by Judy Soborowicz
Having been a part of successful resolutions of health issues affecting children, such as ear infections, colic, digestive problems, bedwetting, coordination and attention problems, the idea of chiropractic for kids seems natural to me. The first three years of life are incredibly important for your child’s brain development. Motor skill development can be negatively affected by problems with the spine and nerves. Weaknesses may be clearly evident and may not be something your child just has to grow out of. Signs that your child is showing a delay on the developmental stages is cause for a closer look. A young child’s primary mode of communication is to cry or get very quiet. Unlikely any parent would choose to stand, walk, pace, shake, jiggle, or medicate a baby if they knew viable, gentle solutions for resolution exist.
Your chiropractor will observe your child’s physical strength and activities through testing reflexes and subtle changes in movement. Babies can exhibit a “wobbly neck,” cannot roll over or only roll one way, will only look or nurse one way, might have excessive spitting up, poor balance, and coordination, might skip crawling, or may favor walking with both arms up in the air. These are a few signs. The simple movements your child makes are tied to reflexes, which your chiropractor will observe and address. Movement and brain development are entwined, and your chiropractor is a movement specialist. Skipping stages, such as crawling, negatively affects your child’s brain and spine. Studies on brain development emphasize the importance of each developmental stage, and failing to crawl negatively affects the proper curvature in your child’s neck and lower back. The longer a child is left to develop with movement and nerve problems, the more the child will grow into them. As a twig is bent, so grows the tree.
Because we have all heard that chiropractic is for back pain, the information above may seem innovative. The truth is chiropractic works because nerves and movement alter conditions of the body. Parents report improvements in their child’s immune function, improved sleep, behavior, and attitude no matter what the age. Recently a family brought their four-year-old girl in for a checkup because she was tripping on her right leg when she would run and was unable to keep up with her siblings. Her reflexes were analyzed, and she was adjusted. The outcome was profound and immediate; she began to keep up with her siblings, making her running trip free, and faster, much to her obvious delight. Chiropractic adjustments connect the messages of the brain with the movement of the body. Neurological research is only now discovering the full depth of how important movement is for the development of the brain cognitively, emotionally, socially, and physically. As your child goes through the golden 0 to 3 year brain development stage, toddles while taking bumps and lumps, all the way up to puberty and beyond, optimal nerve function is essential. Stressors on your child’s nerve system addressed specifically by your chiropractor can make a profound difference. Join the millions of parents who have discovered the drug-free, natural chiropractic approach.