Chiropractic Care for School-Aged Children

Chiropractic Care for School-Aged Children

Do You Treat Kids?

This is a question we frequently get from parents visiting our clinic: Do you treat kids? The answer is a resounding yes, 100%! We care for children, teens, and everyone in between. It’s always a pleasure to keep the next generation moving well, engaged in sports, and to help prevent the development of postural problems, including monitoring for scoliosis.

What Age Kids Do We Treat?

At Fortitude Chiropractic, we generally treat school-aged children, meaning ages six and above. We don’t typically treat patients younger than five or six. The reason for this is that babies and young children require practitioners who have specialized training in pediatric care, including developmental understanding. This is not our area of expertise. However, we love looking after kids of school age and beyond.

Common Reasons Parents Bring Their Kids In

Parents often bring their children in for chiropractic care for a variety of reasons, including:

• Postural issues such as scoliosis, poor posture, or Scheuermann’s disease
• Growing aches and pains
• Sports injuries
• Headaches and migraines (in some cases)
• General neck and back pain

Let’s be honest, if adults were as active and played as much sport as kids do, we’d probably experience a few injuries as well. Unfortunately, kids aren’t immune to the physical challenges that come with staying active.

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Proactive Management of Kids’ Issues

We highly recommend proactive management when it comes to treating kids in the clinic. What we’ve found is that, once issues are properly diagnosed and managed, kids often recover much faster than adults. This makes early intervention crucial. When it comes to children, parents often face uncertainty around their pain or injury. Seeing a professional can offer reassurance for both parents and kids, while addressing the underlying problem

How We Treat Kids with Chiropractic Care

For school-aged children and teenagers, our approach to treatment varies depending on the child’s age, development stage, and the nature of the issue. We typically use the following techniques:

1. Gentle Adjustments: This includes spinal and extremity joint mobilization, sometimes assisted with an instrument like the activator, and biomechanical blocking or drop-piece techniques, especially for the lower back and pelvic joints.
2. Manual Adjustments: These are safe for children, but the amount of force used is much less than when adjusting adults. Children’s joints are smaller, so our technique is specifically modified to suit their needs.
3. Muscular Treatments: We use soft tissue therapies and, in some cases, dry needling. These treatments are completely safe for children when appropriately modified to suit their age and stage of development.
4. Practical Advice and Education: We provide guidance on ways your child can get involved in their own care, as well as things you can do at home to support their progress.
5. Stretching and Exercises: Depending on the child’s age and specific injury, they may be given “chiro-related homework.” We know kids aren’t fond of homework, but this can be a vital part of the treatment, particularly when addressing sports injuries or postural issues.

Keeping Your Child Comfortable During Treatment

We understand that bringing your child to see a chiropractor, especially for the first time, can be a bit nerve-wracking! We’re here to help ease those concerns. Throughout the consultation and treatment process, we prioritize open communication with both parents and children. We want to listen to your child’s description of their issues and understand the help they’re seeking. We’ll also carefully consider your concerns and provide detailed explanations of the treatment plan, including any adjustments or techniques we plan to use, before moving forward.

We’re more than happy to help your family! If you have any questions or specific concerns, feel free to contact us for more information.

Are you a Parent Already Seeing Us?

If you’re already a patient at our clinic, don’t hesitate to bring up your child’s concerns during your next appointment. We’d be happy to chat about whether it’s appropriate to bring them in for an assessment.

Ready to Learn More?

If you’re a parent looking to improve your child’s well-being or manage an existing issue, reach out to us today, book online or give us a call! We’re here to provide the care and guidance your child needs to stay healthy and active.

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