Why Kids & Chiropractic are a Perfect Match for the Summer

Dr. Jon Thomas DC, BCIM

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

It won’t be long before school is out for the summer.  For parents, that means having to devise activities that let kids burn off all that restless energy they’ve been saving up all year long. For children, it’s just a couple short months to swim, ride their bikes and skateboards, not to mention rough housing with other kids in the neighborhood. As a result, it should come as no surprise that the number of visits to the ER made by children of all ages peaks during the summer. 

Aside from treating scrapes, sprains and the occasional broken bone, there isn’t a lot that ER doctors can do to help moms and dads manage an injury that their child has sustained.  Sure, they’ll schedule a return visit to remove a cast or check for infection, but other than providing a prescription to help relieve pain and/or inflammation, there isn’t a lot of follow up advice they can provide.  This is where chiropractic care can be a godsend.

When Kids Take a Tumble

Image courtesy of Pixabay

When a child takes a tumble from a bike, skateboard or heaven forbid, a tree, the immediate injuries are readily apparent.  What isn’t so obvious is the aftereffects produced with sustaining a trauma to the spine.  Those symptoms, don’t typically show up for days or in some cases even weeks.  Since the spine is the conduit through which the central nervous system operates, anything that interferes with the smooth transmission of nerve impulses can cause a number of other problems that aren’t immediately associated with the initial injury.  Everything from chronic headaches and upset stomach, to increased allergic response and even a summer cold, can all be related to the earlier injury.

Something as simple as an examination by a chiropractor and one or two spinal adjustments is all it usually takes to alleviate many of these injury aftereffects in kids.  Once the blockages are remedied, the nerve impulses can flow freely once more.  It never ceases to amaze me how parents are floored when I explain to them their child’s symptoms are the result of a spinal blockage.  On the other hand, I am elated when these same parents express their amazement that their child’s issues are remedied in as little as a single adjustment.  What they witnessed was the connection between spinal health and overall health, since it is the nerves connected to the spine that controls circulation, respiration, digestion, hormones, and immune function. 

Image courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center

Other spine-related issues can occur when the muscles, tendons and soft tissue that are connected to the spine become imbalanced by an injury.  When any of these becomes strained, many times, the body will attempt to compensate by adjusting other structural components in the body.  The problem is that this can result in postural misalignments that can also produce both pain and other unwanted symptoms.  Once again, a simple chiropractic examination and adjustment are all it takes to correct these misalignments, the result of which is a happy, healthy child.

What Can Chiropractic Do for Your Child?

By freeing a child’s body from spinal stress, their inner healing powers are unleashed.  This allows a child to respond to internal and external stresses that are all around.  Whether the stressor is pollen, germs, pollutants, or other external irritants, it is amazing how well the human body can cope, so long as there is nothing impeding the smooth flow of nerve impulses.  On the other hand, it is equally astounding at the number of issues that can be created whenever these same never impulses are impeded.

Ear Infections -The muscles surrounding the Eustachian Tube are influenced by the cervical spine.  As a result, a subluxation in the C1-C4 can affect the muscles that control the size of the Eustachian Tube, which can slow or block drainage.  This can result in an ear infection.

Allergies – Allergies result when the body reacts to an irritant as though it was an invading organism.  This can cause the body to produce antibodies which in turn trigger the release of histamines. Once released, Histamines cause inflammation, which leads to typical allergy symptoms.  Since anything from airborne pollen and dust to plants and food can lead to an allergic reaction, the key to prevention is to help suppress the immune response to things that kids come into contact with every day.  Chiropractic care has been shown to regulate the release of stress hormones, which in turn help moderate allergic reaction.

Headaches and Cranky Kids – Any time you have a headache, it can make you less than your usual happy self.  Well, the same is true for kids.  Headaches lead to cranky kids.  A common cause of tension headaches is a subluxation in the upper back and neck, which can be easily treated with a chiropractic adjustment.

Tummy Troubles – Whether your child is suffering from chronic stomach aches, constipation, or diarrhea, a chiropractor can help.  Since the stomach and small intestines are controlled by the thoracic vertebrae that reside in the middle back, any misalignment there can result in tummy troubles.  On the other hand, since the lumbar vertebrae control the large intestines, this can be the root cause of constipation or diarrhea. 

Accident Prone Kids – While some kids seem to be more accident prone, what can be present in many cases are misalignments in the upper cervical spine that control everything from the inner ear (which is responsible for our sense of balance), to the eyes, middle ear and auditory nerves. Any of these can cause a child to appear to be clumsy.

Can a Child Be Too Young for Chiropractic Care?

Image courtesy of Pixabay

The real beauty of Chiro for kids is that it can start right after birth.  You don’t know how many women go to their chiropractors because their infants cry non-stop, have colic or are not gaining weight, only to come back after one or two adjustments to report that their babies are doing much better.  When you think about it, it shouldn’t be all that hard to understand why infants sometimes require spinal adjustments.  Think about how you would feel if you spent nine months curled up in a ball.  You’d probably need an adjustment too.

The bottom line is if you are looking to help your children live happier, healthier lives, it wouldn’t hurt to schedule a chiropractic examination before the summer heat kicks into overdrive. This way the heat won’t be on you all summer long.

Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is regularly seen on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Northeast Florida.