Saturday, August 24, 2013

Children and Chiropractic?

For those of you that know me, it may come as no surprise how much I enjoy working with and adjusting infants and children. There is no greater joy than 'turning the power on' in a child and watch their lights shine brighter. At the same time, I am routinely asked why a child would need to be adjusted in the first palace. Take a moment to watch the birth of a child, a toddler learning to walk or a preschooler playing with friends.  It won't take long to realize the number of traumas we endure, even at a very young age.

All of these traumas add up and affect the spine in one way or another.  And, needless to say, even the youngest of spines I meet are not perfect.  I had the opportunity to meet K just before her 7th birthday...which mean she has had 7 years of physical, chemical and emotional stresses on her spine and this is what we found...


You guessed it, even though she is still really young, her spine is not straight and perfect as we assume all children are.  It is a good thing I met K when I did.  She is at an age where she is growing rapidly...which means her spine will only continue to grow in this crooked state if we had let it go.  Ever heard the saying, "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree"?  Same concept applies to the spine.

Here is the new and improved K...2 years later and many inches taller...


Chiropractic isn't about back pain and headaches.  Can it help those things, sure, I see plenty of it but the foundation of chiropractic lies in making sure the spine is in the most optimal position, at all times, thus allowing the body's innate intelligence a chance to flow, run, control and coordinate every function within the body.  We have all learned the importance of brushing and flossing our teeth daily or changing our oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.  If we didn't do those things we would loose our teeth and our vehicle would eventually blow up on us.  If our spine was on our face, I would make a hefty bet that we would all take better care of it.

Even though a child like K may not come through my door with a whole host of symptoms to correct, I would be willing to bet her body is functioning more efficiently now that her spine is straighter and the nerves have less pressure on them.

You have all heard of someone who was in good 'health' and then unexpectedly died...Never assume everything is great just because you feel good!  Make sure you know what your spine looks like and judge your health by that.

'Watching your back',

Dr. Heather Giesen, DC, CACCP


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