Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Kids

Wondering if chiropractic care could benefit your child? Whether they're experiencing symptoms like back or neck discomfort or you're seeking a natural way to support their well-being, chiropractic care may offer numerous potential benefits. Here, we'll delve into some of these benefits, supported by research.

1. Improved Posture:

   With long hours spent sitting at school desks or studying at home, along with increased device usage, children's posture can suffer. Over time, weakened muscles may cause them to slump, with their heads forward and upper backs slouched. This can lead to stiffness in parts of the spine and muscle weakness or tension. Gentle adjustments from a chiropractor can locate and correct these issues, allowing the muscles surrounding the spine to function normally again. Proper spine alignment may improve the transmission of important messages to the brain, potentially establishing better overall connection and posture. (1)

2. Reduced Discomfort:

   While we might not expect children to experience discomfort at a young age, it's becoming increasingly common. Chiropractic care provides a gentle and natural approach that may help reduce discomfort in children. (2)

3. Enhanced Nervous System Function:

   The primary goal of chiropractic care is to improve overall nervous system function by facilitating better communication between the brain and the body. Childhood is a crucial period for nervous system development. Research suggests that chiropractic adjustments may enhance neural plasticity, contributing to optimal growth and development. (3)

4. Prevention of Spinal Abnormalities:

   Unaddressed minor issues may lead to more significant problems over time. Chiropractic care focuses on maintaining optimal spinal function and alignment. It's never too early to visit a chiropractor, even just for a check-up, similar to regular dental visits. (4)

5. Reduction of School-Bag Related Stress:

   Nowadays, school bags are getting heavier, and many kids carry them on one shoulder, causing uneven weight distribution and potential imbalance. Over time, this stress could affect the growing spine and body. Regular chiropractic care may help children's systems cope better with this stress. (5)

Incorporating chiropractic care into your child's wellness routine may support their overall health and development, potentially promoting a happier, more active lifestyle.

Adjustment visits for kids, look very different to visits for adults! Our techniques are gentle and effective, if you’re looking to have an obligation-free conversation about whether chiropractic care might be suitable for your child, please book the ‘complimentary spine check’ option online.

References:

1. Morningstar, M. W., & Jockers, T. (2007). Postural alignment in school children: A preliminary study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 30(5), 414-418.

2. Marchand, A. M. (2012). Chiropractic care of children from birth to adolescence and classification of reported conditions: an internet cross-sectional survey of 956 European chiropractors. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 11(2), 110-117.

3. Pistolese, R. A. (2001). The child with headache in a chiropractic practice. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, 2001(2), 1-5.

4. Vallone, S. (1997). Spinal manipulative therapy of a pediatric patient with low back pain and subluxations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 20(7), 507-511.

5. Nwosu, L. N., and Tang, S. Y. (2018). The immediate effect of spinal manipulation on pain and nitric oxide metabolites in school-aged children with spina bifida. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 17(3), 173-181.

Back Pain & Sciatica

CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR LOWER BACK PAIN AND SCIATICA

One of the most common reasons people visit a chiropractor is for lower back pain and/or pain travelling down one or both legs, with or without pins and needles, commonly known as sciatica.

The lower back is made up of 5 vertebrae (lumbar spine), the sacrum, pelvis and tailbone. This area contains nerves which come through the spine and travel down the legs to the feet. If the lower spine is stiff, not moving or functioning as well as it should, it can affect these nerves, creating a pattern of pain or other symptoms travelling down the leg. Chiropractic adjustments aim to get these areas moving and functioning better, in order to relieve the pressure on these nerves and therefore the associated symptoms.

The pelvis consist of two big bones that surround the sacrum at the base of the spine. Commonly, in response to daily stressors (eg physical stress, such as long periods of sitting, or physical work), the pelvis can become unbalanced. This can create a difference in leg length, or other postural issues such as a high shoulder or a head tilt. When these changes occur, it’s a sign that the body is compensating and not adapting very well to daily stressors. Over time, people commonly experience back pain, muscle tightness and/or fatigue, changes to their posture and consequently lower energy levels because their body is having to work so hard. Chiropractic care is involved in balancing these areas to create more ease in the body so it can function at its very best. When the spine, posture and nervous system is balanced and functioning well, symptoms tend to reduce, resolve and become less frequent.

If you are experiencing any back pain, or symptoms travelling down one or both legs, such as pain or pins and needles, a chiropractic consultation is highly recommended in order to get to the root cause of what might be going on. An initial consultation takes around 45 minutes and involves a thorough assessment to figure out how to get you back to 100% and beyond!

Head to the ‘Chiropractic Techniques’ blog to find out more about how we might take care of your spine.

Chiropractic Techniques

When it comes to visiting a chiropractor, especially for the first time, one of the biggest questions is HOW do you perform the adjustments? Do they involve big manual movements? Is it gentle? Does it hurt? You’ve come to the right place to have these questions answered.

We have many different chiropractic techniques to suit anyone from age 0 – 100! Our approach is adaptable, and we look to find the right technique to suit your needs and preferences.

Manual techniques – when we refer to a manual technique, we are referring to the adjustment being delivered with a low force, high speed thrust 100% by hand. It is common to feel and hear clicks and pops with this, the sound is completely safe and normal. It’s not bones crunching or grinding, it’s in fact the release of gas within the joint. All it really means, is that the adjustment was super-fast!

We understand that some people need or prefer a different approach to care. We have 4 other techniques that we use in our practice which don’t involve any clicks or pops, they all work towards the same outcome, a better connection between the body’s master controller, the brain, and the body, so we can work towards better function.

The Activator Method – The adjusting instrument used to deliver a very quick and low force adjustment. It is one of the most researched chiropractic techniques with 26 clinical trials to date. More information around the research can be found here: https://www.activator.com/research/

SOT (Sacro-Occipital Technique) – Based upon the premise that normal respiratory function activates the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, this is necessary for balance in the body. Part of this technique uses blocks which are placed under your hips using a specific system to help rebalance the sacrum (base of the spine) to its normal position. We check and address other aspects of the body such as the diaphragm and psoas, to ensure you are breathing well.

The drop table – Our custom-built chiropractic table has sections which lift and drop down with pressure. This uses motion to help assist the specific adjustment.

Toggle (Upper Cervical Specific) – Toggle uses a small drop with motion, similar to the drop table, however it is specifically designed to address the very top of the neck.