Are Pediatric Chiropractors Safe? We’re weighing in on this hot topic!
As a caregiver, your instincts tell you to keep your child safe. That is natural! So when you hear of an alternative treatment to traditional medicine, it is also natural to question if it is the right choice for your kiddo. Chiropractic care for children is a practice that is becoming wildly popular, but many parents question if pediatric chiropractors are safe. Unfortunately, there are articles published online that make drastic claims against the safety of adjustments for kiddos. Back to those instincts… if you see claims that pediatric chiropractic adjustments are not safe for your child, we know it is natural for you to shy away from that alternative treatment.
While we cannot help you “unsee” what you’ve already seen, we’d like to take a different approach to this question or concern about the safety of pediatric chiropractic adjustments. Continue reading to see the ways that we make you feel secure that your child is safe in the hands of any of the doctors at Blossom Family Chiropractic.
We Evaluate Each Child Before Adjusting Them
Just like a mechanic would not start tearing a Ferrari engine apart without doing a diagnostic report, we will never adjust your child without an in-depth evaluation. During your child’s first visit to Blossom Family Chiropractic, we will do a series of 3 neurological scans that give us a very clear picture of how your kiddo’s body is healing and feeling.
The results of these three scans, Heart Rate Variability, Thermal, and Surface Electromyography, give us a data-driven report of how your child’s body is functioning and where there are areas for improvement. You can read about each scan here, and we encourage you to because it is fascinating.
These scans drive every decision that we make for your child’s care plan. There are no blind adjustments made here. Each scan is repeated periodically so that we can see how your child’s body is adapting to the pediatric chiropractic adjustments and you can see the science behind each adjustment that we make.
We Have Extensive Training and Certification in Pediatric Chiropractic Care
While it is true that any chiropractor can adjust children safely, at Blossom Family Chiropractic, our team has received extensive additional education centered around pediatric chiropractic care. Each training brings us deeper into our understanding of your kiddo’s body and how we can help it function at its best.
Adjustments for a child are gentle, specific, and based on the neurological scans or physical symptoms that your kiddo is experiencing. Pediatric chiropractic adjustments are safe. They are nothing like the adjustments that you’d see an adult receive. In fact, we like to compare the pressure that we apply during an adjustment to how you’d feel for the ripeness of a tomato.
During a pediatric chiropractic adjustment, we use specific tools that assist us in making sure that your kiddo is getting the precise adjustment that they need!
These two tools below are of the most common that you’ll find in the office.
The first tool, an activator, delivers quick and precise pressure to a specific area. This tool is used by neurologically focused chiropractors that are able to use scans to see the exact place of misalignment in your child’s body. When your child gets an adjustment with an activator, they’ll feel when the tip of the tool is placed on their body and they will hear an audible “click”. They do not feel the pressure because it is delivered so quickly by the tool. The purpose is to reset the nerve dysfunction exactly where it exists. This tool means that we are not pushing, twisting, or “popping” your kiddo.
The second tool, a toggle headpiece, allows a precise and low force adjustment to the base of your child’s head. This is where your child’s vagus nerve stems from. The vagus nerve can [and will be!] a blog in and of itself. It is the cornerstone of their nervous system and maintaining its function is a top priority in our office. The toggle headpiece is especially helpful because it can be used while you are holding your little one. We call this tool the “shell phone” and our kiddos LOVE talking to St. Pete’s beaches while they get adjusted.
Chiropractic Care Supports your Child’s Innate Ability to Heal
Every child is born with an innate ability to heal themselves. Human bodies are incredibly designed to have reactions to different factors (like illness, stress, injury, etc) and these reactions dictate how the body will adapt.
Super scientific right? Let’s break it down. Let’s say that your kiddo is in child care and encounters another little one with a cold. We know how kids are… chances are pretty high that your kiddo will have direct exposure to the cold. If your child’s nervous system (remember that Vagus nerve we mentioned above?!) is functioning at its prime, your child’s body will have the appropriate immune response to fight the cold.
It is not abnormal for new patients to ask us “are pediatric chiropractors safe?”
After all, we primarily serve pregnant women, mothers, and children here in St Petersburg. At Blossom Family Chiropractic we take every single step to make you feel comfortable and know that not only is chiropractic care safe for children, but it is also incredibly valuable to their bodies.
We know that your child is your world and you’d go to the end of the Earth to make sure that they are safe. When you have questions, and it is okay and expected that you do, call us. We are here to help you feel comfortable.
If you are in the Tampa or St. Pete area and are looking for a pediatric chiropractor, contact us to schedule an appointment to see those unique scans of your child’s body function and how pediatric chiropractic adjustments can bring their body to balance!
