How Often should Children see A Chiropractor
Why do children need to see a chiropractor?
Parents often wonder if their children need chiropractic care, because people often associate chiropractic with pain complaints. But chiropractic is most beneficial in preventive care. Thus, children having healthy and growing spines makes them the perfect candidate!
A small spinal curve, developmental delays, and other issues can be easily spotted in a chiropractic exam and quickly addressed. The spine is similar to a young tree that begins to grow crooked. If you do not give it the support to grow straight, you will end up with a tree with a curved trunk. Children are much the same.
What role can chiropractic play in a child’s healthcare?
In addition to a routine spinal assessment, chiropractic can play an important role in your child’s healthcare through many stages of development. Here is a break down of some commonly seen conditions in our clinic.
- Newborn 0-12 months: colic, trouble breast feeding, trouble sleeping, failure to thrive, constipation, reflux/stomach upset, and ear infections
- Toddlers 1-3 years: low back pain, trouble walking, unusual stride pattern, clumsiness/tripping/frequent falls, failure to start walking, trouble sleeping, night terrors, ear infections, and constipation
- Start of school 5-7 years: knee pain, growing pains, trouble adjusting at school, playground injuries, colds, swimmer’s ear, and bed wetting
- Adolescence 11-15 years: scoliosis, growing pains, menstrual troubles, and sports injuries
- High school 15-18 years: Growing pains (more common in boys at this point), sports injuries, and menstrual troubles
- College to adult: At this age, their bodies start responding more like an adult, so regular chiropractic rules apply
Do children enjoy the adjustments?
Most children like getting adjusted and are often excited to come in for their visits. Infants will frequently sleep through the visit. Many times they smile while being adjusted. We use various techniques on children depending on their health needs, and occasionally, we can we give them a choice of the method they like best. We use techniques such as craniosacral therapy, activator and non-force techniques as well as manual adjustments, which use fingers and hands.
How often should they be seen?
We recommend that children get their spines checked twice a year, much like you would do for a dental check-up. This is helpful in preventing scoliosis and other childhood problems such as ear infections, growing pains, and sleep issues.
Seasonal Affective Disorder: What is it? How can we keep it under control?
As the seasons chan
ge and the weather gets colder, do you feel yourself getting glum? The days are shorter, and we don’t see much sunlight after work hours as the sun sets earlier. If you are among the 10-20% of people who suffer from this, you may have something called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
SAD is a type of depression that develops during the dark and cloudy gray days of winter. Surprisingly, this depression does not surface until the spring and early summer, after the winter months have sapped our energy and lowered our moods.
What are the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder?
While loss of energy and depression are most common, other symptoms can include:
- Hopelessness
- Anxiety
- Heavy feeling of arms and legs
- Oversleeping
- Social withdrawal
- Weight gain
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
What causes SAD?
The specific cause is still unknown. Generally it seems to affect certain patients more than others. A person with a genetic predisposition or mental health issues is most vulnerable. The common theories explaining SAD are:
- Biological clock (circadian rhythm): Reduced levels of light will disrupt the body’s internal clock which can lead to depression.
- Serotonin levels: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that effects mood and gets a boost from sunlight. These levels may drop in the winter and trigger depression.
Melatonin levels: Melatonin is a hormone that helps control our sleep patterns and moods. Production of this hormone can be reduced during the winter months which can disrupt sleep and trigger low moods.
Who is most at risk?
- Females
- Having a family history of SAD
- People with clinical depression or bipolar disorder
- People living very far away from the equator
What are some ways to help prevent prevent SAD?
- Exercise regularly 4 times a week for a minimum of 30-45 minutes.
- Getting outside in the sun for as little as 10 to 15 minutes can help prevent SAD.
- Replace your traditional vanity light with a full-spectrum bulb to reap its advantages while getting ready for school or work in the morning.
- Supplement with Vitamin D 2,000 IU daily. Increased dosages should only be taken if recommended by your doctor. Vitamin D supplements are especially important if you wear sunscreen regularly.
Welcome to In-Health Clinic and Light & Joy Acupuncture
In-Health Clinic chiropractic cares for families helping staying healthy and happier. ? Family Health Care ? Sports Enhancement ? Nutrition ? Pediatric Health ~ Newborn-18yrs
Light & Joy Acupuncture has a focus of practice to help you with your health conditions. We welcome both western and eastern medicine. In our experience the integration of both complement each other. Website.
Welcome to In-Health Clinic Chiropractic Care
At In Health Clinic, our experience is that a healthy family is a happier family. Regardless of age, we believe in bringing each family member to their optimum health so they can live the life that they choose and not one that is thrust upon them or limited by circumstances of health. We use our training and knowledge to get to the root of a problem, treating the source rather than covering up symptoms.
We specialize in individualized care newborn to grandparent that is powered through the integration of In Health’s well-educated and trained practitioners working together for you. This gives you the power of more knowledge behind you and your families health; and if we are not the right office for you, we promise to tell you who we would recommend so that you get the highest quality of healthcare for today and in the future.