Yes they do! And we are so grateful for all that chiropractic has done for our family. Before my pregnancy with my first son, Isaac, I had never heard of a child going to chiropractor. I was still nervous thinking about adults going and getting their necks and backs cracked! But this is definitely not what chiropractic care is about, and now I'm trying to spread the word. Chiropractic care is life changing for many people, kids included. If you've never tried it, I would highly recommend you do. Below I will get into the many benefits of chiropractic care for little ones!
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This is my son, Isaac, at just three months old being adjusted at the chiropractor. He started regular visits to the chiropractor at two months old, upon the recommendation of my sister-in-law, who is a physical therapist. My son was born with congenital torticollis, which is the often called "wryneck." He had limited neck rotation to the left side, and a head tilt to the left due to a contracted and stiff left SCM muscle. His delivery was complicated, and was vacuum-assisted, which may have played a role in the development of this condition. From birth to about 2 weeks old, he kept his shoulders tight to his neck. At about 2 weeks old, he relaxed his shoulders during a nap and I noticed a large mass on the left side of his neck. Here's a photo of his neck muscle the day we noticed it:
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The left SCM muscle was significantly larger than his right, and you can see it was almost peanut-shaped. I was immediately concerned and took him to the doctor that same day. The doctor recommended physical therapy, which we did for 2 weeks.
We stopped PT after 2 weeks because we moved back home to NY from NH and needed to find a new provider. However, when we returned home, we talked to our family members who had been seeing a chiropractor weekly. The chiropractor has a special focus on infants and kids, and we decided to give it a try. We visited the chiropractor 2-3 times per week for a month, and within that time, my son's torticollis was resolved. He also had slight facial asymmetry and flattening of one side of his head due to the torticollis, and these were resolved with manipulation of cranial bones externally and inside his mouth. He also had less reflux and spit-up. It was amazing to watch the treatment methods and see the results.
Chiropractic care has worked wonders for our family.
If you're still a little skeptical or hesitant, I've listed some studies and articles below that support the efficacy and safety of chiropractic care in the pediatric population:
The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: a randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10543581/ (Links to an external site.)
This article concluded that "spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic" (Wiberg et al., 1999).
This was a RCT with blinded observer, which I think makes it the most convincing article of the ones I found.
Chiropractic Management of Infantile Torticollis With Associated Abnormal Fixation of One Eye: A Case Report: https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.northernvermont.idm.oclc.org/pmc/articles/PMC4371108/ (Links to an external site.)
This article concluded that "the patient responded favorably to chiropractic care, showing a possible mechanical spinal cause for his torticollis and for the secondarily developed abnormal fixation of the right eye" (Hobaek Siegenthaler, 2015).
This was a case report written by the chiropractor who performed the care for the child, so there is potential for bias. This study was also only one patient, so the results can't be applied to a larger population.
Conservative Care of Pediatric Acquired Torticollis: A Report of 2 Cases: https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.northernvermont.idm.oclc.org/pmc/articles/PMC5659806/ (Links to an external site.)
It was concluded that "chiropractic care provided relief for these 2 young patients with acquired torticollis" (Young and Young, 2017).
This was a case study involving only two children under the age of 3 who suffered acquired torticollis after a day playing in a bouncy house. The results of this study can't be generalized due to the small sample size in the case report.
Is chiropractic an effective treatment in infantile colic?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1751100/pdf/v086p00382.pdf (Links to an external site.)
The conclusion of this article states "there is good evidence that taking a colicky infant to a chiropractor will result in fewer reported hours of colic by the parents" (Hughes and Bolton, 2002).
This article summarizes findings from other research regarding chiropractic benefits for colic. The article cites 3 RCTs and an observational case study that support the conclusion. I think the broader examination and use of strong research methods makes this summary regarding colic and chiropractic more credible.
Chiropractic care of a pediatric patient with symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, fuss-cry-irritability with sleep disorder syndrome and irritable infant syndrome of musculoskeletal origin: https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.northernvermont.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=e9a4def7-8578-4e56-bce6-a71b98f8f970%40redis (Links to an external site.)
Again, the results of this study can't be generalized as it was based on one patient, but the results were supportive of the efficacy of chiropractic care.
This study featured a patient with torticollis, cranial bone distortions, flattening of the head on one side, fussiness, and difficulty latching during breast feeding. The results indicated a resolution of all of these issues (Alcantara and Anderson, 2008).
These articles all exhibit the efficacy of chiropractic care toward the resolution of pediatric conditions including GERD, torticollis, sleep disturbances, fussiness, cranial distortions and colic. According to our chiropractor, many parents aren't aware that many childhood illnesses and conditions are related to subluxations of the spine and can be corrected with chiropractic care. Our chiropractor has had success in treating conditions such as chronic ear infections, digestive issues, autism, musculoskeletal issues (like torticollis), behavioral issues, and asthma. After witnessing for myself what chiropractic care can do, I'm convinced of its efficacy and significance.
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References
Alcantara, J., & Anderson, R. (2008). Chiropractic care of a pediatric patient with symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, fuss-cry-irritability with sleep disorder syndrome and irritable infant syndrome of musculoskeletal origin. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 52(4), 248–255.
Hobaek Siegenthaler, M. (2015). Chiropractic management of infantile torticollis with associated abnormal fixation of one eye: A case report. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 14(1), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2014.12.003
Hughes, S., & Bolton, J. (2002). Is chiropractic an effective treatment in infantile colic? Archives of Disease in Childhood, 86(5), 382–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.86.5.382
Wiberg, J. M. M., Nordsteen, J., & Nilsson, N. (1999). The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 22(8), 517–522. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0161-4754(99)70003-5
Young, M. D., & Young, J. L. (2017). Conservative care of pediatric acquired torticollis: A report of 2 cases. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 16(3), 252–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2017.03.003
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