as they grow.
All of the major systems go through countless developmental
stages. The nervous system is the first to develop and controls
all the others. It is therefore very important to have an
optimally functioning nervous system in the growing child.
Research
has shown that one of the worst interferences with the nervous
system is a vertebral subluxation, a misalignment of the spine
which results in pressure on the nervous system. Subluxations
may occur very early in life. One of the most traumatic things
to the spine is the birth process. Especially in a difficult
delivery, the trauma to the cervical bones can be dramatic.
Even under natural and controlled conditions, is potentially
traumatic.1 During the pushing
stage of labor, the spine, particularly the neck, may be injured
as the baby is compressed and pushed down the birth canal.
As the baby is compressed, the small bones of the spine may
be pushed out of natural alignment. This causes the nerves
to become stretched or twisted, and the vital communication
system is disrupted.
 It's
an incredible fact that 40-50 pounds of pressure are exerted
on the infant's neck during the birth process. The baby's
head is forced to rotate by 90 degrees while contractions
squeeze their small frame.1 This
stress, combined with the weight of the baby's head, puts
considerable pressure on the neck, spine, nerves and muscles.2
Most
authorities believe that brain stem and spinal injuries at
birth are essentially attributable to excessive longitudinal
traction, especially when force is combined with flexion and
torsion of the spinal axis during delivery.
Such
trauma may contribute to several painful conditions often
found in babies.3 Symptoms can
begin in the first months of an infant's life and may plague
a child throughout the early years.
Damage
may be more severe in a difficult delivery, as noted by Doris
Haire, C.N.M., infants may sustain skull fractures, intestinal
hemorrhage, cord compression, brain damage, damage to the
facial nerve and facial paralysis.4
Damage
to the spine and delicate nerve tissue is also common. Brewer
and Presser report that the vertebrae are easily pulled out
of alignment by excessive and forceful extension of the infant's
head with forceps.2
Complications
of uncorrected subluxations may be serious, resulting in respiratory
depression, and in some cases SIDS. Infants who survive and
are properly diagnosed for subluxations have a better chance
of having the neurological defects ultimately eliminated.6
A
wide range of subluxations may occur, primarily due to the
stretch injury and/or compression of the spinal cord and brain
stem. As the vertebrae are forced out of their natural alignment,
spinal and cranial nerve roots, as well as the dura and surrounding
structures, may be torn.
Although
birth subluxations may cause immediate symptoms, there may
be far-reaching effects that are manifested for years. The
child's ability to fight against disease, for example may
be lowered. Cold, ear infections, colic, and other illnesses
may result.3,5,6,7
That
is why parents who understand the importance of being subluxation-free
have their newborns examined by their chiropractor as soon
after birth as possible.
Subluxations
in Young Spines
As
children begin to walk, they take hundreds of falls. In the
early years they are always falling off bikes, out of trees,
etc.All
of these small traumas add up and eventually start to affect
the spine.
“As
the twig is bent, so grows the tree!”
Toddlers
are always taking a tumble, often resulting in hidden spinal
faults, which go on to cause problems later in life. seats
or during sports. One in four teenagers report having back
pain. Computer games and television can aggravate problems.
Tight muscles in the back and neck cause the spinal bones
to lose their normal motion or position. This can irritate
the nerves that branch out from the spine to all the organs.
Once at school, the young spinal joints are often injured
by carrying heavy school bags, and sitting in poor posture.
These intensive traumatic injuries to the young spine cause
the subluxation complex as a result of displacements of the
vertebrae.
 A
subluxation causes a neurological disturbance. As the soft
gelatinous material shifts between the vertebrae, due to shocks
and injuries, the disc is then forced out of its natural central
position and protrudes into the spinal cord or nerves in the
spinal column.
Subluxations
may result in the failure of one or more parts of the body,
as well as health in general. Subluxations may also interfere
with internal organ function, resulting in the inability to
produce chemicals responsible for raising and lowering body
temperature as needed.5 Kunert
indicated that the body's immune response in the production
of anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents to fight infection
is greatly compromised due to vertebral lesions (subluxations).5
Many
people who come into a chiropractor’s office for the
first time as adults would have had far greater potential
for regaining their health if they had received regular chiropractic
care as children. By
correcting subluxations at an early age, the damage that inevitably
comes from functioning at less than optimal levels can be
prevented. The longer a subluxation is present, the greater
the damage.
If
you wish to learn more about clinical research of children
under chiropractic care, please read, "Infant
and Child Chiropractic Care".
So
what is a ChiroKid?
Like a dental check-up or a routine physical, a visit to our
office is recommended to check the development of one of the
most important structures of the human body, the spine. A
ChiroKid is a child that receives a chiropractic adjustment
to allow his or her body to be as healthy as it can be.
ChiroKids who get adjustments regularly are generally healthier
than their peers. ChiroKids also miss less days of school
and have fewer emotional and learning, neurological difficulties
associated with childhood. ChiroKids receive better grades
in school; they can jump higher, run faster, and throw a ball
farther than regular kids. These facts are based on decades
of clinical findings from chiropractic offices around the
world.
 Adjusting
the Child
When should your infant be checked for subluxations? Newborn
infants should be checked within hours to days after birth.
Subluxations are a serious threat to your newborn's health.
We
are proficient in gentle and painless spinal techniques for
children. Not only are kids easier to adjust, but also in
most cases, they hold their adjustments for longer periods
of time and their corrective adjustment plans are almost always
significantly shorter than the average adult.
 Children
may, on the first visit or two, be somewhat reluctant. However,
they rarely hesitate to get on the table to be adjusted, especially
when they see that visiting the chiropractor is a family affair.
When they see Mom, Dad and their brothers and sisters getting
adjusted, they are usually more than willing to be checked
for subluxations too.
Clinical Research and Findings
It
has been proven that adjusting the spine to relieve nerve
pressure has a direct effect on the immune system. It also
makes sense that a better functioning nervous system makes
for a better functioning body as a whole.
A
1989 study which compared 200 children who had seen pediatricians
with 200 children who had been under chiropractic care showed
that the health of the children who had seen chiropractors
was notably superior to that of children brought up under
standard medical care. The chiropractic children, for example,
had fewer ear infections, allergies, and cases of tonsillitis,
and therefore required less medicine. Current research shows
that 80% of all children are subluxated at birth. Studies
also report before the age of six years of your child will
fall 2,500 times.
If
you wish to learn more about clinical research of children
under chiropractic care, please read, "Infant
and Child Chiropractic Care".
 Ear
Infections
46 five-year-olds with otitis media were placed under chiropractic
care. 93% of all ear infections improved, 75% in ten days
or less and 43% after only one or two adjustments. Improvement
was based on parental decision (they stated that the child
had no fever, no signs of ear pain and was totally asymptomatic),
and/or the child was asymptomatic to the DC and/or the parent
stated that the child's MD judged the child to be improved.
Interestingly, those children who had a history of antibiotic
use took longer to heal.
Asthma
Typical of chiropractic clinical studies is that of a six-year-old
boy who had asthma since age three and was using inhalers
up to three times a day. He received chiropractic care and
made significant progress almost immediately. He was finally
able to run during soccer games and began to sleep more soundly.
After a short time he hardly ever had a blocked nose and his
inhalant use stopped.
Bed
Wetting
Another case history is that of a 34-month-old boy with asthma
and enuresis (bed-wetting) who had not responded to medical
care. More than 20 emergency hospital visits had taken place
for the asthma attacks during a 12-month history. Three chiropractic
adjustments were administered over an 11-day period and the
asthma symptoms and enuresis ceased for more than eight weeks.
The asthma and enuresis reoccurred following a minor fall
from a stepladder but disappeared after adjustments. After
a two year follow-up the mother reported no recurrence of
the asthma or the enuresis.
Chest
Infections
In this study of over 4,600 children with upper respiratory
tract infections, only 95% of cases that received spinal care
did not develop any secondary complications. These results
were superior to antibiotic therapy, with no side effects.
The author writes, "It would seem unnecessary to use
any therapy other than manipulative therapy." (Purse
FM. Manipulative therapy of upper respiratory tract infections
in children. J Am Osteopathic Assoc. 1966; 65(9): 964-972.)
 Developmental
Communication Disorder
A two-year old child with a medical diagnosis of 'developmental
communication disorder' was non-responsive to any external
stimuli. He did not respond to sound or touch, even to receiving
an injection. Chiropractic analysis revealed a neck problem.
On the third visit he responded to something happening around
him. By the sixth visit, he started to follow certain commands
and stopped making repeated hand motions. He started to talk
after the 12th office visit. (Goldman SR. Subluxation location
and correction. Today's Chiropractic. July/August 1995;70-74.)
Colic
Approximately 20% of all babies will suffer colic.5 Colic
is believed to be a baby's response to pain - although the
exact cause of colic is not known.6
(It has also been found that some pain which mimics colic
may be due to spinal joint pain which your chiropractor can
assess.)7
 An
encouraging new study from Denmark suggest that chiropractic
may be helpful to infants with colic even when more traditional
treatments had failed. The data included 316 babies treated
by 73 chiropractors in 50 different clinics. Improvement was
reported in more than 90% of these children.8
Spinal
adjustments were given to 316 infants with colic. 94% were
symptom-free within a two-week period of treatment.
Danger
Signals to look for in your child:
- tilting
the head
- neck
sensitivity
- inability
to lie on their back
- crying
when moved out of their favorite sleeping position
- difficulty
in breast feeding
- limited
motion (perhaps with a leg or an arm)
- a
bent body position
- unusual
differences in the appearance of one side of the body from
the other (such as one hip being higher)
Swelling,
pain or constant crying and irritability are also signs of
distress that should be evaluated, along with any unusual
problems with eating, sleeping or playing.
Scoliosis
Everyone's spine has natural curves. These curves round our
shoulders and make our lower  back
curve slightly inward. But some people have spines that also
curve from side to side. This condition is called "Scoliosis".
Scoliosis
affects one in nine young women and approximately four percent
of the total population. It is the most deforming orthopedic
problem confronting children, affecting them during their
active growth phase and essentially subsiding upon completion
of spinal growth, leaving the child with a permanent deformity.
Early detection and treatment can be effective in halting
or slowing its progress and in many cases result in improvement.
A
New Lifestyle for your kids
Babies and children grow quickly, and their muscles, ligaments
and bones develop rapidly. Because of this, they may particularly
benefit from a drugless, painless and surgically-free approach
to good health. The goal of chiropractic is to help allow
the body to best function and repair itself.
Here
are a few of the ways this practical care may be helpful to
your child:
- Provide
a firm bed
-
Insure your child has a well-balanced diet
-
Teach your child not to slouch
-
Use an approved car seat that supports your child's head
and neck
-
When lifting a baby, always support the back and neck with
your hands. Pick up an older child by grasping his body
under the arms.
Don’t put young children in walkers prior to the child
learning how to walk on their own. This could put pressure
on the lower vertebra of the spine and cause a fracture
if the spine is not ready for the force of gravity.
- Avoid
the devices that allow a young child to bounce in a seat
(the units that attach to an entryway). This may also cause
a fracture of the spine if the child’s spine is not
properly developed.
- Discourage
friends from throwing your child in the air as this can
cause a whiplash injury to the neck.
 The
chiropractic approach to health care is natural. It does not
try to stimulate or inhibit normal body function. Instead,
the chiropractor addresses the important relationship between
the nervous system and disease. Various symptoms, such as
colic, respiratory distress, fever, earaches, and a lowered
resistance may be manifested in the young child due to abnormal
body function caused by subluxations.3,5,6
In light of this, your chiropractor may be the best doctor
to help your child improve his/her health.
References
1.Biedermann
H (1992) "Kinematic Imbalances Due to Suboccipital Strain
in Newborns", Manual Med 6:155
2. Ref 1 supra
3.Ref 1 supra
4. Ref 1 supra, 151
5. Klougart N et al (1989) "Infantile Colic Treated by
Chiropractors: A prospective Study of 316 Cases", J Manipulative
Physio Ther, 12:281-288
6. "Infantile Colic: A New Study from Denmark,"
(1989) The Chiropractic Report; Vol4,1 ed Chapman-Smith, 1
7. Ref 6 supra, 5
8. Ref5 supra, 1; Ref 6 supra, 2
Additional
References
Abraham,
Towbin: Latent Spinal Cord Brain Stem Injury in Newborn Infants,
1969
Brewer, G., Greene, J.: Right from the Start. Emmaus Pa.,
Rodar, 1981
Fibelibus, J.: An Overview of Neuroimmunomodulation and a
Possible Correlation with Musculoskeletal System Function,
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, August
1989
Haire, Doris: The Cultural Warping of Childbirth, Milwaukee
ICEA, 1972
Kunert, W.: Functional Disorders of Internal Organs due to
Vertebral Lesions, CIBA Symposium 13 (3): 85-86, 1965
Peet, J.B.: Chiropractic Pediatric and Prenatal Reference
Manual, The Baby Adjusters, Inc., 1992
Walton, E.V.: Chiropractic Effectiveness with Emotional Learning
and Behavioral Impairments, International Review of Chiropractic,
29:2-2,21-22, September, 1975
Winsor, H., M.D.: Sympathetic Segmental Disturbances-11; The
Evidence of the Association in Dissected Cadavers of Visceral
Disease with Vertebrae Deformities of the Same Sympathetic
Segments, Medical Times, 49:1-7, November 1921
If
you wish to learn more about clinical research of children
under chiropractic care, please read, "Infant
and Child Chiropractic Care".
|
