One of the benefits of being a Family Chiropractor and looking after children in my practice is that I have the privilege of watching infants develop into toddlers, then attend school, become teenagers, and after 17 years in practice I have watched some of the kids in my practice graduate high school and head to college!
Observing children’s movement development is still so fascinating to me, the innate ability of the body to develop the skills required to roll, sit, crawl walk, run, jump, and climb.
This ability does not need to be coached, or actively developed, the body just knows how to figure it out in a sequential pattern, without any intervention.
For more information about how this happens, read this post and for the benefits of chiropractic for children read this one.
Can Chiropractic help your child’s movement development? Possibly. The focus of chiropractic spinal care is not to cure any problems in the body, but rather to maximize the healthy natural movement patterns so that there are no limitations to proper growth and maturation. If there is any irritation within the spine and associated muscles, there can be subtle changes in the ease of development and as a parent you might notice:.
- Your child seems clumsy and uncoordinated.
- Your child drags a foot or rolls it in when they are trying to crawl.
- Your child never really crawls, instead they push themselves around backwards or pulls themselves forward using an army crawl.
- Your child seems exceptionally intimidated with trying to learn how to climb stairs.
- Your child seems to walk on their toes instead of planting their whole foot on the floor when they walk.
- Your child seems to veer to one side when they are running.
And the list goes on an on….
If you notice anything asymmetrical with your child’s movement patterns, keep in mind that subtle shifts in their pelvis or within their spine can be contributing to assymetrical development, and they are easily addressed by a visit to a Pediatric Chiropractor!
In my experience, children respond quickly and heal fast. After a thorough evaluation, and with some gentle corrective care they are more balanced, they move with greater ease, and without any interference to their development they are ready to thrive.
Disclaimer: Chiropractic care supports overall health and healing, but is not a cure or treatment for developmental issues or delays in children.