Welcome to The Wellness Tribe where we offer chiropractic for kids in Denver.
Here, we seek to answer all the questions you may have as you research your child’s journey into chiropractic, and whether it is a good choice for your family.
Firstly, pediatric chiropractic begs us to ask, is chiropractic care good for kids?
I love this question and it is one I hear often as a pediatric chiropractor!
The response always brings me back to the premise of chiropractic and the foundation of which our services stand on.
Chiropractors are specialized and trained in eliminating interference between the brain and the body. If this primal channel (the nervous system) is clear, our overall health and function is optimized. Chiropractic is about living life to your highest potential and not always measured by symptoms or pain (although these are definite signs that communication is hindered).
The exponential growth and myriad of experiences an infant to baby – to child – to teenager undergoes is in itself a form of stress on the body.
In fact, It wasn’t until I went to chiropractic college myself, that I was introduced to pediatric chiropractic. Afterall I didn’t receive my first adjustment until I was 19 years old. Many people operate under the pretense that chiropractic care is for use when the body is expressing pain or symptoms. In actuality, life itself can be the reason to get an adjustment and get back in alignment.
So, are chiropractors safe for babies then, too?
Birth is a stressful process affecting mom AND baby. Especially if the baby is “assisted” out of the body (i.e. c-section, forcep or vacuum delivery, or even manual pulling by the birth practitioner). And, oftentimes birth trauma, big or small, can result in difficulty with latch in breastfeeding, issues with reflux and colic, trouble sleeping, the list goes on.
Later on, when your little one is learning to walk (and falls a zillion times) – that impacts his structure and nervous system communication.
The same goes for the toddler on his strider bike crashing in the bushes and children entering the world of athletics (and here in Denver and Colorado, all kiddos are active).
Entering school layers on emotional and mental stress.
What I’m getting at here is: experiences that are completely normal and common, may also be stressful in a negative way on the structure and function of a child’s body and mind.
While some of my pediatric practice members do start care because they are having health challenges, equally as many come for wellness checks.
It is far easier to support a healthy growing child, than to fix a broken adult.
Children should be checked periodically (a minimum of once monthly) for vertebral subluxation (interference to the spinal structure). Integrating the traumas, be they physical, emotional, or chemical, from a young age (many of my clients are being adjusted in utero and again 2 weeks postpartum) ensures that their nervous system is communicating at optimal speed and clarity.
Children who are regularly seen by a chiropractor express robust health, recover more easily and quickly from childhood illnesses, and go on to have excellent performance in athletics.
Really it’s a no brainer, why would you not want to give your child the best opportunity at health and well-being BEFORE he or she has pain or symptoms?
So the other concern parents want addressed before taking the leap into pediatric chiropractic care is: is it safe and when may a child start to be adjusted. The answer is: it’s INCREDIBLY safe. We start babies as early as hours after birth.
The adjustment force is the pressure of your finger on your eyeball: very gentle.
The amount of force of the adjustment directly correlates with the size and age of the child. Many times in younger children, I use an instrument that has an adjustable force application that is very light. Most babies and children find care relaxing and enjoyable.
All chiropractors are trained to work with children, however a population of us who are truly passionate about this demographic, like us at The Wellness Tribe, seek higher postdoctoral education to offer high quality pediatric chiropractic.
We continually are educating ourselves on not only analysis and adjusting techniques, but also working with special populations (children on the spectrum, with special needs, etc).
If you are interested in care for your child and looking to find a pediatric chiropractor, I highly recommend using the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association as a resource to find it’s members all over the globe: a location nearest you!
As a local family Denver pediatric chiropractor, I welcome you to The Wellness Tribe where we care for all with extra training and love for pediatric chiropractic care, adjusting prenatal women, and working with those in full-on motherhood.
