Do all Doctors of Chiropractic care for children? How do I choose?

All chiropractic schools have required courses in pediatrics. Doctors of Chiropractic are also licensed in all 50 states of the US to provide chiropractic care to children and adults. However, there are chiropractors who take postgraduate courses in pediatrics after graduation because they want to specialize in this field. The ICA Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics offers a 3-year postgraduate program (320+ hours) that leads to Board Certification in Chiropractic Pediatrics. Graduate doctors are recognized by the letters DICCP (Diplomate of the ICA Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics) after their name. Since all chiropractors are licensed to care for children, there are many doctors of chiropractic who also see children in their practice on a regular basis.

When you choose a Donohoe Chiropractic, you are putting your child in the very capable hands of Dr. Donohoe who is a member of the ICA Pediatrics Council, (with the DICCP credential) he has been in family practice over 10 years and has experience in caring for children from birth to adolescence.

Is chiropractic appropriate for children?

Yes. Chiropractic’s drugless and preventive approach to good health makes it perfectly appropriate for infants, children, and teenagers. Chiropractic is licensed in all 50 states of the U.S. for the care of children of all ages.

How safe is chiropractic for a child?

Chiropractic is one of the safest forms of children’s health care. A chiropractor does not adjust a baby or a child the same way as he or she adjusts an adult. A baby’s spine is very supple during the first few months of life, so the doctor of chiropractic applies only a slight pressure using an Activator adjusting instrument to make an adjustment.

When should I take my child to a chiropractor?

When you want to give your child a head start in good health and all the benefits of a conservative, drugless approach to health care, you should take your child to a chiropractor. It is important to have a chiropractic exam during the first year of a child’s life as spinal trauma can occur during birth, as well as from tumbles while learning to sit up or walk. Improper lifting and carrying can also contribute to spinal stress.

Your child’s spine grows almost 50% in length during the first year. This is equivalent to a six-footer growing to nine feet in just 12 months! It’s this kind of tremendous growth and developmental changes which make a complete chiropractic examination so important in the early stages of a child’s life. If there is a problem, the earlier it is corrected the less likelihood there is of it becoming a chronic or more serious problem later in life.

Dr Donohoe believes it’s much more important to prevent diseases than wait till some disease occurs.

How effective is chiropractic care for children?

Chiropractors have been providing safe and effective care for children for more than 103 years. Without efficacy, parents would have long ceased to seek out a doctor of chiropractic for their children. A 1992 survey showed that the most common conditions for which children visit a chiropractor are: earaches, neck pain, check-up, headache, upper respiratory, low back pain, allergies, asthma, enuresis, and thoracic pain. Other reasons are ADD and ADHD, colic, torticollis, insomnia, growing pains, and persistent crying in infants.

How can chiropractic care help an older child who is not ‘sick’?

Chiropractors do not treat diseases, they help to correct spinal misalignments that can cause health problems. Through regular adjustments, counseling on proper nutrition, exercise, and posture, the chiropractor can help you raise a child who is structurally and functionally sound.

The number one “illness” in children is accidents. You may not realize it, but youngsters take numerous tumbles -- learning to ride a bike, or even just jumping and running around. If your child takes part in athletic activities, the “sack” of a quarterback could twist a young spine, pitching a ball can throw a vertebra out of alignment. These underlying injuries, if left uncorrected, can cause serious problems as the child grows into adulthood.

Doctors of chiropractic can do more than correct these problems. They can also help improve performance on and off the field by helping the body to function at its optimum level, naturally, and without drugs.