When I went to Chiropractic College, my family and I had already benefited from chiropractic adjustments for several years. Chiropractic had helped us with various back pains, headaches and similar conditions. I also noted that after being under regular chiropractic care, I did not get sick as often. It wasn't until I went to school to become a Chiropractor that I learned children could benefit from chiropractic adjustments as well.

My daughter Brenna was my first experience with the benefits of chiropractic care for children. She was only a few months old when she became very ill. Medical drug treatments were not working. Examination revealed a misaligned bone in her neck. A gentle adjustment corrected the misalignment and all of her symptoms were gone by the next day.

My son Evan could not turn his head to the left as a small infant. You could lay him on his back and call him from the right and he could turn his head to look at you. Do the same on the left, however, and he could not budge his little head past directly overhead. If I tried to turn his head left for him, his whole body would roll that direction. Evan also had a misalignment in his neck, probably from birth trauma. Two adjustments allowed him to turn his head normally.

I have worked on a 5-year-old girl with Cerebral Palsy who had severe muscle spasms. She was in diapers, confined to a wheelchair, and could not speak. Over the course of 18 months of treatments, her muscle spasms were reduced and were periodically absent. She was able to only wear her diaper at night. Eventually, she could sit for brief periods on my exam table and even learned to tiptoe around while I held her hand. She began to say simple words, including my name. Although she may never run and play like most children, she definitely benefited from her chiropractic care.

I have had success working with children for back and neck pain, headaches and scoliosis. I have seen improvements in coordination, with chronic earaches and a number of other conditions that frequent childhood. The exam on smaller children is modified based on their size and inability to speak. X-rays may not be necessary when caring for children depending on the chiropractic technique being used and the condition that is being addressed.

Children tend to heal faster than adults. This results in shorter recovery times and fewer doctor visits. Children more often than their parents come in for their checkup only to test "clear," meaning that they do not need an adjustment that day.

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association continues to study the benefits of chiropractic care for children. Whether your child was involved in a car wreck, born with a disability, wakes up with a stiff neck or is under a wellness lifestyle, a chiropractor is an essential part of their healthcare team.