Increasingly, parents ask me why children should see a chiropractor or get chiropractic adjustments. It’s a great question and the answer is pretty simple: for their brain.
If you are a parent interested in optimizing the development of your child’s brain, bodily function and health, then you should know that the majority of brain research now demonstrates that optimal movement and function of the spine is what keeps the brain healthy.
It is what it is, regardless of what you believe or have been told. The science is clear about this.
If you could only pick one… would you rather your child have a healthy spine or a healthy brain? Of course, you’d pick a healthy brain! And if that’s the case, then the ONE thing you need to protect and care for the rest of your life is your spine.
Some of the greatest neuroscientists in the world including Nobel prize laureates, medical doctors, physiologists and neuroanatomists have all concluded that 80% of baseline brain activity is due to movement sensors located in around our body.
So my next question is, where do you think the majority of these “movement sensors” are located?
The Spine. In fact, any and every medical student, anatomy, physiology, biology or neurology student has studied from either Jack Nolte, PhD or Arthur Guyton, PhD (both teachers of Anatomy & Physiology). Both of these professors indicated in their medical textbooks that if the signals from the spine to the brain are eliminated, the brain would be incapable of functioning in a conscious manner and would actually approach a permanent state of coma.
So how important is taking care of the spine? Well, if you knew that all the neurology necessary for brain health was running through your arm, you would want to focus all your attention on looking at, examining and caring for your arm. But it’s not!
All the neurology necessary for brain health runs through your spine. That’s why we care so much about it. That’s why we try to teach you to have better posture and to stretch and to hydrate. Taking care of your spine is synonymous with taking care of the brain. That’s why your children should see a chiropractor or get adjusted.
The Nervous System is the ‘Master Controller’
Your brain and spinal cord make up the master controller of your body and if its communication channels become fuzzy, distorted or damaged then we experience all sorts of communication errors. For babies and children, this ineffective communication can play out as colic or irritability, an inability to suckle and breastfeed, poor sleep patterns, developmental delays, digestive problems, asthma, behavioral issues, low energy, lack of concentration, and a whole host of other problems – the list is endless. In fact, regardless of what the end result or symptom may be, all roads to ‘optimal health’ lead back to the health and state of your spine and brain. Period.
While chiropractic may be able to help with a number of muscular issues, our focus is not treating or curing ailments of the back; our focus is ensuring the nervous system has every opportunity to work efficiently and effectively by having normal alignment of the spine and movement. Because movement and alignment help to generate the information necessary for your brain to function at 100%.
Can you drive your car at night with the lights out?
Imagine if your nervous system is like the lighting system in your car. If the lights start to dim, you might not be able to see very well, you may start swerving back and forth within the lane, you may cross the lane increasing your risk of injury; you’ll experience stress and anxiety. How the dim lights influence you precisely will vary but the issue is still the same – there is a communication problem between the wiring and the headlights which need detecting and fixing.
In the same way, chiropractors spend years studying the systems between your spine and brain to be able to detect and correct these ‘communication errors’ in the body.
Another question you may ask is…
How do little kids get nerve irritation or disturbances?
Nerve irritations (or vertebral subluxations) occur as a part of normal daily life. They result from physical, chemical and emotional stressors or ‘insults’ to our health, such as bad posture, prolonged postures, sleeping on our stomachs, knocks and falls, poor food choices, dehydration, exposure to chemicals and toxins, and stress and anxiety. Some research suggests that even before these lifestyle stressors have an impact, nerve irritation may occur in the uterus from awkward positioning, restriction of movement, and exposure to toxins. Subluxations or nerve irritation may also occur from birth complications such as long labors, very fast labors, forceps or cesarean delivery and even the use of prescription drugs over the course of pregnancy and during labor.
While research to support how effective chiropractic for children is not yet extensive, parental satisfaction with results achieved is compelling in its own right.
While more research into the benefits of chiropractic for babies and children is needed, chiropractic for children has been shown to be gentle, safe and effective. Babies can be checked by chiropractors very soon after birth and special techniques have been developed to carefully correct any subluxated areas.
When we appreciate how the nervous system may be hindered and impaired it makes sense why more parents are having their child’s spine and nervous system assessed.
Here are 10 solid reasons why parents have brought their kiddos to our office:
- To encourage good neural plasticity (brain and nerve development).
- To support their child’s overall health and wellbeing.
- To help strengthen their child’s immunity and potentially reduce the incidence of colds, ear-aches and general illness.
- To assist with colic and Irritable Baby Syndrome.
- To help with asthma, breathing difficulties and allergies.
- To encourage good spinal posture.
- To help improve their child’s ability to concentrate.
- To assist with behavioral disorders.
- To help alleviate digestive problems.
- To assist with bed-wetting and sleep issues.
Your child’s health is their greatest asset. In our household we utilize the skill and knowledge of natural medicine practitioners, chiropractors (obviously) and wellness-oriented physicians.
I urge you to explore all possibilities you have to strengthen your child’s health.
For more information about improving your child’s nervous system function and general health, please contact our office at (512) 263-0040, or send an email to [email protected], or click the “Schedule Now” button below.
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