Chiropractic Care for Kids

It can seem pretty obvious why many adults seek out chiropractic care; whether it be due to an injury, musculoskeletal pain, or wanting to improve their posture or overall health.

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Kids are a different matter.

We get asked a lot if children can also benefit from chiropractic care, how does this differ from adults, and is it safe?

Australian chiropractors are five-year university trained and are government-registered and regulated healthcare professionals. Many chiropractors also complete extra training in paediatrics. In Australia, the chiropractic profession is well established, with over 300,000 visits to chiropractors each week. Approximately 30,000 of these visits are children under the age of 18 years.1

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If we think about what kids get up to on a daily basis, it can make good sense to get their musculoskeletal system assessed.

One study found that infants fell 17 times per hour! They found that the majority of infants walked for at least 6 hours per day which resulted in 100 falls per day3.

In one month, that equates to over 3000 falls! Even though these falls may seem very minor most of the time, it is the sheer volume of falls that may accumulate and cause issues.

We can even look as far back as the birth process. One study found that

Up to 73% of infants had one or more asymmetry stemming from birth. The evidence suggests that infants may receive musculoskeletal injuries through both traumatic and non-traumatic births. “2

There are some signs that your child may be in musculoskeletal discomfort.

For very young children and babies:

Discomfort or difficulty changing clothes Discomfort laying on the change table Difficulty with tummy time Dislike of car seats Asymmetrical postures e.g. Always having head turned one way, rotated or tilted Disliking being held on one side or only liking feeding on one side

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Additionally for older children keep an eye out for:

Poor posture Difficulty or stiffness when moving Avoidance behaviours – for example not wanting to crawl or walk or do certain activities Signs of retained primitive reflexes (check signs here)

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Chiropractors can play an active role in monitoring your child’s development, motor skills, and well-being through assessments.1

Most importantly your chiropractor can assess your child and advise them whether chiropractic care may be a good fit for them and their individual situation.

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If you are interested in getting your child assessed contact us at Caring Hands Chiropractic to book an assessment or we can refer you to a chiropractor in your area.

For more information on the Safer Care Victoria review, please press this text.

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References:

https://www.chiro.org.au/patients/about-chiropractic/chiro-and-kids/ Risks and rewards of early musculoskeletal assessment. Joyce Miller, Marcella Fontana, Karin Jernlås, Henny Olofsson, Ida Verwijst. 18 Nov 2013 https://doi.org/ 10.12968/johv. 2013.1. 10.590 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3591461/