Q: My neighbor takes their kids to a chiropractor. Kids don’t get bad backs, do they?
A: Millions of American adults suffer from pain in the lumbar region, or lower back. Unfortunately, chiropractors are increasingly asked to treat children with this same malady. A fall, genetic tendency, stress or sporting accidents can all lead to an aching back.
A number of studies show that the odds of a child having at least one bout of lower back pain are between 30 and 51 percent. A Danish researcher found 30 percent of children in grade 3 had back pain, while 50 percent of adolescents suffered some degree of back pain. A British study concluded that the annual incidence of back pain rose from 11.8 percent at age 12 to 21.5 percent at age 15. The condition often continues into adulthood.
Chiropractors recommend that children visit them on a regular basis so any problems developing now can be rectified and not worsen over time. These back pain specialists know that spinal manipulation can be just as beneficial for youth as for adults in eliminating unneeded discomfort.
Yet, not all children go to chiropractors for back pain…
By having subluxations corrected when young, the child will have more of an opportunity to be healthy in future years. The term subluxation for chiropractors often refers to the effects on the spine due to poorly aligned vertebra or abnormal movement patterns of the joints of the spine. An old saying summarizes the chiropractic philosophy of not ignoring these problems in youth. “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” Children may have these misalignments from the trauma of birth or the difficult task of learning to crawl and walk. The simple fact that their tiny necks need to support a disproportionately large head can lead to dysfunction of the neck joints. These issues may produce pain that an older child can verbalize, but an infant may only be able to tell you about it by crying a lot.
Having your child examined by a chiropractor, in my humble and admittedly biased opinion, should be an important part of their healthcare. Not only will it fix many of these back problems, but the child may also be corrected of the misalignment and dysfunction that will turn into pain later in life when it is much more difficult to treat.
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