It’s that time of year again when most children around the country are returning to school. This year many of them will be back in classrooms and participating in school sports. Kids are growing fast, and their bodies go through a lot during the school year. Hunching over a desk, carrying a heavy backpack, or taking a tackle at football practice can all harm your child’s spine and back health. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to improve your child’s overall wellness and address spinal problems before they become chronic. Here are five reasons to consider chiropractic care for your child:
1. Healthier Development
The spine houses the spinal cord–the highway of the nervous system. Misalignments in the spine can cause pain, coordination problems, lowered immune system, and even increased anxiety. Throughout a child’s life, their spine takes a lot of trauma, from falling while learning to walk to active play and maybe sitting too much once they get older. At the same time, their spine is undergoing an amazing developmental process. The curves in their spine are forming, and their adult frame is taking shape. During this time, it’s especially important to correct subluxations in the spine, bad posture habits, or congenital issues.
Chiropractic care may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of healthcare for children, but it is one of the safest ways to ensure your child’s wellness. Chiropractors are taught special techniques for adjusting children. They can evaluate your child’s spine, make lifestyle recommendations, and correct any existing subluxations. Keeping their spine aligned as they grow will lead to a healthier back and nervous system in adulthood.
2. Less Pain and Better Athletic Performance
Student-athletes have unique needs that can be addressed with chiropractic care. Chiropractic adjustment and other treatments offered in your chiropractor’s office, like laser therapy, are safe, non-addictive solutions to pain. Chiropractors are equipped to evaluate and diagnose injuries and provide in-office and at-home treatment plans. Chiropractic treatments reduce inflammation and allow the body to heal faster. This means your teen might be able to get back to the sport they love sooner.
Better yet, regular chiropractic care can help prevent injuries. Since spinal adjustment affects the nervous system, it improves coordination, range of motion, and flexibility. Athletes who receive regular chiropractic care get injured less often than those who don’t. They also show measurable increases in athletic performance. Most professional sports teams keep a team chiropractor on hand to treat their players, but your child doesn’t have to be a professional athlete to reap the benefits of chiropractic care.
3. A Robust Immune System
Every parent knows that as soon as school starts, the creeping crud starts going around. Colds and stomach bugs happen to everyone sometimes, but a strong immune system helps cut down on sick days. Since the nervous system interacts with the immune system, chiropractic adjustment can increase immunity. Studies have shown that both children and adults who receive regular chiropractic care experience fewer viral infections than those who don’t.
In addition to being preventative, chiropractic adjustment can also help heal certain illnesses. Babies and young children who struggle with chronic ear infections can benefit from chiropractic care. A specific adjustment technique is used to free the nerve that controls the opening and closing of the Eustachian tubes within the ear. In one study, 93% of the children involved saw improvement in ear infection symptoms after adjustment. Studies have also shown that regular chiropractic care in young children can make ear infections less frequent.
4. Improved Sleep and Behavior
Sometimes when children have trouble sleeping, the cause is tight muscles or discomfort that they aren’t able to explain. Kids also deal with stress, and as with adults, stress can disrupt their sleep. Chiropractic adjustment can help with stiffness and pain as well as stress reduction. Chiropractic care has been shown to improve bed wetting, reduce signs of stress and improve sleep in children. Many parents of children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD have noticed improvements in their child’s behavior and ability to focus after they receive an adjustment. Again, this is all due to the effect of spinal adjustment on the nervous system. An aligned spine frees the nervous system to function optimally, which in turn benefits mental and physical health.
5. Better Posture Habits
If your child is complaining of headaches or is struggling to sit still at their desk, posture may be to blame. Just as adults need to sit with correct posture at work to avoid injury, kids also need to avoid hunching or slouching in their desks. Your chiropractor can evaluate your child to see if bad posture may be causing them discomfort. He will also help give you and your child tips on how to use better posture in the classroom.
Some kids have weak core muscles. This can make it more difficult for them to sit with a healthy posture. Kids with weak core muscles may also struggle with motor skills like writing or doing up buttons. Your chiropractor can evaluate your child for this and assign exercises to improve their core strength.
Chiropractors are holistic practitioners. This means they take the whole person, their lifestyle, diet, and habits into account. They can be a great resource for parents who may be wondering how to help their child wear a backpack correctly, eat healthier or be more active. Don’t hesitate to bring up these concerns during your child’s appointment.
Chiropractic Care for Kids in Michigan
At Burkhart Chiropractic, we believe that chiropractic care can change lives. We treat patients of all ages and have years of experience helping families meet their wellness goals. If your child is experiencing headaches, dizziness, or sleep problems, don’t wait to bring them in for a consultation with our caring experts. Chiropractic care can help your kids have a happier, healthier school year.
