Why Do Children and Teenagers Need Chiropractic Care?
Just like adults, children and teenagers can experience spinal problems, neck pain, and back pain. Dealing with these challenges can be difficult, and chiropractic care can help adolescents manage and decrease pain and other symptoms.
What Can Cause Back Pain for Children and Teenagers?
Teenagers and children may experience backaches, back and neck pain, or other spinal problems for several reasons. When these conditions are left untreated, they can worsen. Some common causes of back pain, neck pain, and spinal problems in adolescents are:
Carrying Heavy Backpacks Daily
Children and teenagers often carry backpacks filled with textbooks and school supplies, which can strain the back muscles and spine due to their heavy weight. When a heavy bag is worn incorrectly, it can increase pain and other symptoms.
Growth Spurts
Adolescents experience periods of rapid growth that can affect the alignment of their spine, causing temporary pain and discomfort.
Anxiety
Teenagers commonly deal with social stress, academic pressure, and other emotional challenges that lead to anxiety. High levels of stress, anxiety, and tension can be shown physically and cause discomfort and muscle contractions in the back.
Poor Posture
Many children and teenagers spend extended periods hunched over the screens of their computers or smartphones. Sitting or standing hunched over causes poor posture, which can strain back muscles and the spine and cause back pain.
Lack of Sleep
Adolescents require a sufficient amount of sleep each night for their growth and overall well-being wellbeing. Inadequate sleep can lead to muscle tension and discomfort, contributing to back pain.
Injuries
Children and teenagers who are active and participate in sports or physical activities are at a higher risk, mainly when left untreated.
What Are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Adolescents?
1. Safely Manage Pain
Regular chiropractic adjustments for adolescents help ensure proper spinal alignment, reduce pressure on the nervous system, and effectively manage pain, which are especially important for growing bodies. Chiropractic care also offers children and their families a safe alternative pain management solution to avoid or decrease dependence on medication.
2. Prevent Future Injuries and Decrease Recovery Time
Chiropractic care enhances the musculoskeletal health of children and teenagers. This reduces the risk of potential injuries and helps adolescents recover more quickly if an injury does occur.
3. Promote Better Posture
It’s common for children and teenagers to experience posture issues because they are growing. Routine chiropractic care for adolescents helps address spine misalignment, achieve proper body alignment, correct long-term issues like kyphosis, and improve health and wellbeing. Chiropractic care, along with regular exercise and stretching, promotes good posture, and better posture leads to a better quality of life, which reduces the risk of back pain and potential spinal deformities.
4. Speed Healing
Regular chiropractic adjustments for adolescents ensure proper spinal alignment and optimal nervous system functioning. If the nervous system functions well, the body will heal faster and more completely.
5. Better Sleep
Chiropractic care contributes to increased relaxation and can relieve muscle tension, which leads to better sleep. High-quality sleep positively impacts an adolescent’s physical and mental health.
6. Enhanced Mental Health
Routine chiropractic care for children and teenagers positively impacts their mental health by reducing tension, stress, and anxiety. This also improves their overall well-being wellbeing.
7. Enhance Sports Performance
Being active and participating in sports has many positive benefits for children and teenagers; however, playing sports can increase the risk of injuries. Chiropractors who specialize in sports chiropractic care can help adolescents with:
- pain in their muscles and joints
- issues with range of motion
- inflammation
- soreness after any period of physical activity
8. Reduce Stress
More than one-third of the adolescent student population experiences serious health problems directly related to stress. Stress itself is a severe health problem for children and teenagers. It can be caused by expectations from parents, teachers, and themselves, busy schedules, or peer interactions. A family chiropractor can help children and teenagers to manage stress and improve their physical and mental health.
Adolescent Chiropractic Care Tailored to Meet Your Child’s Needs
Chiropractic care is an excellent and safe option for family wellness. Adjustments provide a natural, secure, and effective way to treat back and spine problems affecting children.
If your child or teenager is experiencing back pain or spinal problems, A Family Chiropractic Clinic in Denton, Texas, can help. Our caring chiropractors and physical therapists create an effective treatment plan to relieve your child’s back pain without the dangerous side effects of unnecessary medication.
If you have any questions about chiropractic care, therapies, and treatment options or would like to schedule an appointment, please call (940) 566-0000.
