Why Would Kids Benefit From Chiropractic Treatment ?
By Melissa Ferranti , D . C ., FIAMA , CACCP and Mary Margaret McGuire , D . C .
Children of all ages can benefit from chiropractic care ! Whatever you know about chiropractic for adults , chiropractic care for babies is quite different . When chiropractors assess and adjust newborn spines , we often use our pinky fingers and only the amount of pressure you can comfortably place on your eyeball . It ’ s safe , gentle , and can help with a variety of common complaints . As children get older , our adjustments begin to more closely resemble adult adjustments but with much less force . Here are a few reasons to get your children evaluated and adjusted :
• Birth is a traumatic event . Limbs can be twisted , necks turned and heads pulled . The first few moments of their big debut must be quite overwhelming for their little nervous systems . Babies are made for this process , however it can leave them with areas of discomfort . Our gentle form of adjustment can help relieve babies discomfort caused by birth .
• If your child is having difficulty feeding on a particular side , they could be experiencing discomfort when turning their head in a certain direction . When this happens , we assess the top bone of their tiny spines with our pinky fingers because it ’ s a common culprit . Using the smallest amount of pressure , we hold our finger on that bone until we feel the baby and surrounding tissue relax . We then reassess to ensure the baby can now turn their head both ways without discomfort .
• How many times a day do babies try to stand or walk but end up falling ? If they fall a certain way time after time , they could begin to develop areas of discomfort . By getting checked regularly , we can help prevent a compensation pattern from developing .
• Kids are adventurous and run and play without much fear , but they also fall frequently and in
20 | ST JOHNS parent MAGAZINE creative ways : headfirst , hands outstretched , on their bottoms , with one leg tucked underneath , and on and on . We check the spine for areas that aren ’ t moving as well as they should and help encourage the proper motion with our gentle adjustments .
• Backpacks seem to get heavier and heavier . We help counsel kids and parents about the proper way to wear backpacks while also checking the areas in the spine that experience the most stress from the increased load .
• Kids spend more and more time looking down at phones and iPads which doesn ’ t encourage good posture or the proper curvature of the neck . If left unchecked , this can lead to improper muscle and posture development . We analyze and correct posture and give kids and parents helpful ideas to prevent “ text neck .”
It ’ s much easier and more beneficial to treat kids while they are still young rather than try to train them out of bad habits later in life .
To learn more about how Palmer Chiropractic Clinics can help your child , visit https :// www . palmer . edu / clinics /.
Melissa Ferranti , D . C . is a Professor and Faculty Clinician at the Palmer Florida Chiropractic Clinic . She has additional training in working with children and pregnant mothers and holds a Certificate in Pediatrics from the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics ( CACCP ). She has published multiple papers in peer reviewed journals and has presented at prestigious research conferences .
Mary Margaret McGuire , D . C . graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida in 2020 , and currently practices in her hometown of Nashville , Tennessee . She works in a family practice and has a special interest in moms and kids .