My practice is what I call a family practice, and has nothing to do with the other 2 chiro’s in my family. We pride ourselves on seeing a lot of kids in our office. Once a parent understands the importance that a functioning nervous system has on their own health, it is almost automatic that they will bring their kids in to get their spine’s checked as well. The most common childhood illnesses/disorders that can be helped with chiropractic are:

Abdominal pain ADD/ADHD Asthma Allergies

Learning Disorders Bed Wetting Birth Trauma

Headaches Breast Feeding Difficulties Colic

Chronic Sickness Fever Immune Problems Respiratory Problems Bronchitis Scoliosis Ear Infections

Skin Problems Sinus Problems Sleep Problems

Tonsillitis Sports injuries/performance Torticollis Dyslexia

The most common childhood illness I see in my office is ear infections. This is a real important one, because the wrong treatment can cause a lifetime of problems for a child. Ear infections develop when the inner ear does not drain fluid properly. This creates an environment similar to a pond in the summer: a breeding ground for bacteria. Some people hold onto the belief that the angle of the Eustachian tube is much flatter in an infant, so proper drainage doesn’t occur. Well, that angle changes every time a child moves, rolls over, sits up in a car seat, etc.

To properly address the ear infection, you must first address what causes it: the lack of drainage. What chiropractors discovered a century ago was that if the vertebra in the upper neck are out of alignment, it will cause the muscles surrounding the ear canal to tighten up, pinching the tube like a straw. By adjusting those vertebra back into place, the muscles relax, drainage is restored, and the ear infection will almost always clear up within a day or two.

The more common approach to ear infections is to use antibiotics. This will usually clear up the infection within a couple days, but does nothing for the drainage problem. This will often result in another infection within 1-2 months (or even weeks) getting the same treatment. With each additional infection comes stronger antibiotics, until the doctor recommends tubes to force the drainage to occur.

The big concern is what the antibiotics do to a young developing child. When the drugs are given in excess, it will actually suppress the healthy development of the child’s immune system. This sets up the repeated ear infections, and leads to chronic colds, allergies, and asthma as the child gets older. In the longer term, a suppressed immune system will lead to the development of some cancers, as it is the job of the immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells as they develop.

What does a child’s evaluation consist of?

An evaluation of a child is rather simple compared to an adult. It consists of a history, brief evaluation, and assessment using the Thermoscope (infrared digital thermometer). Using the Thermoscope allows me to evaluate the first upper neck without using x-rays. The adjustment can be done one of 2 ways. The first is with the Activator which sends a gentle tap into the bone to move it into position. The second is done by hand. Depending on the age of the child, it may only take a small amount of pressure held on the vertebra to move it into place. The adjustment is completely painless and is completed in seconds. Children respond to chiropractic care much faster than adults, and results can often be seen within 24 hours.

What about older children?

As children get older, they naturally become more active. This is where microtrauma becomes a factor. When a child first learns to walk, he falls. When he first learns to ride a bike, he falls. If he has an older brother, he falls a lot, and the older brother didn’t see it. Add to that spending time on computers or video games, and carrying an entire library in a backpack. Eventually, he/she will join organized sports. Whether they are contact sports like soccer or football, or non contact like golf and tennis, if the body is not developing in proper balance the weaker areas are going to start showing up. It could be repeated ankle sprains caused by a hip imbalance, or a low back injury caused by weak postural muscles. If the child is not currently under care of a chiropractor at this point, it is strongly encouraged to help prevent injuries both on and off the field, and also will help performance.

Pulver Family Chiropractic Center
Reinventing the family doctor!	231-348-7540