3 Myths About Pediatric Chiropractic
A healthy spine is vital to a growing child. Nowadays, many parents are discovering the benefits of pediatric chiropractic for their children.
However, pediatric chiropractic is still a relatively new area of this type of treatment. And with its newness comes misconceptions. In today’s post, we’ll try to dispel some myths about pediatric chiropractic and set the record straight.
Pediatric Chiropractic 101
We hope the information you find today we’ll allow you to understand this thriving area of chiropractic care and treatment and how it can benefit your children.
Myth 1: Pediatric Chiropractic Is New
In this context, the public and healthcare community’s perception of “new” is something that is untested, risky, and experimental.
When some first learned that doctors of chiropractic treat children patients, they may think that this type of treatment is in its early stages. That could not be further from the truth.
While chiropractic only dates back to the 80s, the actual practice has a much older and stronger origin. D.D. Palmer, the founder of chiropractic treatment, strongly expressed the importance of checking the health of the spine of children – from birth all throughout their lives. This is according to the International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association (ICPA).
During the 1980s, many doctors of chiropractic started and developed their own practices to treat mainly adult patients. However, in 1986, there was a re-establishment of chiropractic care to treat children as the sole focus.
Dr. Larry Webster, the founder of the ICPA, was a visionary in the pediatric chiropractic community. In 1986, he taught child-focused chiropractic techniques to help chiropractors who want to see children as their primary patients.
Today, the ICPA has 4,000 members – and still growing. Many doctors of chiropractic are shifting their focus to treat children.
Myth 2: Chiropractic care for children is not needed at all.
Pediatric chiropractors often hear these questions: Why does my child need a chiropractor? What good will it bring to my child’s health? Does my newborn or toddler need it? Is it safe?
Chiropractors can see patients as young as one-week-old. The minute a newborn shows signs of turning their head, pediatric chiropractors can apply the techniques they know to check for asymmetry or imbalances with the spine and the muscular function of the joints.
If there are any issues, pediatric chiropractors can address them early. This also avoids any health concerns developing into something more severe.
If these imbalances develop as the children grow, it could be harder to treat and correct the issues.
It’s also been noted that there is a link between various childhood conditions and the central nervous system. Symptoms such as colic, attention deficit, and ear infections, to name a few, are messages from the body that something is wrong – that it’s not organized.
And as you know, it’s the nervous system that is responsible for our body’s full organization. Chiropractic care treats the spine, which is a vital component in the nervous system.
Myth 3: Chiropractic techniques are the same for children and adult patients.
This reason is mainly why parents are apprehensive about taking their children (whether they are toddlers or newborns) to see a chiropractor.
In pediatric chiropractic, professionals know not to use heavy pressure or adjustment techniques when treating children. Often, the techniques and methods involve positioning the child to where he or she is comfortable, holding that angle, and letting their body adjust naturally.
In this area of chiropractic, extensive and additional training is vital. For instance, the human spine is not as sturdy until the age of six. This means that the spine is susceptible to deformations and abnormal functions around that age.
Pediatric chiropractors are primarily knowledgeable about a child’s physical (and even mental and emotional) development, and they know how to apply chiropractic care to improve their patients’ condition.