Care for Kids — Fitzgibbon Family Chiropractic

Chiropractic Care for Kids

“As the twig is bent, the tree inclines. ”

— (Virgil, 19-70 B.C.)

The importance of chiropractic care for kids is best explained by this simple statement made centuries ago. A child’s foundation for growth begins at the start of life. If you were to ask the question, “At what age does a child receive trauma to their spine?”, the answer from the research community suggests that it can be as early as in utero or soon after birth. Spinal micro traumas (positioning in utero, such as breech or transverse presentation or car seat malposition) and macro traumas (birth trauma, falls, sports, car accidents) are happening prior to birth in the uterus and during or soon after “normal” delivery procedures.

In the United States, the leading cause of death under the age of 25 is accidents. The leading cause of accidental deaths in that age group is automobile related. Two factors that place younger children at a higher risk in an auto accident are: 1) improper use of or lack of car restraints (car seats & seatbelts) and 2) the ratio of a larger head to a smaller child torso. The pediatric spine is particularly vulnerable to automobile trauma.

Another important factor to consider is that The National Safety Council conducted a study observing 536 infants their first year of life. The study discovered that 255 (47.5%) had fallen head first from a high place. The message to parents should be that these injuries can be prevented by attending to your children while on a high surface, but, also, infants and small children should have regular chiropractic evaluations.

Other traumatic injuries occur due to infant walkers, falls due to lack of balance/coordination while learning to stand/walk, playground injuries, trampoline injuries, sports/physical education classes and unorganized sports/activities.

It is these normal life occurrences that can cause the minor injuries or strains to the developing spine by causing vertebral subluxation. A subluxation is a misalignment between 2 or more bones of the spine that causes interference to normal body mechanics and normal nervous system function. The subluxation, in turn, can directly affect balance and symmetry of spinal development. Lack of balance in the body has been shown to be a contributing factor of all disease.

If accidents are the leading cause of death/injury to children in the U.S., we can only make the assumption that a very high number of children have sustained some level of pediatric spinal injury/trauma.

Give your children the best chance at a healthy future and get regular spinal checkups!!!