During the birthing process, there is a relatively
small area to pass through
considering the size of the infant. During the delivery
process, in order to minimize
discomfort of the mother and baby, abnormally excessive
and unnatural forces are
commonly used. This can and commonly does result in
injuries to the infant's spine - especially the cervical
spine. As the months and years go by, the spine grows
and
develops at a very rapid pace. When the baby begins
to crawl and then walk, a
number of seemingly minor falls and collisions will
occur as balance and the
knowledge of physics is still developing. As the youngster
proceeds through
childhood, the minor collisions become severe and
more frequent. The physical
traumas will continue into adolescence especially
in the active and athletic youngsters.
Source: ProfessionalPlanets.com™ 1999
More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care
for their children. Many
spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth.
Even so called 'natural'
birthing methods can stress an infant's spine and
developing nerve system. The
resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by
spinal and cranial misalignment
can be the cause of many newborn health complaints.
Colic, breathing problems,
nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic
reactions and chronic infections can
often be traced to nerve system stress.
Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth,
many parents have their newborns
checked right away. As the infant grows, learning
to hold up the head, sit, crawl and
walk are all activities that affect spinal alignment
and are important times to have a
child checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic.
As the child begins to participate in regular childhood
activities like skating or riding
a bike, small yet significant spinal misalignments
(subluxations) may occur. If
neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid
growth may lead to more serious
problems later in life. Subtle trauma throughout childhood
will affect the future
development of the spine leading to impaired nervous
system function. Any
interference to the vital nerve system will adversely
affect the body’s ability to
function at its best.
One of the most common reason parents seek care for
their child is trauma from
an injury of some sort. These misalignments may or
may not result in immediate pain
or symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify
potential spinal injury from
these traumas, make the correction early in life and
help avoid many of the health
complaints seen later in adults. Proper spinal hygiene
is an important key to better
health.
Another sought out reason for care is the resolution
of a particular symptom or
condition. Parents seek care for conditions such as
colic, ear infections, asthma,
allergies and headaches (to name a few) because they
have heard from other
parents that chiropractic care can help.
It is important to understand that the doctor of
chiropractic does not treat
conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor
is in checking the child’s
spine for misalignments that impair nervous system
function therefore affecting
overall body function. The bones of the spine, the
vertebrae, house and protect
the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of
the brain and carries information
from the brain to the body parts and back to the brain
again. Subluxations interfere
with the nerves’ ability to transmit this vital information.
The nerve system controls and coordinates the function
of all the systems in the
body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal,
eliminative and immune system.
Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference.
The chiropractic
adjustment restores nerve system function allowing
the body the ability to express
a greater state of health and well-being.
The doctor of chiropractic will take a case history
and perform a chiropractic exam
to determine if spinal subluxations exist. Chiropractic
adjusting procedures are
modified to fit a child's size, weight, and unique
spinal condition. They are both
gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal
structures. Most parents report
that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments
and look forward to
subsequent visits. They also report that their children
experience a greater level
of health while under regular chiropractic care.
Reference: ICPA - International Chiropractic Pediatric
Association - website:
http://www.icpa4kids.org/why/whychiro.htm
Take some positive steps toward a having a pain-free
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