Chiropractic care aids greatly in the health and physicality of adults that seek treatment. However, can the same thing be done for children? Should they be done? Many misconceptions have plagued the chiropractic industry regarding whether or not treating children is a practice that should be allowed. Several of these myths are far from accurate, as testimonials from practitioners and their clients have shown time and again. Offices such as the Paterson Family Chiropractic clinic works to treat children as well as adults, and have been successful in providing safe and effective practices for all for years.
Myth 1: Chiropractic care for children is a recent development, and therefore experimental and dangerous. This is simply not true, for there are cases going back decades documenting the importance of checking the alignment of a child’s spine throughout their life, starting from birth. Practices specific towards adults is the focal point of the industry, but there are techniques for child-friendly practices, created by Dr. Larry Webster in 1986, that have evolved the concept of chiropractors treating children towards a positive light.
Myth 2: Children don’t need to be adjusted, they’re young and still growing. Many chiropractors offer great answers as to why this information is wrong. In some instances, children start to favour one side of their body over the other, which can lead to an imbalance in their adult life. It’s best to fix those problems as a child rather than waiting until the asymmetry becomes an issue in adulthood. Another reason to provide chiropractic care for children, specifically newborns, is due to the traumatic experience of the birthing process. A misalignment of the spine can occur, leading to difficulties, like asthma, later in life.
Myth 3: The assumption that techniques used on adult patients are also used on children. Using the same amount of pressure on a child as a chiropractor would on a fully grown adult is extremely dangerous. Which is why minimal pressure is used when treating children, and extra training is necessary. Children are not small adults, and so their systems are not treated as such. At the Langley Paterson Family Chiropractic clinic, they customize treatments to their patient’s weight and age, using pressure comparable to that of handling a ripe tomato.
Myth 4: There are no true experts when it comes to chiropractic care for children. In Canada, the specialty focus on chiropractic care for children isn’t recognized, which creates the assumption that there aren’t any experts in the field. However, many chiropractors have taken courses provided by the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association) that involves a total of 400 hours of in-class learning combined with fieldwork and studies specific to caring for children.
Myth 5: There’s no collaboration between chiropractors and pediatricians/medical doctors. In reality, there are referrals that rotate between the various fields, as communication is key when dealing with the health of any patient, no matter their age.
At Paterson Family Chiropractic, we care about the safety of our patients, adult and child alike. Babies and young children love our treatments, as we treat them with the gentleness they require.