I have an amazing Chiropracter who specializes in the "activate" method of Chiro. She too, uses the little tool to deliver a gentle force to adjust problems. I have also seen a "hard force" chiro in the past (pick you up and throw you around type) and my body just seems to respond better to the activate method. I am a big time believer in Chiro.

As for my little one, I would consider the possibility, but I am not sure I would come to the conclusion on my own that she needed to see one. If we had exhausted all other medical procedures and a Chiro was suggested, then we would look into it. But, since she can't tell me that she has muscle pain vs joint pain, sharp pain vs dull ache, etc, I probably would never think about a chiro treatment helping her, because my Chiro really relies on my explanation of the pain and exact area to treat me.

Does that make any sense at all?

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My kids have both had adjustments from day one. He's only ever used the activator on them and not the cracking form most people think of when they picture chiropractic. It's absolutely helped us and I have total faith in our guy.

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Ya gotta do your research! There are many excellent chiropractors out there. Ours only uses the activator method, so the kids are never manually adjusted, but the chiro we saw when the boys were babies, did use manual techniques BUT never on kids.

My children have never been sick enough to see our doctor, sure we have had colds and bugs.I have touched base over the phone with the nurses. I attribute their sturdy health in part to the regular adustments.

I say why not start with the chiro? It's either gonna help or not and may spare your child needless medicines and tests.

When choosing a chiro ask if they have MDs they refer to when they feel they are not getting anywhere. I also say be a bit more wary of big operations or places that sell alot of stuff. Some places like this are good too, but generally if a place seems to slick, it probably is.

Good Luck!

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My son had his first adjustment at 11 days old. I had a very hard delivery. My son was face up and too big for me to deliver naturally. The doc on call wouldnt listen and thought he was GOD and made me deliver natural. My sons shoulders got stuck ( face up ) and there he layed for 3 hours. I kept telling the doctor and the as*hole wouldn't listen. Finally he got the vacume out and was trying to pull with that. You ask my husband to describe this and he said he would not of been surprised if the doctor put his feet up on the bed and was pulling like that. If you want to call it luck, I ripped almost the whole way through before he broke my sons shoulder, neck or collar bone! My son had damage done to his neck from being pulled so hard. As a baby he would just sit there and grab his neck and scream. His neck would be so red from him grabbing at it. He had to be treated like I said from day one pretty much. Without the help of the chiropractor, which my pediatrician agreeed. My son could of been very bad off. Like LB said you do have to do research and there are differnt techniques of chiropracting. The main key is, that you have to trust this person. I never liked chiropractors myself I was the biggest sceptic. A friend that I had known a little from school became a chiropractor. My husbands best friend swore by him so my husband who had a herniated disk went to him. He did wonders with him. I suffered from severe migraines and had a bad hip that had been dislocated in a dirt bike accident at age 16. I had so much trouble walking and bending, I was in so much pain all the time. They tried convincing me to go and i flat out said no way. Well thank goodness I gave in and saw him. Out of all the doctors I saw for my hip he was the only one who found out why everything hurt so bad. The first thing he does before he touches anyone is take x rays. Then he has you come back after he studies them. If he can help he will make out a plan and he is not afraid to say no your condition is something I can not help with and should not be touched by a chiropractor. Most chiropractors wouldn't tell people no they wont touch them. that is money they are losing. A good one will tell you. After studying my x rays he discovered that my whole hip was was out of place. When the doctors put my hip back in they hit it so hard that they pushed that whole side out. Instead of being aligned straight my right side hip ( the whole bone structure both hips and pelvis bone everything) was pushed forward. Because that was left like for years it rotated my back out of alignment. I had to be straightened out as much as it could be . It took alot of work and differnt therapys to finally correct this some. For once since it happened I could walk with out such bad pain. I saw him through my whole pregnancy. Add the chemical your body produces when pregnant to help your pelvis bone move and you have a mess. He did a great job taking care of me and he did wonders with my son. My son is 5 now and still gets adjusted at least once a month or sometimes more when he is playing t ball and flag football or just being a boy. I honestly would hate to see what my sons neck would of been like had I not trusted the chiropractor to help. They all are not bad some really do care. He is the only chiropractor that will ever touch us because there are more bad ones then good. just do your research on them.

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I work for a Chiropractor. He uses an Activator on children until the age of around 14. He also uses this tool on the elderly that may suffer from osteoporsis. We have a patient that is 3mths old, and has had help with reflux and a multitude of other medical problems. Our oldest patient is 97. Both of my children, age 11 and 5 get *adjusted* a minimum of once a week. Chiropractic is not a cure all, but can help with alot of medical issues. A child receives their first subluxation, misalignment of the spine, during child birth. This can cause problems with bowel movements, reflux and other things. I would suggest speaking with your chiropractor of choice and find out if they have been fully trained in the adjustments of children, and what technique they use.

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Did they remember to mention the huge number of infant and child deaths each year from drugs? --- in the abundance of cases of drugs that the child was likely better off without in the first place! Antibiotics cause more-frequent return of ear infections and increase the risk of the most serious possible complication (masked mastoiditis), in addition to the diarrheal illnesses they can cause and the serious illness or death these can lead to. Fever-reducing drugs cause prolonged illnesses and can cause death or disability when given with many kinds of viruses.

I can't even imagine the amount of force needed to fracture the neck of a young child when their cervical joints are so incredibly flexible and their bones themselves are chiefly flexible cartilage. There's more to that story than meets the eye.

Let the medical doctors be heroes when heroics are needed but in the case of minor illnesses, digestive upsets, colic and the like, recovery and survival chances are higher with supportive care rather than risky chemicals.

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PS And not to open a can of worms or anything but a few kids having complications vs the thousands of kids affected by medical malpractice, hospital infections and bad care at the hands of MD's is way better statistically. At least, for the most part, chiro care is non-invasive and gentle.

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There is no more than meets the eye to the broken collar bone thing. It can happen and it does. This is off of the site mommyguide.com .The most common bone injury sustained in birth is fracture of the collar bone, which is always a risk when a large baby is delivered. I am 5 foot tall and very tiny, my son weighed 8# 4oz and was 21" plus he was face up which complicates things even more. not every child has a nice easy journey down the birthing canal. My pediatricians were the ones who suggested he see a chiropractor to help with his neck. A chiropractor is a doctor and depending on what all training he or she has taken, can be just as good at treating stuff as your family doctor is. The chiropractor that we goto is certified to work with children ( certified or what ever it is that they get ). He also is now certified to do animals as well. He has helped so much with everything. My son had ear infections continually and had acid reflux so bad he needed zantac at the age of 3 weeks. When my son would get an ear infection I would take him to get adjusted. He would adjust what ever in his neck and like at the base of the head and what ever he does. This always helped to speed up the healing. He ( the chiro) also works very close with our family doc and pediatrician.

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I have taken my kids to the chiro, and they've had manipulation done, after a car accident. I am a big believer in chiropractic care, and never worried it would harm them.

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In answer to your question: No. Never.

http://www.chirobase.org/

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Both my children have been to the chiro, more than once, more than 5 times..... I dont' keep count.
My son was adjusted at 2 weeks old, he was a breech baby. My daughter was adjusted at 4 weeks, she was a colicy baby - both issues resolved with no other doctors needed.
The both continue to get adjusted once a month or so, being active children, falling down, climbing etc... there is always something....

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Yes. Two of my three were under chiropractic care for
around a year. We had to discontinue care last April as we can no longer afford it. My son was being treated for enuresis. (You may have read about it
on my blog.) He got much better while being treated and now, 9 months after discontinuing care, he is back where we started. I would give anything to be able to afford to keep them under chiropractic care. You have to find someone who is experienced with treating kids though.

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I have many times taken my very young children to the chiropractor for adjustments. The treatments are extremely gentle, my children love them, and they have been helped my the treatments. There is some research out there that indicates children who have chiropractic treatments have fewer respiratory ailments. Also, my cousin's little boy was treated very successfully for bedwetting with chiropractic care. I would make sure that my chiropractor is comfortable and has exerience with adjusting children. EW

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My mother was in a car accident when I was in the 4th grade (i think I was around 9 yrs. old) and ended up seeing both a neurologist and a chiropractor. When my younger brother and I tagged along with our mom to her chiropractor appointments, they would often re-adjust the two of us as well. And, boy did it feel great! Just the memory of it makes me feel good. While I don't recall that particular practice having any children as clients, I do remember other children being there with their parents and the chiropractors along with the staff were very warm and friendly. Ahh! I wish I could see a chiropractor now.

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No, never. But then I wouldn't go to a chiropractor if my life depended on it. I've been, and have spent years having other treatment to right the wrongs the chiropractor caused. I find they are way too forceful, and if your body is in any way sensitive, it doesn't work and does more damage than good. Especially for kids.

I do, however, see an osteopath. I find them the most fantastic holistic therapists out there. You have to be open to their way of treatment, which may not feel like they're doing much at all - but they do. I've had severe back pain and whiplash treated successfully. I took my son when he was a month old, as he (and I) experienced a traumatic birth where he was stuck (I was in labour for 27 hours and finished off with an emergency C section). It improved his sleeping immeasurably. I then took him at 16 months to be seen after a particularly bad fall down the stairs onto his head. The Casualty department checked for breaks, which luckily there were none, gave him paracetamol and sent him home. My osteopath calmed his body, and dissipated the shock of the accident, stopping his headaches and neck pain.

I know that people are dubious about osteopaths (particularly medical doctors!), but properly registered and trained, they are far more in tune with your body, and treat holistically rather than just looking at the narrower picture.

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If you look at that study carefully you will find like most of the chiropractic bashing studies, that some or most of the people who did the supposed chiropractic treatment were actually M.D.'s, Osteopaths, and Physical Therapists.

I have worked on 100's of children over the decades with some true miracles along the way. Of the chiropractors I have trained good and bad, I have never come across even a single one who has ever injured a child. In fact the only true injuries I have ever heard of were done by chiropractors using physical therapy machines which wer not actually chiropractic. From what I have been told, (but not seen) Tiny rib fractures are also possible in elder patients if the chiropractor is too agressive, but even these heal up in a period of weeks.

If all they could come up with are a hand full of chiropractic injuries, (that were not even necessarily by chiropractors but M.D.'s) then that is nothing compared to the deaths in children due to drugs each year. I do not have any exact figures, but I know that in the general population prescription drugs are responsible for being anywhere from the sixth through the number one leading cause of death in the U.S. depending on which study you read.

Also if you are looking for gentle effective treatments, take a look at our chiropractic robot,
http://www.bodyabcs.com/Pulstar/Gentle-Robot-Help-Page1.html
and while I respect Dr. Fuhr tremendously for his contribution with the activator, this new tool is like the activator on steroids :)

Thanks for bringing this subject up!
Dr. David Klein

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I appreciate all the "pro chiropractic" comments from your readers. I have been a chiropractor for 18 years and in that time, I have had the opportunity (blessing, really) to see hundreds of children. I have lost count as to the number of times that those children have gotten off toxic drugs or have been able to continue with a normal life again. Just for the record, I am NOT anti-drug...just anti abuse. And the fact remains: a huge percentage of drugs prescribed in this country (especially for kids) as unnecessary and, in fact, harmful. Also for the record, although I have seen what many would call "medical miracles" in my practice over the years, I do not claim to treat any disease at all (that's right...not even back pain!). My job is simply to help the child's body...or adult's...come back into a more efficient healing state. My particular approach focuses on deep stress stored within the nervous system...the master control system of the body. For more info on that, you can check www.nsawellness.com.

Ultimately, the aim of chiropractic is to allow the fullest expression of LIFE for everyone. If that sounds airy-fairy to you, so be it. I can only speak from my experience and for what I want for my wonderful 3 year old boy.

One last funny thought...
I believe that one of the highest learning states in curiosity. Curiosity is the opposite of "knowing", where you already know everything and have stopped learning. I find it interesting that while children are among the most curious in our culture, MDs are among the least. I would recommend finding an MD that is VERY curious about your experiences with chiropractic (and holistic methods in general). If they aren't, then they are probably not the person you want responsible for your child's well-being.

Be Well.

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I have been a chiropractic assistant for over 6 years and during that time I have had 2 children. My children have been receiving chiropractic adjustments since they were only minutes old and in my opinion there is no other choice. Both of my children are healthy and have never been on any type of antibiotic. They receive regular adjustments 1-2 times per week and they will be under chiropractic care for the rest of their lives. Chiropractic is a lifestyle choice and it's amazing to me to see people as little as a few hours old to people who are 97 coming in to the office to receive their routine adjustment because they know that they are boosting their immune system and living a longer, healthier life. I encourage everyone to find a wellness chiropractor and begin learning how the power that made the body, heals the body.

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I am 44 yrs old and have been adjusted by chiropractors regularly since I have been 11 yrs old. They have helped me through illnesses and physical traumas. My immune system is second to none, as I very rarely get sick and I never take medication. My daughter has been adjusted since birth, she is 2 1/2 years old and has never been to the pediatrician other than a well visit. And has not had medication either, for anything. Chiropractic care improves function in all the systems in the body by improving nerve flow, including nerve flow. It is safe.

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I find the question very interesting and I would like to put this article into proper context. First, I think this article shows how remarkably safe chiropractic is for children. The authors found 14 adverse spinal manipulation events associated with children over a 105 year history of chiropractic. 10 of the 14 events involved a chiropractor and 4 of the 10 were for minor issues such irritability, headache, and soreness that required no follow-up treatment.

So basically, they were able to find 6 significant reactions to hundreds of millions of adjustments. The article estimated that 30 million pediatric visits were made to US chiropractors in 1997 alone. That is a pretty amazing safety record to me.

Now, to compare this to a common medication like ibuprofen. 16,000 people are estimated to die a year because of ibuprofen in the US. That's 44 people per day.

According to Barbara Starfield from Johns Hopkins, outpatient drug reactions kill 199,000 people per year in the US. That is 545 people a day or roughly two large Jet planes worth of people daily. Would any planes fly if two jets went down everyday? Imagine if we looked at the whole world as well as inpatient adverse drug reactions. Medicine is easily the 3rd leading cause of death.

Another interesting thing is that as a Doctor of Chiropractic my malpractice insurance premiums costs less per year than my car insurance premiums. If we were injuring a lot of kids, then the bean counters would drastically raise our insurance premiums. By the way my malpractice premiums have only increased about $150 in the last 10 years. Ask an MD how much theirs have increased.

Dr. Evan

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