My journey with chiropractic care began like many – I hurt my back. I was just a teenager and I don’t believe I had even heard the word “chiropractic” before my first visit. After just a couple of adjustments, I was out of pain and able to resume all regular activities.
My chiropractor also did something that many chiropractors don’t do. He regularly taught a class on how to care for your spine at home, and how to utilize chiropractic care for more than just back pain. I remember that class, because my family and I were the only people in attendance. It would have been very easy for him to postpone the class, but he took the time to teach us, and that turned us into lifetime chiropractic patients.
After learning that chiropractic was for people of all ages, could help with more than just pain, and should be a part of a healthy lifestyle, I implemented that philosophy into my personal life and later into my own practice. This concept was one of the primary reasons I decided to become a chiropractor myself.
I’ve seen and helped infant patients suffering with frequent recurring ear infections. I’ve adjusted the colicky baby that hasn’t stopped crying in months to see him suddenly smile for the first time. I’ve cared for child that is still dealing with bed wetting far past what would be expected, suddenly regain full power of his bladder and able to do a sleepover for the first time.
“I don’t believe in Chiropractic” just sounds silly to me now. I see it work every day in my office and for conditions that I might not normally consider a “chiropractic problem.” Not a single child patient “believed” my adjustment was going to work. Sometimes, they didn’t want to be adjusted in the first place.
Fast forward to the birth of my own children and making decisions about their health. Every one of my sons were checked for spinal misalignment within hours of birth. Two of them checked out just fine. The third had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck four times and needed an adjustment. I applied gentle pressure using my pinkie finger to his first vertebra to get him back in alignment.
There’s no way of knowing how much that could have affected his long term health. I know that he is a healthy, happy, and very active child and I’m grateful for that. I believe that first adjustment spared him from many issues during the early stages of his life.
I’ve watched my sons fall while learning to walk, get clobbered during sports, and take spills while learning to ride their bikes. When an adult patient asks “How did I get this way?” I know they don’t consider a single fall or trauma that occurred during childhood. They mistakenly believe that their current symptoms have to be from something that was done within a few days of the start of their pain.
It’s so much easier to take care of problems early on then when that same childhood fall finally shows up as back pain years later. The average person waits until they are 45 years old before receiving their first spinal check up. Can you imagine all that has happened to their spines in 45 years?!
As an adult, you’ve had more falls, injuries, and traumas than you can remember. Just spend a day watching your kids and count all the times they do something that you know would take you days to recover from, but they just jump up and keep going.
For my sons, getting adjusted is just a part of their lifestyle. They typically get adjusted about once per month, more if needed. They are all active physically and can spend hours hunched over doing homework or on a computer. I know the long-term benefits of chiropractic care and I’m happy to be able to provide that for my children.
We do offer a similar class to the class my first chiropractor taught me. We offer it every Tuesday night at 6:00pm at no charge. You don’t need to be a patient to attend. If you just can’t make it at that time, contact us and ask for the link to the recorded version.
In our office, we check children at no cost, and babies are adjusted for free. We have a reduced price for kid adjustments and will be happy to answer any questions you might have about starting your kids under chiropractic care.