Symptoms Of Scoliosis and Four More Signs Your Child Should Have A Chiropractic Check Up
There are many reasons parents bring their kids in for spinal check ups (and most of them have nothing to do with back pain). Here are just a few signs that your child may benefit from a visit to his chiropractor.
Symptoms Of Scoliosis and Scoliosis Pain – Posture and gait abnormalities: Check ups can help monitor normal growth and development and make small corrections early so they don’t become big problems later.
To check at home, have your child stand up straight in front of you. Check his shoulders, hips and ears – left and right should be the same height. Make sure that shoulder blades on left and right are even and that there is no obvious protrusion on either side of the spine when they bend forward.
Check your child’s shoes for wear on one side or the other and for toes that point in or out when walking. These could be signs of abnormal gait.
In infants, persistent head rotation, head tilt, flattening of the skull on one side or preference of one breast over the other when feeding may indicate a misalignment in the vertebrae at the top of the spine.
Falls, Accidents or Trauma: Regular bumps and falls may result in abnormal movement patterns later in life and are most easily dealt with before lifelong muscular patterns form.
If your child has ever had a fall or if he has been involved in any accidents, it is a good idea to have him checked for any spinal stress.
If there was birth trauma (ie. forceps, vacuum extraction, c-section or long pushing stage or forceful pulling during delivery) your chiropractor should assess her for spinal stress. Sometimes very fast deliveries can also cause a great amount of stress on the spine and cranium.
Sympathetic imbalance: If your child has difficulty calming down, focusing at school, sleeping or self-soothing she may be a sympathetic dominant child.
The ability to regulate sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) systems may be strained and chiropractic can help to regulate these systems by removing spinal misalignments which create nervous system stress.
Frequent Illness: If your child seems to get sick more than her peers, her immune system may not be working at its fullest potential.
Studies have shown a significant improvement in immune system function in populations receiving regular chiropractic care.
Developmental delays: The nervous system, which is contained within the spine and cranium, is the main control system in the body. Any interruption along this pathway may affect normal development.
“Delays” are often nothing to worry about as every child is an individual and development happens at varying rates for all children. However, if you feel that your child is not hitting milestones within a reasonable time, a chiropractor can assess whether there is stress on the spine that can affect communication between brain and body or a bio mechanical barrier to movement or even pain that may be getting in the way of physical development.
Read more in kid’s chiropractic and symptoms of scoliosis in kids.
Jennifer is a family chiropractor and co-owner of Thrive Natural Family Health. Her experience and additional training lies predominantly in the fields of pregnancy and pediatric care as well as cranial adjusting.
