Pediatric Chiropractic Care
Think about taking your child to their first dentist appointment at the age of 46, how would their teeth look? What if you waited this long to take your child to the chiropractor? How many issues could be avoided throughout their childhood just by seeing a chiropractor. Starting your child off early with chiropractic care is a sure way to help your child thrive.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic comes from the greek words “praxis” and “cheir” meaning to practice or treat using your hands.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health.
Why do kids need chiropractic?
The first year of a child’s life is the most critical. Babies are going through many different stages, from delivery to breastfeeding, rolling over, crawling and all the way up until they can walk. With all of these changes it’s important that the spine is aligned to help children to reach their milestones on time, if not earlier. At our office, we see babies with latching difficulties, lack of sleep, lack of or slow bowel movements, reflux or torticollis. And a lot of the times, we see kiddos with no complaints, who come in for wellness visits to make sure they’re hitting their milestones. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association initiated a groundbreaking study on the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic care for children. The preliminary results are outstanding and show that chiropractic care is safe for children. Even more significant is that parents reported three unexpected improvements with their child’s care:
Improved sleeping
Improved behavior and attitude
Improved immune system function
What does chiropractic care involve?
A pediatric session would start with a consultation which goes over any past medical history, issues/difficulties, diet, and physical activity. You will also review any nutritional supplements you or your child may take, eating habits and diet, as nutrition is an important part of a healthy child. Then next step is the exam portion, Dr. Ashtiani will be looking to check for things such as primitive reflexes and depending on the child’s age, and gait analysis. Depending on the child’s age, corrective/strengthening exercises will be given in office to work on muscular imbalance and parents will be given homework to do with their little ones. The next step is the adjustment, any of the following techniques could be used:
Craniosacral Therapy
Logan Technique
Activator
Top three things to take home from the first session typically include: strengthening/corrective exercises, diet changes and/or incorporation of nutritional supplements, and the parents looking for subtle changes from visit to visit (if the child had any complaints).
Does it hurt?
Not at all! With pediatric care, we apply a gentle touch, any pressure is equivalent to you feeling a tomato at the grocery store.
How long does it take?
After the initial visit, any follow up appointments can range anywhere from 10-15 minutes.
Is it safe?
Yes! They key to safety in pediatric chiropractic is education. Dr. Ashtiani is trained by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. She has taken more than 200+ hours including the following courses:
Perinatal Care with Webster Certification
Cranial Eval & Adjusting Protocols for the Infant and Child
The Essentials of Chiropractic: Adjusting the Infant and Education in the Perinatal Period
How can I tell if my child’s spine isn’t in alignment?
Some signs to look for are:
Disrupted sleeping patterns
Breastfeeding/latching difficulties
One shoulder higher than the other
Colicy babies
Tummy troubles
