It amazes me when my patients are surprised after I tell them that we treat children as well as adults.  Yes, kids need Chiropractic just as much as YOU do!  Kids have spines just like adults.  They have the exact same number of joints, muscles and bones that function the same as adults.  Kids also get injured.  How many times did your little one fall when trying to walk?  Did your child ever wreck a bicycle?  I remember vividly at a very young age tumbling down a flight of stairs on my tricycle!!!  Why in the world did my parents allow me to have my tricycle in the upstairs of our house without any safety gate is beyond me!  I guess it was in the 60’s and we did things a little different back then!  Do you think I may have gotten a little misaligned after going head over heels down 14 stairs?  You bet!  Do you think I could have used a check up from a Chiropractor?  Absolutely! Did my mom and dad take me in to the local Chiropractor to get checked out?  No they didn’t.  Could this accident have contributed to the arthritis I now have in my neck?  Yes it very well could have but more on trauma and arthritis on another blog. 

The fact is that young kids and even babies go through traumas that cause spinal misalignment's.  Misalignment's lead to joint dysfunction which over time if not treated leads to arthritis.  If children were brought in for Chiropractic checkups this could be prevented.  Misalignment also may put pressure on spinal nerve roots possibly causing other internal disorders.  Chronic ear infections, asthma, and allergies are just a few of the illnesses that Chiropractic has helped. 

How young is too young?  There is no age limit.  My youngest patient was 7 days old (my oldest was 107!).  Young kids and babies are easy to treat.  How do I adjust a baby?  With my thumbs while mom or dad holds their child.  Of course child and baby adjusting techniques are much different than for adults.  Do I need to take X-rays on a child?  Most of the time they are not needed. The best part is kids respond much faster than adults do to treatment.  Many times only a couple of treatments are needed to totally resolve the problem.  Younger bodies heal faster when fighting disease or injury most of the time.    

If you have any further questions on Chiropractic and your child, ask us! 

Dr. Ron Vargo