CHILDREN

Children have remarkable innate healing abilities. Chiropractic care can help to unleash that innate healing potential. Scientific studies comparing traditional medicine to the effectiveness of chiropractic care on children have shown positive results.

In 1989, a study comparing the patients of 200 pediatricians with 200 children under the care of doctors of chiropractic showed that the overall health of the children under chiropractic care was better. They had fewer ear infections, fewer allergies, less tonsillitis, and less need for antibiotics.

A Denmark study shows encouraging evidence that infants with colic are helped by chiropractic care, even when more traditional treatments are not affective. Of 316 babies treated by 73 chiropractors in 50 different clinics, improvement was noted on more than 90% of the children in the study.

Learning Challenges

Many children in recent years have been diagnosed with a variety of learning disorders such as ADD and ADHD. A "whol-istic" approach to dealing with learning problems can sometimes be beneficial in reducing or eliminating the need for medications.

Some related causes or contributing factors to ADD and ADHD may be:

• allergies

• heavy metal toxicity

• blood sugar imbalances

• structural misalignments resulting from birth trauma, poor posture or injury

• emotional stress at school or home

• a need for a different style of teaching

The following recommendations for individualized care and attention may sometimes be helpful:

• Referral to Shelley Kaplan of Whole Child Solutions for learning style evaluation, tutoring, consultation or Brain Gym

• Chiropractic care

• Diagnostic tests for allergies, heavy metal toxicity, etc.

• Nutritional and dietary recommendations

• Stress relief therapy such as Health Kinesiology, Bach flower remedies or referral for child and family counseling

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a progressive, abnormal sideways curvature of the spine that often develops during childhood when the bones are developing. It is usually more common in girls than in boys by about 7:1. Some forms of scoliosis are related to the body's attempt to compensate for spinal injury such as birth trauma or a fall. Other forms of scoliosis seem to be hereditary or to have no identifiable cause. It can be associated with neurological problems from pressure on the nerves and in severe cases can even cause heart and lung problems.

Chiropractic care for scoliosis starts with visual screening of the spine. X-rays of the spine may be taken to give a better picture of the vertebrae involved in the scoliosis. Using the information from the x-rays and examination, specific chiropractic adjustments are then made to the spine to correct the misalignment. Specific massage therapy may also be used along the spinal muscles to relieve associated tension and to encourage the spine to return to its normal alignment. Other therapies including exercise may also be used or recommended as needed.

If detected and treated early enough, progression of the scoliosis can often be reversed, arrested or reduced, preventing it from becoming more severe in later years.

Birth Trauma

Very often the first subluxation or misalignment of the spine occurs at birth as we are squeezed coming down the birth canal and then pulled out by the birth attendant on the other end. The body of an infant is very resilient and the bones in the skull are designed to be flexible and to mold to allow for the birth process, but sometimes a little extra chiropractic help may be needed to assist the infant's spine and cranium in returning to their normal alignment.

Some signs that your infant or toddler may need chiropractic care are difficulty breastfeeding especially on one side indicating difficulty turning his or her head or neck, tilting of the head, neck sensitivity, prolonged crying or irritability, or signs of swelling and pain. If spinal misalignments are left untreated, the body tends to change and adapt. This makes treatment more difficult in adulthood. On the other hand, children usually respond remarkably quickly to treatment and can avoid unnecessary discomfort throughout life associated with the affects of spinal misalignment or subluxations on the nervous system and the overall function of the body.