Chiropractors have been checking and adjusting childrens' spines since the beginning. And why not? The normal growth and development of a child’s spine and nervous system is essential. No other field of healthcare is better skilled to provide such care.
I am not talking about pediatric orthopedics here with the treatment of bone diseases with surgery or repairing fractures. I am talking about caring for a child’s spine and neurological system from birth, giving that little one the best possible chance to be as healthy as possible so they are free to achieve their potential, which is limitless.
Can a child be healthy without chiropractic care? Absolutely. Can a child's health be optimal without chiropractic care? I think not. A nervous system free from undue stress, and better able to adapt to one’s environment, is an absolute advantage.
Can most chiropractors care for pediatrics in a competent and safe manner? Yes. Can every chiropractor provide the same skill set for pediatric care. No. Children are not little adults and there is a distinct difference in how their bodies and specifically neurological system function. These have to be taken into account by a chiropractor who focuses on pediatrics and their additional training should reflect that.
Childrens' spines are not in the same condition as adults. They don’t have the same issues as adults with old injuries, scar tissue and degeneration, not to mention the emotional stressors we experience on a daily basis that all challenge our nervous systems. Therefore the “treatments” for want of a better word, are also different.
Pediatric care is essentially about neurology and creating better neurological function. It is about stimulation to remove negative patterns that stress the nervous system and take the body away from a state of balance and homeostasis. Once this is achieved a child’s body is free to do what nature intended….thrive!
I see improvements in a number of “childhood conditions” once an infant or child is receiving chiropractic adjustments, to name a few: 
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- Colic
- Gross and fine motor skills
- Poor coordination
- Sleeping problems
- Growing pains
- Reflux and digestive problems
- Headaches
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When a child is experiencing spine or nervous system dysfunction they rarely get pain. Generally there are symptoms that appear as seemingly unrelated. For example, mothers know their kids need a check up when they “just aren’t themselves”. This is due to the effect of the spinal dysfunction known as “subluxation” on the brain and nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments correct these subluxations and normalize neurological function.
The majority of a child brain development occurs in the first few years of life. It is imperative that this development be supported and anything that would negatively impact this be eliminated.