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Chiropractic
For Kids
"As
the twig is bent, so grows the tree."
Being
our best as an adult is largely shaped during childhood.
In children, nervous system interference may present
itself as a variety of symptoms:
·
Colic / irritability
· Bed wetting
· Pain
· Asthma
Parents
are encouraged to have their children checked by a
chiropractor at any time, but especially when such
symptoms present themselves. It is important to remember
that we are not treating the symptoms but looking
for any underlying potential cause of the problem.
At
Shirley Rd Chiropractic we have undertaken further
study into Chiropractic Paediatrics so that we are
able to further help children be their best.
The
curves of our spine are developed in the first year
of our life. Failure to develop these curves properly
can put undue stress on a child's spine.
To
assist healthy development of your child's spine Shirley
Rd Chiropractic and the Chiropractors' Association
of Australia makes the following recommendations:
Childhood
Disorders
Asthma
Asthma
is a chronic lung condition that is characterized
by difficulty in breathing. In a person with asthma,
the airways narrow, requiring the person to breathe
with more effort to move air in and out of the lungs.
The narrowing is the result of inflammation of the
tissues lining the walls of the airways, spasm of
the smooth muscles and secretion of mucous into the
airways. There are numerous factors that may cause
this. They are not all well understood, and the factors
are different for each patient.
An
immediate cause of asthma may be over-sensitivity
(hyperreactivity) to certain stimuli such as:
-
certain foods
- cigarette
smoke
- pollen
- dust
mites
- exercise
- mould
- respiratory
viral infection
The
New Zealand Commission described relief from asthma
as one of the more consistent and frequent benefits
of chiropractic treatment.2 Chiropractic removes the
physical restriction and/or neurological imbalance
that is an underlying cause of the body's over-sensitivity
in some patients.3
There
have now been three studies assessing chiropractic
management of asthma in children.3-5 These have reported
mixed results, with stronger improvement in subjective
measures (relief from symptoms, reduced use of broncho-dilators
and medication) than objective measurements (peak
air-flow rates).
Importantly,
at Shirley Rd Chiropractic, we understand that asthma
can be life-threatening and most patients should be
under medical care. What all the evidence suggests,
however, is that chiropractic co-management is safe,
generally beneficial, dramatically effective for some
patients and that chiropractic assessment for spinal
contributing factors should often be considered. We
will only adjust if there is found to be spinal joint
dysfunction and those with no musculoskeletal joint
restriction are not corrected.
Bed wetting (nocturnal enuresis)
Bed
wetting is found in 20% of 4-5 year olds, twice as
frequently in males as in females, and produces great
distress. The causes are unclear. Explanations include
behavioural, biological and psychological reactions,
and often there will be more than one cause. There
are many medical treatments - including periodic waking,
fluid restriction, bell and pad, dry bed training,
psychotherapy and hypnotherapy - none supported by
strong research.
Chiropractors
often report successful results. The largest study
of 171 Australian children aged between 4 and 15 reported
moderate success.6 A study from the U.S. found that
those children improving tended to have spinal dysfunction
in both the pelvic and upper cervical (neck) spine
areas.7
The
most important aspect is to ascertain if there is
a spinal joint dysfunction. The dysfunction can be
corrected and it will clear one of the possible causes
of bed wetting. If it does not prove to be 100% successful,
then it is good to know that there are more than likely
others factors at play.
Colic
Infantile
colic is a term used to describe persistent, often
violent crying for no apparent reason in otherwise
healthy and thriving young infants. Colic begins at
1-4 weeks of age and usually spontaneously ends at
3-4 months of age. The source of pain is unclear but
traditionally believed to stem from the lower digestive
tract. Because of the high incidence of spinal joint
dysfunction in colicky infants, and the interactions
between spinal and digestive dysfunction, chiropractors
postulate that the pain may be aggravated or arising
from the spinal problem.
Good
results have now been supported by a multicentre study
of 316 infants in Denmark.8 The children in the study
were on average aged 5.7 weeks and to be entered into
the study had to have:
-
colic (normal weight gain and health, but persistent
crying for at least 5 hours per day)
- an
inability to be comforted by various normal means
- spinal
dysfunction
- behaviour
during colic that included motoric unrest, such as
frequent flexing of the knees toward the abdomen and/or
backward bending of the head and trunk.
Treatment,
given an average of 3 times over 2 weeks, comprised
light-force techniques of no more trouble to the infant
than basic physical examination. There was a success
rate of 94% (colic stopped - 60%, significantly improved
- 34%) and the researchers concluded that, with appropriately
selected infants, "standard chiropractic treatment
constitutes an effective treatment for infantile colic."
In a follow-up study, comparing standard medical management
and chiropractic for infantile colic, the same group
in Denmark found that:
1.
Chiropractic management is safe and effective
2. Chiropractic is significantly more effective than
standard medical treatment with dimethicone.9
The
study further supports the view of chiropractors that
the primary cause of the pain and other symptoms of
"infantile colic" is a musculoskeletal problem
rather than a digestive one.
Otitis Media (Inflammation of the Middle Ear)
Otitis
media (OM) is an inflammation of the middle ear. It
is not a primary disease, but a complication of colds,
sinusitis and sore throats. Obviously chiropractic
has no role in the treatment of acute OM, but it can
be most successful in the prevention of chronic, recurring
OM.
Restricted
lymphatic drainage from the middle ear plays a major
part in the establishment of chronic recurrent infections.
Lymphatic drainage depends on its flow from adequate
muscle activity / contractions, arterial pulsations
and external compression of body tissues.10 Spinal
joint dysfunction may cause neck muscle spasm, which
can restrict lymph drainage from the head. Reduced
drainage causes a reduction in the lymphatic outflow
from the Eustachian tubes (tube connecting the ears
to the throat) so fluid builds up in the ear making
it an inviting environment for bacteria and viruses.11
Tonsillitis
Similar
to otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear) chiropractic
treatment may be effective for children who have chronic
recurring infections and cervical spine dysfunction.
The largest published case series is by Lewit, a Czech
neurologist and manual medicine specialist.12 Working
with a throat specialist, he found that in a group
of 76 children with chronic relapsing tonsillitis,
70 had "dysfunction between the occiput and the
atlas" (i.e. between the head and the first vertebra).
Thirty-seven were given manipulation and then followed
for 5 years. Sixty-seven percent were cured. Twenty-five
had tonsillectomy operations. Of these, 76% still
suffered movement restrictions which were then treated
with manipulation. Lewit concluded that:
"tonsillitis
goes hand in hand with movement restriction in the
craniocervical junction… with little tendency
to spontaneous recovery and the danger of permanently
disturbed function in one of the most sensitive regions
of the locomotor system" and that "our experience
suggests that blockage at this level increases the
susceptibility to recurrent tonsillitis."
References:
1. Davies, N. (2000) Chiropractic Pediatrics. Churchill
Livingstone. Harcourt Publishers Limited. p4.
2. Hasselberg, P.D. (1979) Chiropractic in New Zealand.
Report of Commission of Inquiry into Chiropractic.
Wellington, New Zealand: Government Printer.
3. Bronfort, G. (1996) Asthma and Chiropractic. Eur.
J. Chiro. 44: 1-7.
4. Hviid, C. (1978) A comparison of the effect of
chiropractic treatment on respiratory function in
patients with respiratory distress symptoms and patients
without. Bull. Eur. Chiro. Union. 26: 17-34.
5. Balon, J., Aker, P.D., Crowther, E.R. et al. (1998)
A comparison of active and simulated chiropractic
manipulation as adjunctive treatment for childhood
asthma. New England Journal of Medicine. 339: 1013-1020.
6. LeBoeuf-Yde, C., Brown, P., et al. (1991) J. Manip.
Physiol. Ther. 14: 110-115.
7. Reed, W.R., Beavers, S., Reddy, S.K., Kern, G.
(1994) Chiropractic management of primary nocturnal
enuresis. J. Manip. Physiol. Ther. 17: 596-600.
8. Klougart, N., Nillson, N., Jacobsen, J. (1989)
Infantile colic treated by chiropractors: a prospective
study of 316 cases. J. Manip. Physiol. Ther. 12: 281-288.
9. Wiberg, J.M.M., Nordsteen, J. and Nilsson, N. (1999)
The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the
treatment of infantile colic: a randomised controlled
trial with a blinded observer. J. Manip. Physiol.
Ther. 22: 517-522.
10. Fysh (1996) Chronic recurrent otitis media. J.
Clin. Chiro. Ped. 1: 66-78.
11. Peet (1996) Chiropractic Paediatrics. 2: 8-10.
12. Lewit, K. (1991) Manipulative therapy and rehabilitation
of the locomotor system. 2nd ed. Oxford, England:
Butterworth-Heineman. p273.
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