Why do Children Need a Spine and Nerve System Checkup?

It’s easy to understand why a child would need periodic checkups – listening to the heart, looking in the eyes and ears, taking blood pressure and looking at the skin are common occurrences in every family, usually performed by the family doctor. Committed parents will do whatever is necessary to safeguard the health and wellness of their children, and getting the appropriate examinations is part of the normal routine of most families.

Yet, most family doctors do not include an examination of the spine and nerve system, other than tapping reflexes with a hammer, which turns up only the most major nerve system problems. The education and training a pediatrician or family doctor receives does not emphasize the thorough examination of the posture, spinal alignment, and nerve system – they are simply interested in other aspects of body function, more consistent with their approach to caring for their patients.

That’s why, to be sure of your child’s spine and nerve system health and wellness, you need to have a spine and nerve system specialist examine your family, and your neighborhood spine and nerve system specialist is your doctor of chiropractic.

Chiropractors take extensive training in the examination and evaluation of spine and nerve system function, performing specific tests and interpreting them as only a chiropractor can. Analyzing the alignment and movement of the spinal bones, and the effect that that alignment and movement has on the delicate nerves the spine is intended to protect, is unique to the doctor of chiropractic, and the value and benefit of doing so can be significant, either to reassure parents that their kids are fine, or to detect spine and nerve system problems early enough so they can be addressed before serious symptoms, pain or discomfort begin. It helps you to spare your child any unnecessary suffering.

Every child is different, but there are patterns you can look for that may tip you off about any impending problems. Uneven or too-rapid shoe wear, hips or shoulders appearing slanted or rotated, head tilt, standing with the weight shifted to one side, or awkward stretching movements of the neck or torso can be signs that something is out of balance in the structure.

If a child complains of headaches, neck pain, or back pain, these are often signs of more advanced issues with the spine and nerve system, as children are usually so flexible and resilient, these problems don’t surface easily. If your child complains of such symptoms, get him or her to your family chiropractor as soon as possible.

But most of the time, there are no overt symptoms, just subtle changes
that only a trained professional will notice. That’s why periodic
examinations are so essential – an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure.

Ask your doctor of chiropractic about his or her recommendations for your kids – it could make a world of difference in your family’s future health and wellness, and probably spare your children from suffering needlessly.