Children & Chiropractic:
A Natural Solution to Common Childhood Health Problems
Children are typically born very healthy. For nine months, they have lived in a perfect environment with everything they need provided for them. When they come into the world, and as any mother can tell you, the birth process is traumatic. But what you may not realize is that the birth process is also traumatic for the newborn baby. Routine labor procedures such as inducing labor, pain medications, restrictive maternal positions, the use of forceps, vacuum extractions, and caesarian sections, have been shown to cause skull, neck, and spine injuries to the newborn infant.
Dr. Johnson working on Chad who is 7 years old. He was very gentle, explanatory, and knowledgable. Chad sees him for allergy and sinus problems.
As a child gets older, more traumas to the spine can occur. According to the National Safety Council, nearly 50% of children fall head first from a high place (changing tables, beds, etc.) during the first year of their life. Tossing your child in the air, pulling a child by the arm, falling, bicycle accidents, school sports, rough- housing, and even carrying a backpack can contribute to spinal trauma. In a study released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, almost a quarter of a million children under the age of 15 are treated for injuries related to playground equipment.
The majority of the accidents are falls and approximately 50 percent of all falls result in head and neck trauma. These traumas result in spinal misalignments, called “Subluxations,” which can have far reaching effects on the health of your child. Health problems such as Infantile Colic, Scoliosis, Ear Infections, Tonsillitis, bedwetting, and adolescent low back pain can be related to spinal subluxation. To understand how this happens, we need to take a look at how the spine and the nervous system affect the body.
The spine is made up of 24 moveable bones called “vertebrae.” The nervous system runs from the brain, through the spine, out from between the vertebra, to every organ, tissue, and cell in the body. When one or more of these vertebra is out of alignment, or “subluxated,” it can cause interference with the proper function of these nerves. When a nerve is not functioning properly, it causes an interruption of communication between the brain and the related area of the body. Whether it is muscles, ligaments, or organs this results in a loss of function to the affected area. This, in turn can, lead to pain, disease, and symptoms.
Infantile Colic is a condition that affects infants between the ages of 2 weeks to 4 months. The condition causes episodes of violent, persistent crying with no apparent cause, but is believed to be a reaction to pain. A study reported in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found a high incidence of abnormal spinal joint function in colicky infants. Due to the link between the nervous system, spinal function, and digestive function, it is believed that spinal dysfunction may be a significant player in this condition. In this study, 316 infants with moderate to severe colic were treated with Chiropractic with remarkable results.
Prior to treatment, the average episode of colic was 5.2 hours per day. After the first treatment, the average episode dropped to 2.5 hours, and dropped further with continued treatment at a rate of 39 minutes per day. After two weeks and an average of three treatments, a 94 percent success rate was achieved. Sixty percent of the patients’ colic stopped completely and 34% showed improvement. Researchers of the study concluded that “standard Chiropractic treatment constitutes an effective treatment of Infantile Colic.” Traditional treatments for this condition include periodic waking, fluid restrictions, dry bed training, and psychotherapy. It should be noted that other studies involving psychotherapy and periodic waking have only had a 10-11 percent success rate (Source: Klougart).
Ear infections account for more than 35 percent of all pediatrician visits in the United States. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association observed that antibiotics are not always the best treatment for ear infections. A double-blind study by the University of Pittsburgh found that children treated with the common antibiotic Amoxicillin did not recover any faster than those treated with a placebo. In fact, it was found that those treated with the antibiotics were more likely to have the infection recur (Source: Cantekin). Chiropractic can be a safe, natural alternative treatment for ear-related problems. Chiropractic treatment will help the fluid that gets trapped in the eustacian tubes drain, preventing ear infections. And by default, prevent future need of antibiotic use for ear-related problems.
As you can see, Chiropractic has been very successful in treating many common childhood ailments. Many people are unaware that Doctors of Chiropractic complete an education very similar to that of a Medical Doctor. Chiropractors are trained in 4 year pre-med undergraduate as well as four-years of post graduate doctorate in Chiropractic college, must pass 4 part national board examinations and participate in annual continuing education credits and are licensed in all 50 states. Like the curriculum of medical schools, a chiropractor’s education is devoted to scientific subjects such as anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, public health diagnosis, clinical disciplines, and health sciences. Because children have an incredibly strong ability to heal, sometimes miracles can happen under Chiropractic care preventing further medical intervention.
*For more information and to schedule an appointment call Axis Chiropractic & Health at 337-451-5742. You can also visit our Facebook page by clicking here.
References
Source: Cantekin, E.I., et al, “Antimicrobial therapy for otis media with effusion (‘secretory’ otis media),” Journal of the American Medical Association 226, December 18, 1991, 339-17. See editorial comments on pp. 3333-34 of the same issue.
Source: Klougart, N., Nilsson, N., and Jacobsen, J., (1989) “Infantile Colic Treated by Chiropractors: A Prospective Study of 316 Cases,” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 12:281-288.
