Why am I a Chiropractor? Part 2: Kids and Chiropractic

Did you know that kids can be adjusted?  And did you know that those adjustments can make a huge impact on their health and wellness?  As you read in my last blog (and I would suggest reading Part 1 before Part 2 😊) being adjusted during my second pregnancy resulted in a completely different labor and delivery experience – one that was life changing.  After I had my second boy, I continued to go to the chiropractor.  My hope was to no longer have the hip pain while running which started around the birth of my first son.  I not only felt better, but I was functioning better while under chiropractic care.  So when it was mentioned that I should bring my children in, including my newborn, I began to wonder what chiropractic care would look like for them and what it could offer. 

My youngest started under chiropractic care at 2 months of age, and the results were immediate.  He had suffered from bouts of constipation and gastrointestinal issues, and after every adjustment he would poop – sometimes he would poop during the adjustment!  I was ecstatic with the results.  I then decided to bring my oldest (who was 3 at the time) in for chiropractic care as well.  My husband and I began to notice changes with each adjustment.  At one point we were discussing the fact that he hadn’t needed his nebulizer in a long time, in fact, he hadn’t needed it since he started under care.  He was the kid that would always get a cold every time the seasons changed, and that cold would settle in his chest and result in breathing issues.  The only thing we had changed was adding in chiropractic care.  It’s been 6 years since he started under care, and he has never needed the nebulizer again.

And did you know, these results aren’t unique to my children.  There are more and more case studies that have been written about the same outcomes.  The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) provides additional training for chiropractors who seek to learn more about the pediatric population.  They also conduct numerous research studies.

Here are 21 research articles about pediatric chiropractic care and asthma.

Here are 5 research articles about pediatric chiropractic care and constipation.

And here is a list of numerous research articles all pertaining to pediatric patients and chiropractic care.

And there’s even more research at the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health – Chiropractic

When I talk about chiropractic care, I usually mention ‘optimal nervous system function’ and ‘brain-body connection’.  The brain controls all the functions of the body, and when the brain can communicate to the body without interference and when the body can communicate to the brain without interference, then the body is able to function optimally.  That is my goal as a chiropractor, to help families along their health and wellness journey, and to not only discuss what it means to be healthy, but to discuss what it looks like when the nervous system is functioning optimally. 

Chiropractic care for kids is so important to me that I took over 200 additional hours of training from the ICPA to better learn how to care for the pediatric population, and I helped write a paper about it!  Health Outcomes of Pediatric Patients Undergoing Chiropractic Care Since Birth: A Retrospective Analysis, and I always have a copy readily available for anyone in the office to read 😊 I was able to write this paper with my mentor, Dr. Pamela Stone, and discuss why parents bring their children to a chiropractor and how long-term chiropractic care since birth can benefit families.

Some noteworthy details from the paper include the sentiment that “Parents are seeking chiropractic care not because of their dissatisfaction with medicine, but because they have different health and wellness beliefs and views”.

“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system, and the overall function of the body”. 

“Parents in this study reported that their children experienced a higher level of health and quality of life than other children of the same age”.

Do you have a child in your life who could benefit from chiropractic care?  Let’s talk about it!

And stay tuned for Part 3 as to why I’m a chiropractor…..

Dr. Shannon