Is Chiropractic Safe for Kids?

Yes, chiropractic care is safe for people of all ages, from the very young to the elderly. The main difference between our offices and others is that we focus on gentle, precise adjustments—after we’ve fully evaluated the patient. It’s important to understand what is going on inside the body, so we can make the best recommendation and the best treatment plan. Every patient is different, including children. That means the treatment plan will look different, as well!

Why Should I Bring My Child to a Chiropractor?

Bringing your child to a chiropractor could be for a number of reasons. Sometimes we see infants, sometimes we see teenagers. As we said before, no patient is exactly alike, and we take the time to understand exactly what the issue may be before we do any adjustments. A proper evaluation of the problem leads to better results.

There are a few common conditions and reasons that we might see young patients for an evaluation and chiropractic adjustments:

Birth trauma: During the birth process, infants may become misaligned (or may have been in a tight, awkward position in the womb, as well) causing discomfort and possibly colic.

Scoliosis and poor posture: Some children come in with either poor posture or scoliosis—an unnatural curvature of the spine. We work to address the pain associated with this, and then also make recommendations on how to use exercise and movement to stay in alignment. Another big factor is looking down at screens all day, or carrying a heavy backpack.

Sports / Active Injuries:  Children are almost always moving, which often leads to injuries! Whether in sports or just horseplay, accidents happen. Coming into the chiropractor’s office to get the body realigned and help with pain management is a good idea to keep injuries from reoccurring.

Growth pains – Chiropractic for the rites of passage from childhood to adulthood can be very helpful, especially for the discomfort caused by growing pains.

Finally, optimal nervous system function can be improved when the spine is properly aligned. According to the National Institutes of Health, the nervous system supports “everyday activities such as waking up; automatic activities such as breathing; and complex processes such as thinking, reading, remembering, and feeling emotions. The nervous system controls brain growth and development.” Every bit of that is vital for children to thrive!

Gentle and Precise Chiropractic for Kids

At Shephard Chiropractic Clinic, we use the Arthrostim method, which is gentle and precise. We do not perform manual adjustments, and the care we offer is conservative. We’re extremely careful and maintain safe practices during adjustments and other services at all times.

When children are adjusted, much less pressure is required because their bones are not yet done growing and not everything has fused together, as it will when they’re an adult. (Fun fact: An infant is typically born with 300 bones, and an adult generally has 206!)

What Age Should See A Chiropractor?

“Is my child too young to get adjusted?” That’s a question many parents have. It is, of course, a personal choice, but we are happy to see patients of any age, from a newborn to a nonagenarian. If you’re still unsure if you’d like to have your child adjusted, we encourage you to take your child in for a consultation to see if there is anything that chiropractic can help with.

Starting chiropractic from a young age can be helpful in supporting the immune system, keeping the body in alignment (and comfortable), and ensuring that you address posture issues as soon as they arise.

Come in with your whole family—we’d love to see you and help you.