|
In the last
few months I’ve had several patients ask me what kind of patients I
like to see. Some have even asked what kinds of conditions I see
that respond the fastest. While this might sound like a simple
question, I have to honestly say that I love seeing all kinds of
patients with all kinds of complaints.
But, to be
more specific, I’d have to say that I really enjoy taking care of
children. Children are so dynamic and heal so quickly and are
genuinely fun to adjust. When entire families come in for care, the
children are usually racing to get to the table to be adjusted
first. Kids are tuned into what’s good for them and they know they
feel better after they get adjusted. Parents are usually thrilled
to see that their children are better behaved, are sick less and
rarely, if ever, suffer from ear infections.
In children,
the most common issues that I see are headaches, ear infections and
scoliosis. Yes, children get headaches too and they respond much
faster than adults. As for ear infections, it’s very rare for a
“well-adjusted” child to ever get one. With scoliosis (and for
virtually ever other condition), the sooner a child is cared for,
the better. The sooner a scoliosis is detected and worked with, the
faster the results and the lower the chances of a disfiguring
life-long condition.
Imagine if you
played as hard, fell as often, wrestled as much and got in as many
pillow fights! It amazes me that children can hold a spinal
adjustment in the first place with all the frequent micro-trauma
they sustain on such a regular basis. The fact is, children do hold
their adjustments and they usually hold much better than adults.
Once a child has spinal stability (holds their adjustments well), I
recommend that they be checked for nerve interference (nerve
pressure) on a monthly basis or sooner if problems begin or a new
trauma occurs.
In the process
of passing through the birth canal, infants experience 75-pounds per
square inch of pressure on their delicate skulls. Compounding this
problem is the standard obstetrical procedure of pulling and
twisting their fragile, weak and undeveloped neck during the birth
process.
Imagine being
yanked out of the canal with forceps or being tugged out with vacuum
extraction, or worse…imagine both procedures being used on the same
child – this is a common occurrence. C-sections aren’t the answer
either – this is even more traumatic for both the mother and infant
and currently, our national C-section rate is 25% and rising (1 in 4
children).
As for
injuries sustained during the birth process, there are several
autopsy studies on infants, which show tearing of spinal nerve
roots, tearing of the spinal cord’s protective covering (dura mater)
and bleeding around the brain stem (medulla oblongata). Needless to
say, they were not born that way; those injuries were brought on by
the gross over-use of pulling and twisting. Unfortunately, many of
the parents are told the child was “still-born” or later succumbed
to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Common questions I get:
-
Do
children need chiropractic care?
Absolutely!
-
Do all
children need to be adjusted?
No. Not if they are free of
vertebral subluxation and their spine is stable.
-
Should
all children be checked by a chiropractor?
Yes.
-
Are the
adjusting procedures different for children?
Yes, they are extremely gentle adjustments that are modified for
the child’s age and size. For infants, most adjustments are
performed with fingertip pressure.
-
Have I
been specially trained to care for infants and children?
Yes. In addition to all of the graduate obstetrical and
pediatric training I’ve had, I have completed a post-graduate
fellowship program taught by the International Chiropractic
Pediatric Association (ICPA).
Check out this
great video on children and chiropractic
A
Little About Me:
When I was
8-years old, I fell from a pull-up bar while I was hanging upside
down and I landed on my upper back; the fall resulted in 6-spinal
compression fractures! I was scared to tell my parents what
happened to me (didn’t want to get grounded) so I never told them;
in reality, I didn’t realize how badly I was hurt.
Over time, I
forgot about my “little” problem and I never had any pain complaints
once the initial injury had healed. I do however, remember being
told that I had “bad posture” and to “stand up straight.” Little
did my parents know that I had smashed 6-bones in my back making it
very difficult, if not impossible to stand up straight.
Ten years
later, at age 18, I was rear-ended in my car two times in two days!
I was in college taking my pre-meds for dental school and these
accidents changed my life forever. They changed my life because as
a result of the injuries, I finally sought out chiropractic care for
my disabling headaches and spinal pain.
My
chiropractor performed a thorough examination, a detailed history,
and took x-rays. To my amazement (and I think his) he explained
that approximately 10-years earlier I had fractured my spine in
6-places. He hit the nail on the head; this immediately reminded me
of my fall, a fall that I had totally forgotten about until he made
his estimation!
Three
chiropractic adjustments later, I changed my college major and sent
a letter off to Palmer College of Chiropractic asking for an
application.
A day doesn’t
go by that I’m not grateful for being hit by those cars (some people
have to have “sense” knocked into them) – those car accidents and my
chiropractor changed my life forever. I am so fortunate and blessed
that I can perform that same service to hundreds of children every
year and ultimately thousands of kids over my lifetime.
Yes, I have to
say that without a doubt, caring for children is the most rewarding
service I can perform. To realize that chiropractic can have such
far-reaching implications in a child’s life-long development is an
awesome feeling.
|
.jpg)
