More parents need to know about chiropractic for children.

After writing my last post, I realised there was an important section missing in the whole topic about children and chiropractic. This is what needs to be talked about.

I bumped into one of 'my mums' the other day at school and she was telling me how much she loves chiropractic. She started bringing her son to me a few months ago because one of her friends told her about my paediatric chiropractic practice.

Like most mums, she had no idea that chiropractic would have anything to do with helping children. Just like most people, she associated chiropractic with adults wanting to get their backs fixed.

I don't fix backs in my office.

This mum was telling me how pleased she was with how well her son was improving after a couple months of the regular adjustments. She told me that she even noticed the benefits after just a few weeks. She couldn't believe it because she had gone through so many disappointing and sometimes horrible experiences with illnesses and antibiotics, drugs, and visits to the GP, all to which had very little effect on getting his body to be healthier.

The way I see it, that route will never get your child healthier. Do you know why? Because it's called 'sick-care'. Chasing and masking the symptoms.

I can now say that I've been in practice long enough to see a pattern with children and illness. This not only happens here, but also (and worse) in America. 

Baby is born. Baby is beautiful. Everyone's in love. Everything is wonderful.

Then baby has colic (or insert symptom). Parent takes baby to Paediatrician or GP. He prescribes a drug for that symptom. It works. A little.

Baby grows. Baby is 8 months old and has a cold. Teething. Lots of mucus, coughing, and is generally not well. (It's scary. I know. I'm a mum too.) Another GP visit. Another drug.

Baby is 13 months old. He starts fiddling with his ear a lot and cries. Has a fever. Visit to GP results in series of antibiotics (because that's what happens too often). How else is an ear infection treated? (The answer below.)

Baby becomes toddler. Toddler has another cold and another ear infection. GP diagnoses glue ear. Mum notices other concerning developmental issues like poor muscle tone, imbalanced walking, hearing loss, or delayed speech.

"Oh, they'll grow out of it. Here's another prescription," says the GP.

I'm serious here. This is what I've been hearing for years from parents.

Oh, and have you heard of the recent WHO declaration that the over prescribing of antibiotics will soon because a global problem? Don't get me started on that.

As for the toddler who gets round after round of antibiotics to deal with the flu, or the cold, or whatever symptom they have - the parents have no other alternative, yet instinctively they know something's not right. And they aren't given any answers.

Even if there is an infection lessened by the antibiotics, the antibiotics have two side effects. First, they train those bacteria to be immune. Next time, perhaps when you really need the antibiotics, they won’t work as well or at all. Second, they mess with the microbiome: the small things living in symbiosis with you, you helping them, them helping you. Of course, when antibiotics are needed they can be essential, but that is very rare. If you are using antibiotics for ordinary mild sickness (rather than, say, major surgery), it is already going wrong.

Here's my answer. Children who start out with chiropractic as early as birth have better health, fewer illnesses, and also heal faster. Chiropractic adjustments do not 'treat' a symptom; chiropractic adjustments align and balance out any interferences in the spine so that the body functions and heals the way it's designed to. 

A child's body is designed to thrive, heal and regulate itself, always. 

Do you know what that mum asked me? She said, "Why don't people know about this? It's seems like it's too easy - chiropractic is easy!"

You know what, I don't know why more parents don't know about the benefits of chiropractic for their children. And that's why I'm sharing this and writing about it. 

It's my passion. I truly believe that if more babies had their first adjustments early in life, and then regularly throughout their young lives, especially during their developmental milestones, they would be healthy, thriving, less sick, and more adaptable. And that leads to happier children and happier families.

And we all want to be happy, right?