Kids & Chiropractic Care
As families prepare for back-to-school, chiropractic care probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, when people think of chiropractic, they often don’t think of kids at all. However, did you know that it can have positive effects on things like stress response, focus, sleep, and digestion? Beyond treating injuries, it also helps prevent them as well.
The nervous system controls everything
Kids have nervous systems just like everyone else. It controls every tissue, organ, and cell in our bodies. Taking good care of it is especially important in developing years to build a good foundation. Since the spine houses most of the nervous system, proper movement and function of the spine is very important. Normal summer activities like sports, trampolines, camping on the ground, and tumbling around with friends can cause misalignments that stop the spine from moving properly. As fall approaches, many kids will also be increasing the hours they spend on electronic devices, often with compromising posture.
A spine that isn’t properly aligned or moving well causes interference and irritation in the nervous system. These will have huge impacts. First, interference gets in the way of communication between the brain and the body. Therefore, the body doesn’t move and function the way it’s supposed to. Consequentially, when their bodies are not moving or functioning well, they’re not going to be performing their best in activities or sports either. It also creates a greater opportunity for injury.
When it comes to irritation, we see two big effects in the nervous system. The first is like your kids having the gas pedal stuck on in their body. Their brains remain in overdrive all the time, causing difficulty with things like focus, sleep, and being able to wind down at the end of the night. Second, negative messaging increases in the brain. This leads to an increased stress response, affecting things like focus, sleep, digestion, immune function and several other things due to the stress chemical called cortisol.
Your kids at their best
As kids anticipate the journey back to school, chiropractic care can support parents’ efforts to help manage transitions and stress. Chiropractic is also a critical component to incorporate into your routine for focus, rest, digestion, and performance. To give your kids the best start of the school year and all the way through to next spring, bring them in, get them adjusted, and let’s start them on the right foot.