A Gentle NUCCA Chiropractor
in Milwaukee Area
Do children need chiropractic care?
Nervous system development in children
The most important and primary system of the developing baby in the womb is the nervous system that consists of the brain, brain-stem and spinal cord.
The spinal cord reaches its definitive form between the 8th and 10 week. The spinal cord and vertebral canal develop in parallel up to the 4th month.
From this age, the longitudinal growth of the neural tube (spinal cord) diminishes while that of the vertebral column (spinal bones) continues unabated. This intricate communicating system of the body helps the body grow, heal and adapt in order to express itself to its 100% potential.
The vertebral column consists of 33 vertebrae:
- 7 cervical (neck)
- 12 thoracic (middle back)
- 5 lumbar (lower back)
- 5 sacral (fused to form the sacrum)
- 4 coccygeal fused bones (sacrum and coccygeal are the tailbone).
Besides the fused tailbone these segments of the spine move independently and can therefore mis-align (sublux) when there is stress on the spine or the nervous system.
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Due to their vital importance the brain and the spinal cord are the only organs in the body that are fully encased in bone.
What can cause spinal injuries in children?
Stress or injury to the spine in a developing baby can be anything from the umbilical cord wrapped badly around the head and neck to a difficult delivery. Also, during growth there could be a fall off heights or multiple falls during the time that the baby is learning how to walk that could cause misalignment.
Despite being malleable and adaptable, children experience many small injuries causing microtraumas that may cause mis-alignments with nerve involvement. This can lead to poor posture and increased risk of injury and a lifetime of neurological and musculoskeletal problems such as chronic pain or headaches.
During pre-teen and early teenage development often the weight of the head may seem out of proportion to the body and therefore the neck muscles may not be strong enough to withstand some traumas that occur in sports such as in football or soccer.
I believe chiropractic care is best delivered as a preventative measure and therefore it is imperative that children have their spine checked and adjusted if necessary at an early age. The screening and the exams are usually quick and they may or may not need X-rays for analysis depending on the age of the child or their condition.
Call Us for any questions regarding your child’s spine and we can schedule a no-cost screening for them.
Screenings usually take 20 minutes. This may be a very simple but important decision in the health of your child.