Do Children Need Chiropractic Care?
“The majority of children don’t suffer from back pain, so why would they need to see a Chiropractor!?”
This is a narrow perspective and a modern-day misconception about the need for Chiropractic care. While the goal of Chiropractic is not to treat any medical condition, taking care of children with conditions such as colic, chronic ear infections, bedwetting, asthma and seizures has been a part of Chiropractic for the past 120 years. Children need Chiropractic because it generates wonderful health benefits.
Chiropractic was founded by D.D. Palmer in 1895 in Davenport, Iowa. Within two years, D.D. Palmer established the first Chiropractic school, The Palmer School of Chiropractic. To help promote the Chiropractic message, his writings, Science Art & Philosophy Of Chiropractic/The Chiropractors Adjuster, were published in 1910. In this book, we find the first (and second) recorded adjustments of children. D.D. Palmer writes about how he had adjusted his grandson in 1906 when he was just four days old. The second recorded adjustment was done by Dr. M. Kueck, in 1908 who adjusted his daughter when she was only one day old.
Printed in 1924 by the Palmer School of Chiropractic, Dr. John H. Craven’s textbook Chiropractic Hygiene and Pediatrics was the first full-length published work dedicated to Chiropractic care for children. In the textbook, conditions such as nocturnal enuresis (or bedwetting), convulsion (or seizures), and colic are all discussed in detail from a Chiropractic standpoint. Dr. Craven said the book was “written in response to the hundreds of inquiries which have come in from the practicing chiropractors in the field requesting such a work….The technic used in adjusting children is of great importance and is so considered.”
Chiropractic understands that appropriate care for children is necessary. Pediatric Chiropractic care is designed and adapted for this special population. The Chiropractic principle is the same, whether you are 1 or 101. What is unique for each person is the adjustment. It is tailor-made for the individual. Quoting from Dr. Craven’s textbook: “...it is necessary to adapt the amount of force used to the size of the patient. It is not possible to injure a child with a chiropractic adjustment, but it is possible to apply an awkward force, supposed to be a corrective force, in such a way that subluxations may be produced.”
How does a child benefit from Chiropractic care?
The upper cervical spine houses and protects the lower section of the brainstem and the upper portion of the spinal cord. The spinal cord and brainstem along with the brain, make up the Central Nerve System.
The Central Nerve System is the headquarters of nerve operation. Our nerves control every movement we make, sense everything we feel, regulate every bodily function and relate us to the outside world. A circuit of nerves between the brain and body makes these functions possible.
A high percentage of nerves “bottle-neck” at the brainstem region. The upper cervical spine surrounds and protects this vital area. If the upper cervical spine misaligns and locks out of place, it can put added tension on these nerves. A misalignment in the upper cervical spine that creates nerve tension is called a vertebral subluxation.
A vertebral subluxation interferes with how the brain and body communicate with each other. This creates structural and functional disruptions throughout the entire system. Both adults and children can sustain a vertebral subluxation.
Everyone can get a subluxation, but how it effects a child is different than an adult. This is because a child’s spine works differently than an adult's. Quoting the 1998 textbook, Pediatric Chiropractic: “In the skeletally adult spine, the structure primarily dictates function with regards to joint movement. For the developing pediatric spine, the functional demands drive the formation of bones and joint surfaces.” A subluxation in a child negatively effects their function more than it would an adult.
In children, nerve function is the main driver of development. Before the body can lay down any structure, it has to have the proper function at the start. Again, our nerves control every movement we make, sense everything we feel, regulate every bodily function and relate us to the outside world. Properly functioning nerves are paramount to the growth of a healthy child. If a nerve isn’t working at its best from the start, development can struggle.
A vertebral subluxation disrupts the integrity of nerve communication between the brain and the body. This effects the functional outcomes of nerve development. A vertebral subluxation creates fault lines in developmental patterns. The earlier a subluxation can be corrected, the stronger the patterns of nerve development can become. A specific Chiropractic adjustment improves nerve function and potentiality.
How do children get vertebral subluxations?
A person, no matter their age, gets a subluxation through unadapted stress. The three main types of stressors are physical trauma, chemical toxins and emotional damage. These stresses can be big or small, repetitive or singular. Unadapted stress puts tension on nerves and connective tissues. This can weaken the spine to the point of malfunction. A vertebral subluxation can result.
Children and infants are very susceptible to the stresses of the world because their nerves and connective tissues are very pliable. Very often, the first stresses that we encounter occur at birth. The modern medical birthing process has only increased the quality and quantity of stress that is put on the delivery of a child. It was already being observed in the 1920s that the modern birthing process puts added stress on children. Again quoting Dr. Craven from Chiropractic Hygiene and Pediatrics: “Subluxations in the upper cervical region are often produced at the time of birth which causes cord pressure, making the child susceptible to all conditions that would irritate the nervous system.”
Children will come across plenty of stressors throughout life that can contribute to a subluxation. Getting your child checked by a Pediatric Chiropractor early and often is a great way to be proactive when it comes to their health. Pediatric Chiropractic is about giving your child the opportunity to express his or her Nerve System at a greater potential. An optimal functioning Nerve System is something we all need. Improving the health of our children today creates a future of being well.
- Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP
Related Blogs:
Who Can and Can Not Get Adjusted?
"I'm Pregnant, Might an Adjustment Harm My Child?"
Breastfeeding Difficulties and the Upper Cervical Spine
At What Age Should a Person Start Seeing a Chiropractor?