Last month was kids month and we examined a lot of kids!
One lady wanted to have her 3 children evaluated but she couldn’t explain to her husband why it was necessary. She said her one daughter had a food sensitivity and was sick often and her other daughter didn’t sleep well but aside from that they were healthy. Her husband had commented that they had been to the pediatrician and there was nothing ‘wrong’ with them, so there was no need to go to the chiropractor… I explained the importance of a healthy nerve system and left her with some pamphlets but in those situations chiropractic becomes a last resort.
Why would I bring my child to a chiropractor?
It’s a very honest question. Especially since our profession has not done the best job at “branding” itself for paediatric health.
Most people believe that chiropractic is for people with bad backs. Some think that it can help with headaches, neck pain, mid back pain and other extremity issues. Now they are not wrong – people under chiropractic care have reaped the benefit of having a better functioning nervous system that lead to decreased symptoms. But that is around 5% of the true benefit from having chiropractic in their life.
So if you come from the place that ‘chiropractic is for sore backs,’ its understandable why you would question bringing your children in the first place. They haven’t complained of a sore back or neck…?
Here’s why:
The spine and nervous system is the first system to develop in a baby and will control directly or indirectly everything else that takes place in the body. This includes growth, brain development, digestion, immune function, health, lung function, moods and the list goes on.
If your child’s spine and nervous system is not functioning at 100% of its potential, it is difficult for their bodies to function at their best.
Here is the BIG problem though.
You may have NO idea that there is an issue.
Let me ask you some questions to make this point clear.
- How is you liver doing?
- Your heart?
- How about your pancreas?
- Left kidney?
We know we can’t fully understand how our organs are functioning on a minute-to-minute basis.
When you do finally feel a symptom, a problem has been taking place in your body for a long time prior.
Here is the biggest problem with this: How can we know what is going on with our babies and children if we can’t know for ourselves?
Best thing you can do for you children or babies is to get them checked for nervous system dysfunction with or without symptoms. This is what we do best!
In our office we spend a lot of time going over some very important tests, which give us the best idea of what is going on with you and your children’s nervous system at the current time.
These tests include:
- sEMG – Surface Electromyography
- Infrared Thermography
- HRV – Heart Rate Variability
- Core Score
- Digital Structural Analysis
- Proprioceptive (Balance) Testing
- Structural Testing
- X-Ray Analysis (if required*)
Testing is dependant on the age. For example, with babies, we use Infrared Thermography, Surface Electromyography, reflexes and Structural Testing. As children start to walk, we add in proprioceptive testing and when they are able to sit still for 4 minutes, they are tested on HRV and Core Score.
We share this information so you have a better idea beforehand, what we are looking for.
The best thing you can do for you children is to have them checked and evaluated for nervous system interference so they can have the best start in life.
Dr. Thom