From almost day one, our kids are in motion. And with that comes bumps and bruises, strains and sprains, and the inevitable aches and pains of everyday life. Like adults, kids can benefit from chiropractic treatment and techniques. Whether to increase and maintain mobility or recovering from accident or injury, skilled practitioners like Vancouver’s Dr. Chani Henderson treat patients of all ages.
The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association offers research illustrating how chiropractic care has positively impacted children with issues from ear infections, behavior and anxiety struggles, headaches, reflux, breastfeeding difficulties, colic, sleep issues, and more.
This is echoed by work from the American Chiropractic Association. Their statistics show that “For every 100 children you see, at least three of them have probably visited a doctor of chiropractic at least once. According to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 3 percent of children have been treated with chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation.” Between 2000 and 2009 alone, pediatric chiropractic visits more than doubled from 30 to 68 million.
As I’m sure we all remember, many childhood aches and pains start in the school years. One chiropractic resource organization explained that “10,000 children were using chairs or desks of improper height or size for their grade level. But the lion’s share of back problems have been attributed to the improper use of backpacks…The average backpack weight for students has been found to be 17% of their body weight, in excess of the 10% proposed by pediatric chiropractors and orthopedic surgeons.”
While many of the symptoms can be treated with rest, a warm bath, or over-the-counter painkillers, going to the chiropractor can help keep the problem from worsening. “What is of paramount importance is that back pain in childhood and adolescence becomes a risk factor for experiencing back pain in adulthood. Thus, its proficient management in the early and formative years would be expected to diminish the pain and disability experienced later in life,” say researchers.
This is because our wildly adaptive bodies do just that: adapt. But unfortunately they can sometimes adapt in ways that reduce pain but don’t solve the underlying problem. Visiting the chiropractor serves as a type of physical re-set, alleviating discomfort and returning the muscles, joints, and bones to their proper function without medication or invasive procedures.
Schedule a meeting with Dr. Henderson today and your child’s chiropractic journey can even begin in utero…after a fashion. Dr. Henderson works with pregnant women because “adjusting women through pregnancy is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. A healthier pregnancy means an easier labor and delivery, and a better transition into this life for the baby.”
More than just a help to mom, pregnancy chiropractic addresses some of the “changes that are constantly going on inside and between mom and baby (hormonal and neurological),” says Dr. Henderson. “Adjustments result in an easier pregnancy, significantly decreased mean labor time, and assists new mothers back to pre-pregnancy health. Recommended treatment for optimal pregnancy and labor health increases with each trimester (as the body changes become more drastic).”
As with all kid-related issues, sometimes it helps just to talk it out. Making an appointment with Dr. Henderson starts the dialog of what to expect as your child grows, develops, and changes. She can walk you through both proactive and reactive treatments for common issues and explain how growth and development impacts on bodies of all ages…even tired parents! “During the initial chiropractic consultation, you will have a chance to tell me all about your health conditions or concerns,” says Dr. Henderson. “I want to know how it started, what it feels like, what you’ve done about it so far, and what may have worked before… even if it was just temporarily.” Then she’ll work to develop a treatment plan and path forward for you and your kiddos.
And don’t forget that she’s a superstar athlete herself who also specializes in treating many sports injuries that can, and sometimes do, happen. No-one wants to spend the season benched and she’ll work hard to tackle sprains, strains, and other injuries that reduce function, impede balance, and potentially cause greater injury when ignored.
Chiropractic care focuses on a whole-body health approach to both prevent and cure. By taking your children from a very young age, they can grow strong and recover from the (inevitable!) bumps and bruises the right way. Read more about Dr. Henderson’s approach to healing through her blog then schedule an appointment by calling (360) 254-0400.
