At Coffman Chiropractic, we do our best to dispel myths surrounding the practices of Chiropractors while also educating our patients. Many people have misconceptions regarding Chiropractic Care, as we have addressed in previous articles, but a common one seems to be that Chiropractic treatments are reserved for adults. Children, adolescents and babies can benefit from Chiropractic Care just as adults do, though the techniques employed are different.
Be weary of chiropractors who lack knowledge of pediatric care as they may not know how to properly manipulate musculoskeletal systems of non-adults. By truly understanding contacts and depth, an experienced chiropractor will be able to treat pediatric pain or discomfort extremely safely. The only true difficulty lies in determining the issues with these tiny patients as they lack the ability to tell us where exactly the pain is coming from. The joints of babies are more cartilaginous as they have not fully formed yet. Due to the increased level of flexibility within the joints of children and babies and the smaller surface area, adjustments are required to be faster and shallower using less force. Benefits of these types of treatments include:
- Colic
- Reflux
- Inability to Breast Feed Properly
- Ear Infections
- Pain or Discomfort
- Constipation
For children and young adults, Chiropractic Care can be critical to locating injuries and treating issues they may have sustained during after-school athletics or simply playing with friends during lunch. Adolescents seem to suffer from similar complaints as adults do, it’s simply a matter of understanding when to use join mobility versus manipulation to alleviate the discomfort. The various pediatric techniques of chiropractors allow parents to treat their children without relying on drugs or surgery.
