Chiropractors and their practice have often been a rather controversial subject, but there's a relatively new avenue in chiropractics that you may have some questions about—pediatric chiropractics. As odd as it may sound to you—what infant needs their back adjusted?—pediatric chiropractics have been used for everything from earaches to insomnia. So if you're wondering what the facts about pediatric chiropractics are and if your infant might benefit from it, then here's what you need to know.

What exactly is pediatric chiropractics?

Honestly, this practice is pretty much what it sounds like—chiropractic care for your small child. However, it's important to note that pediatric chiropractics removes some of the more forceful techniques that adults can handle (especially for infants, where the pressure used is similar to the amount you would use to test a tomato for ripeness) and focuses on gentle treatment for spinal stress and restoring proper joint movement, which allows your child's bones to develop as best they can. Pediatric chiropractic care focuses less on relieving pain and more on ensuring that your child's body will grow correctly.

What benefits can it give?

Pediatric chiropractic care has been used for a wide range of maladies that can strike your child during their earliest years. Some examples include ear infections, colic, depressed immune symptom function, ADHD, scoliosis, bedwetting, and growing pains. Chiropractic care focuses on removing any blockages that could be working against the body's natural ability to heal itself, and chiropractic care on children aims for the same thing. Ear infections in particular are one of the most common reasons parents bring their child to the chiropractor; this has become more and more commonplace as people are more wary of antibiotic resistance and the fact that a lot of pediatricians adopt a watch-and-wait mentality with childhood ear infections.

What side effects and/or dangers does it have?

Like any technique that requires the manipulation of bones and joints in the body, there is always inherent danger in chiropractic practices. However, a survey done on the effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic care found a miniscule amount of complaints or complications during care—three events noticed by chiropractors in just shy of 5,500 visits, and 2 events noticed by parents in about 1700 visits—which seems to indicate that pediatric chiropractic care can be both safe and effective.  

If you're interesting in having your child receive chiropractic care, talk to your pediatrician about the details and any recommendations that they can give (such as Health Atlast Fountain Valley).