Chiropractic Care for Infants and Children? Yes!
"It's easier to raise healthy kids than to fix broken adults."
This statement represents a core philosophy of care at Arlington Heights-based Sleigh Family Chiropractic, when it comes to chiropractic care for infants and children.
While it is not considered a treatment, studies, along with years of success stories, have shown that pediatric chiropractic care can help to reduce or even eliminate a number of symptoms or causes related to colic, ear infections, enuresis (bed wetting), digestive and sleeping problems, as well allergies, asthma and the common cold.
The central and overarching issue is one of restoring balance and alignment in the spine and nervous system - whether it's for an infant, toddler, tween, teen, an expectant mother or other adults. Poor or reduced alignment in the spine leads to nervous system irritation which causes individuals - young and old - to become more susceptible to a variety of medical conditions and other ailments.
Balance and Alignment Issues in Infants and Children
The birthing process, no matter how natural, normal or quick, can put a considerable amount of stress and tension on the infant's spine, nervous system, and entire body. If the nervous system isn't functioning optimally, negative outcomes can result. In adults, these are aches and pains, and the reason why most adults seek treatment from a chiropractor. Infants (obviously) can't complain about headaches or neck pain, but nervous system stress and dysfunction can be the cause of common health challenges such as digestive problems, ear infections, reflux, colic, constipation, sleep difficulty and difficulty breast feeding. Gentle chiropractic adjustments for infants can relieve this stress in the nervous system that results from the birthing process, which can reduce, avoid or eliminate these problems.
As they begin to interact with the world around them, the spines and nervous systems of toddlers can also become misaligned due to the many 'spills' that occur in their formative years. When they're learning to walk, it's not out of the ordinary for toddlers to fall more than a dozen times in a day - on their rear ends, limbs, or even on their heads. Each of these incidents can lead to misalignment. Older children have accidents while on their bikes, roller blades, or during sports and other activities. While kids normally can bounce back quickly, these multiple, though 'minor' incidents can cumulatively add up and cause long-term spine and nervous system issues or damage as children grow into adults. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help to mitigate, or even prevent long term problems and chronic pain.
Is Pediatric Chiropractic Care Safe for Infants and Children?
The short answer is, yes for most children. Dr. Katie Sleigh is certified in pediatric care through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. The treatment she provides is extremely gentle and equals roughly the same weight of force comparable to a fingertip. During exams, she first demonstrates the level of pressure that would occur during an adjustment to the parent and child (when age appropriate) so that they know what to expect. Parents are pleasantly surprised with the mildness of the treatment.
Does a Child That Is Not in Pain Benefit from Chiropractic Care?
If children aren't complaining of pain in their neck or back, everything's okay, right? Not necessarily. Issues and challenges that are the cause of chronic pain in adulthood - and why many seek chiropractor care - can absolutely begin in childhood and result from cumulative, though smaller, injuries to the spine and nervous system as mentioned above.
During a pediatric evaluation, a chiropractic checkup and evaluation can ensure the spine is aligned. When it is not, this can cause interference and irritation in the nervous system - which is connected to all cells, tissues, muscles and organs in the body. It's an important state of the body to determine in order to if challenges are ahead.
"We encourage all parents to have their children, and even infants, evaluated to determine if they need chiropractic care," said Dr. Katie Sleigh, co-owner of Sleigh Family Chiropractic. "Pediatric chiropractic care represents a holistic and preventative way to address issues now before they can grow into bigger issues down the road."
Drs Katie and Quintin Sleigh treat children of all ages and help reduce or eliminate symptoms caused by common health challenges, through restoring balance and alignment in the spine and nervous system.
About Sleigh Family Chiropractic
Drs Katie and Quintin Sleigh see children of all ages, and own and operate Sleigh Family Chiropractic, a family wellness clinic located at 3285 N. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights. For more information, call 847-788-0880 or visit SleighFamilyChiropractic.com.