Parents often appreciate the importance of checkups for their child's teeth, hearing, eyes, ears, nose and throat but they often don't think of the spine.
A spinal checkup is important for your child's development and wellbeing.
You wouldn't skip your child's dental check-ups, or not take him to have his eyes examined.
So you should do the same for his spine and back health.
It's all part of the overall health and wellness of your child.
Why? The bones of the spine protect and cover the spinal cord.
The spinal cord is like a telephone line between the brain and the rest of the body.
If something goes wrong with the spine, it affects the spinal cord and this can prevent the proper messages from traveling back and forth.
You know how lost and frustrated you feel when you can't get through to someone because their cell phone is off?Imagine the same thing happening in your body!In this way, misalignments to your spine can lead to health problems in the future.
As children grow up, there are many ways that their spine can become misaligned:

• During Birth - Difficult labours and births can have a traumatic effect on the newborn, especially in the neck.
  
• During Infancy - Up to 50% of infants have a significant fall in the first year of life, from a bed, crib or diaper table.
  And toddlers fall many, many times while learning to walk
• During Childhood - Accidents, playground injuries, falls off bikes, sports injuries and incorrectly carrying large knapsacks can cause spinal misalignments.
  
• During Teen Years - Teenagers have a history of slouching while sitting or playing video games or while studying.
  These can lead to improper posture and even pain in their back.
  Scoliosis is a sometimes serious condition that can be seen in the preteen years.
  If treated early by a chiropractor, the effects of scoliosis can be reduced greatly.
  

By keeping a child's spine free of misalignments, many different conditions can be helped.
Parents report that children who get adjusted don't get sick as often, have better posture and improved balance.
Chiropractic is a safe, gentle, drug free way of improving your child's health.
It's never too early to start and never too late either.
Infants as well as teens can benefit from chiropractic adjustments.
If you would like to read more about chiropractic care for children, please visit the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) website: www.
icpa4kids.
org