Chiropractic Suitable for Children and Infants?
Apart from common traumatic births where the infant may need to be pulled manually from the birth canal using forceps or suction, babies can also be in an awkward position in the womb for extended periods.
As the child grows, the usual falls and slips, placement in walkers and being taught to sit in conventional seating rather than the more natural squatting posture, may result in physical traumas of varying intensity.
These little issues are often just brushed off as growing pains and can manifest long term as adaptions and subluxations.
Many parents have reported that their children who have been suffering with childhood complaints such as bed wetting, ear infections, failing to latch on when breast feeding and scoliosis amongst others, have benefited from seeing a chiropractor.
In today’s world, we strive towards evidence-based practice which requires studies being conducted on treatment efficacy. When it comes to chiropractic for children, many trials have been conducted into the efficacy of chiropractic care on infants and children.
Research
Chiropractic is often criticized for not doing high quality, in depth studies on the efficacy of treatments. These studies are hugely expensive and take up massive resources.
On this front chiropractic cannot compete with big pharma in spending, but some high quality studies indicating that chiropractic care brings positive results. Here is one example where you can decide for yourself. For more studies please follow this link: http://icpa4kids.org/ to the ICPA.
Does treatment of adults differ to that of children and babies?
Yes, treatment is very different. Although babies and small children have the same joints as adults do, they are not fully formed yet. They are still made up of more cartilage which is softer than bone. Hence, when treating these smaller, softer joints, the approach is different and much more gentle. The contact points used are much smaller and the amount of pressure less and depth is a lot shallower. At times it is preferred to mobilize a joint with soft pressure only. When treating with pressure, is no more than one would use to feel the ripeness of a tomato. Performed correctly, pediatric adjustments are very safe.
When it comes to chiropractic for children, Dr Nothling uses mostly SOT (Sacro Occipital) on new-borns and babies because of it’s very gentle approach. This technique also involves cranial adjusting when indicated which is an extremely gentle way of moulding the cranium and getting it to move with breathing. Dr Nothling is advance certified in SOT.