Chiropractic care for children

The road down the birth canal and out into the world can be a trying one, particularly in the case of medical intervention and high-tech births (Of 13 countries in a recent comparison, the United States ranks an average of 12th (second from the bottom) for 16 available health indicators – Journal of American Medical Association). As a result, there has been an ever-increasing occurrence of traumatic birth syndrome.

Traumatic birth syndrome describes the presence of trauma-induced skull and spinal damage and spinal misalignment as a result of the birth process. As tough as birth is, going through it with the woman lying on her back, working against gravity, on medications to increase the intensity of labor, numb the delivery muscles, and often accompanied by surgical interventions, makes it exponentially more traumatic.

When you think about this, it's no surprise vertebral subluxation (spinal misalignment with accompanying nerve system damage) in infants is so common.

How the Birthing Process Injures Spines

During the pushing stage of labor, the spine may be injured as the fetus is compressed and pushed down the birth canal. The most frequent cause of subluxation in infants is the pulling, twisting and compression of the infant's spine during delivery. If something alters normal birth, you will frequently have subluxations occur at the point of greatest stress (upper and lower cervical vertebrae).

While in severe cases, this can result in more obvious clinical nerve damage such as paralysis; more frequently, however, subluxations remain unnoticed by physicians and parents with health issues rising at a later time. Among them:

Colic
Sleep disorders
Lowered immunity
Poor development

Pediatric expert Dr. Maxine McMullen states, "Subluxations should be analyzed and corrected as soon as possible after birth to prevent these associated conditions." (1)

Moreover, these subluxations have been found to be severe enough to lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) due to the pressure they cause upward toward the lower brain as well as creating numerous other disorders common to newborns, infants and young children. (2)

Reports show chiropractic care can be helpful in such diverse disorders as cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, ear infections, the prevention of SIDS, and others. (3)

While chiropractic care is not a treatment for anything, the benefits of adjusting to remove interference has been particularly telling in the case of small children.

In fact, young people need chiropractic care as much as or more than anyone to maximize proper development and minimize the advent of common infant symptoms and disease.

The Infant Adjustment

One of the most interesting studies, based on examination and adjustment of 1,000 infants, was done by Dr. Gutmann, a German medical doctor. (5) He concluded blocked nerve impulses at the level of the first vertebrae can be the cause of central motor impairment and lower resistance to infections, especially those of the ear, nose, and throat.

Dr. Gutmann's research showed the children treated had success -- almost without exception -- for a variety of ailments by spinal adjustments at the atlas (top vertebra in the neck). Among the symptoms that responded favorably:

Congenital torticollis
"Growing pains"
Infantile scoliosis
Bronchitis tonsillitis
Restless sleep
Disturbed motor responses with repetitive falls
Failure to thrive

"If the indications are correctly observed," states Dr. Gutmann, "Chiropractic can often bring about amazingly successful results, because the therapy is a causal one. With developmental disturbances of every kind, the atlanto-occipital joints should be examined and in each case be treated manually in a qualified manner. The success of this treatment eclipses every other attempt at treatment, including especially the use of medications." (5)

Most people would not consider Chiropractic care for infants and children. However, the fact of the matter is, children are very, very prone to misalignments of the spine. Their vertebrae are not fully formed, nor are their ligaments and tendons fully strengthened. This, along with the fact that a child falls enough times in a day to hospitalize an adult, makes it clear children should be evaluated by a chiropractor for spinal abnormalities.

Chiropractic makes good scientific, factual and common sense for your child. I urge you not to wait until they hurt, or get hurt. Get them checked now!

1. McMullen, M. "Physical Stresses of Childhood that Could Lead to the Need for Chiropractic Care." Proceedings of the National Conference on Chiropractic and Pediatrics, San Diego, California. Intl. Chiropractors Assoc. 1991.
2. Towbin A. "Latent spinal cord and brain stem injury in newborn infants." Develop Med Child Neurol. 1969 Feb: 11 (1): 54-68.
Biedermann J. "Kinematic Imbalances due to Suboccipital strain in newborns." Medicine Springer-Verlag 1992, 151-156.
Koch LE, Biedermann H, Saternus KS. "High Cervical Stress and Apneoea." Forensic Sci Int 1998 Oct 12;97 (1): 1-9.
3. Gutmann G. "Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome in Infants and Small Children." Originally published in Manuelle Medizine, Springer-Verlag, 1987. English translation published in International Review of Chiropractic July/Aug 1990.
Hospers LA, Daso JA, Steinle LV. "Electromyographic Patters of Mentally Retarded Cerebral Palsy Patient after Life Upper Cervical Adjustment." Today's Chiropractic, 15(5), 13-14, 1986.
Hospers LA, Sweat RW, LaRee H, Trotta N, Seat MH. "Response of a Three Year Old Epileptic Child to Upper Cervical Adjustment." Today's Chiropractic, 15 (15) 69-76, Dec-Jan 1987.
Young G. "Chiropractic Success in Epileptic Conditions." ACA Journal of Chiropractic 1982; 19 (4):62-63.
"Ear infection; a retrospective study examining improvement from chiropractic care and analyzing for influencing factors." J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996 Mar;19 (3): 169-177
Fallon, J.M.: The role of chiropractic adjustments in the care and treatment of 332 children with otitis media. JCCP1997; 2:167-183.
Bachman T.R. and Lantz, C.A.; Management of pediatric asthma and enuresis with probably traumatic etiology. 1992, International Chiropractic Association conference on Pediatrics.
4. Dretakis, E. et al. Electroencephalographic study of school children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Spine, 1988, 13, pp.143-45.
5. Gutmann G. "Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome in Infants and Small Children." Originally published in Manuelle Medizine, Springer-Verlag, 1987. English translation published in International Review of Chiropractic July/Aug 1990.
6. McMullen, M. "Physical Stresses of Childhood that Could Lead to the Need for Chiropractic Care." Proceedings of the National Conference on Chiropractic and Pediatrics, San Diego, California. Intl. Chiropractors Assoc. 1991.
7. Gutmann G. "Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome in Infants and Small Children." Originally published in Manuelle Medizine, Springer-Verlag, 1987. English translation published in International Review of Chiropractic July/Aug 1990.