Is My Child Too Young for Chiropractic Care?

After several days of sitting at your desk at work, your back and neck hurt. During your chiropractic appointment, you realize you usually have bad posture and multiple appointments will be necessary to correct your chronic pain.

At home, you see your child hunched over a tablet screen and wonder—do they need chiropractic treatment too? Are they too young? Keep reading to learn how a chiropractor can help anyone with proper alignment.

When Chiropractic Care Should Begin

Basically, there is no minimum or maximum age for chiropractic therapy. In other words, a patient may receive treatment from childhood all the way through their senior years. Most chiropractors are trained to work with patients of all ages, not just older adults.

Back, neck, or joint problems can be trickier to spot in younger patients, often because they may or may not experience pain as a result. However, if your child exhibits signs of poor posture, such as slouching, hunched shoulders, or “text neck” (looking down at a screen too much), or structural problems with the spine, then a visit to the chiropractor may be in order—even if they don’t complain about discomfort.

Benefits of Starting Chiropractic Care at a Young Age

Although younger patients may not suffer from pain, their bodies are much more pliable than older patients. Unlike their elderly counterparts, the young are still developing and haven’t established years of bad habits yet. They likely don’t have serious degeneration yet, and the chiropractor can correct structural problems relatively quickly.

By the time back pain kicks in later in life, the problem could require much longer treatment because of the many years of unhealthy posture and alignment issues.

What Chiropractic Care Looks Like for Younger Patients

At first glance, chiropractic visits may seem similar regardless of the patient’s age. There will still be adjustments for spinal alignment as well as other therapies for younger patients, but these appointments likely won’t take as long as they do for older patients, nor should there be nearly as many necessary visits. Plus, more time can be spent establishing healthier habits and educating patients about correct posture.

Visiting the chiropractor doesn’t have to wait until pain has set in or until a patient reaches a certain age. If you have concerns about your child’s alignment and posture, a few chiropractic appointments can get them on the right track to avoiding pain in the future.

About the Author

As a father of two, Dr. Chad Wills loves working with children as well as adults in his Naples practice. He is part of a very exclusive group of professionals in the area certified in chiropractic biophysics, the most studied and tested protocol in the field. He encourages all his patients to develop healthy habits, such as good posture and regular exercise. If you have questions about your child receiving chiropractic care, you may contact Wills Chiropractic online or call 239-331-6060.