I have clear memories of, as a child, being dragged from appointment to appointment in the summer holidays as part of our yearly maintenance, writes Reading Chiropractor Beccy Norman. The opticians, the dentist, haircuts, new school shoes etc. I’m sure I’m not alone in these memories! What I find interesting, is that we often don’t think of children’s bodies when it comes to this regular maintenance. Yet, especially during childhood there are so many changes and stresses the body is going through, this is absolutely the right time to hold a strong focus on the maintenance of their musculoskeletal system, and this is where chiropractic care for kids can play its part. I am often asked by patients “when is the best time in your life to receive chiropractic care”? Obviously, my answer is throughout life. However, if I were to pick one particular time it would be during pregnancy. This is due to all the changes your body is going through at this time (read my other pregnancy blog on this!) and the fact that that body is also growing another tiny human that we need to take care of. However, as we all know prevention is always the best route to go down with your health. Approximately 1/3 of adults worldwide have a chronic musculoskeletal issue. Therefore, surely seeing children before issues arise is always a good idea?Chiropractic Care for Kids If we divide childhood in to three sections: Infancy, children and teenagers we can look at what key areas may need our help as chiropractors and why.Chiropractic Care During Infancy Of course, all babies are perfect. However, the birthing process is far from perfect! Either during pregnancy with things such as intra-uterine constraint or during a traumatic birthing process, musculoskeletal imbalances can occur. In the 2022 National maternity and Perinatal audit it was found that 23% of women had instrumental assisted births. 23% had c-sections. Sometimes, this is just unavoidable. However, these interventions can cause huge strain on the infant musculoskeletal system, particularly to the neck and jaw area with forceps. This can present itself as excessive crying (due to headache), discomfort lying on their back and difficulty feeding. Up to 10% of babies are born with a tongue tie. This is often picked up due to difficulties with latch when breast feeding. This can cause compensations to occur in the neck and jaw of the baby and cause discomfort. Once the tongue tie is cut it is often recommended to seek help with loosening off these structures. A great starting point is getting your child checked over by a qualified chiropractor within their first month of birth where they will be able to identify if any of these issues are present. As infants grow, I always suggest it is a good idea to get your child checked as they reach each movement milestone. The first being sitting unaided, then crawling, then walking and running. This is particularly important if you feel that there is a delay in them reaching these steps. There may be a simple musculoskeletal issue that is holding them back. Quite often at this age this can be a quick fix. If there is something more complex, then your chiropractor will be able to identify this and point you in the right direction. The techniques used by a chiropractor amongst children are both safe and gentle.Chiropractic Care During Childhood During the ages of 3- 11 children are hopefully extremely active. They are learning about their environment, developing their motor skills and balance and of course also growing a lot. It is inevitable that their body will take some knocks along the way. Unfortunately, once they start school there is also a fair amount of sitting involved. This is when their postural strain will start to take place. Keeping an eye on these things can help reduce the risk of future issues. This will also keep them on the feet on the football field or on the trampoline without any issues! We were all bought up with the idea that ‘growing pains’ are normal and there is nothing we can do about it. However, there is no evidence that growth hurts. This is why It is always worth investigating whether there is something functional happening that can be helped with. As a chiropractor we can also prescribe exercises to help strengthen and support these growing muscles, bones and tendons along the way Chiropractic Care for Teenagers Not only are this age category experiencing a rapid rate of change to their body, they are also experiencing a stark change in their hormones. This is an awful lot for both the body and mind to take on. On top of this, their lifestyle begins to change somewhat. Globally 80% of adolescents are insufficiently active and many will engage in over two hours of recreational screen time a day. This can only have a negative outcome on the physical health of a teenager. In my 7 years of practice, I have seen a sharp increase of adolescents coming in complaining of headaches, neck pain and back pain. Not only is this uncomfortable for them, it often creates difficulties with their concentration, sleep and ability to perform physical activity. There Is also the risk that if these complaints are left untreated, they can soon develop into chronic issues that they will carry with them In to their adulthood. There is strong evidence to support the effectiveness of chiropractic in treating these conditions. I have always found in personal experience combining spinal manipulation with soft tissue therapy, prescribed exercises and education to be beneficial in the care of teenagers experiencing these issues. We also have the skills and expertise at reflex to look at whether foot biomechanics are impacting your child’s pain. If this is the case, we are able to prescribe custom made orthotics which will be highly beneficial for not only treating the root cause but preventing further wear and tear on the joints. There are different options available that your chiropractor will be able to talk through with you. At Reflex, we are truly passionate about caring for the whole family. Hopefully, this blog article gives you a further insight as to why chiropractic care for kids can be so important in recognising issues. If you are unsure as to whether your child would benefit from chiropractic care, then we always offer a complimentary 15-minute spinal check with a practitioner specialising in the treatment of children. So, with easter holidays around the corner, perhaps it’s time to add us to your to-do list!References on chiropractic care for kids: Dahlen HG, Tracy S, Tracy M, et al Rates of obstetric intervention among low-risk women giving birth in private and public hospitals in NSW: a population-based descriptive study BMJ Open 2012;2:e001723. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001723 Dissing, K.B., Vach, W., Lynge, S., Christensen, H.W. and Hestbaek, L., 2023. Description of recurrent headaches in 7–14-year-old children: Baseline data from a randomized clinical trial on effectiveness of chiropractic spinal manipulation in children with recurrent headaches. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 31(1), p.5. Ernst, E., 2003. Chiropractic spinal manipulation for neck pain: a systematic review. The Journal of Pain, 4(8), pp.417-421 Goodyear-Smith, F. and Arroll, B., 2006. Growing pains. BMJ, 333(7566), pp.456-457 Segal, L.M., Stephenson, R., Dawes, M. and Feldman, P., 2007. Prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of ankyloglossia: methodologic review. Canadian Family Physician, 53(6), pp.1027-1033. van Sluijs, E.M., Ekelund, U., Crochemore-Silva, I., Guthold, R., Ha, A., Lubans, D., Oyeyemi, A.L., Ding, D. and Katzmarzyk, P.T., 2021. Physical activity behaviours in adolescence: current evidence and opportunities for intervention. The Lancet, 398(10298), pp.429-442.