Paediatric Chiropractic care in Geelong
Posted on November 30, 2023 in NewsBabies, children, and teenagers can benefit greatly from Chiropractic care.
Having grown up in a chiropractic household, Dr Matthew Gooch is a strong advocate of receiving chiropractic care throughout all stages of life.
Pediatric Chiropractic care is tailored to individual needs just like all Chiropractic care we provide at Shannon Avenue Chiropractic.
“In Australia, chiropractors provide care to more than 30,000 paediatric patients (0-18 years old) every week”1
Treatment is safe and gentle for each stage of your child’s life. The typical “adjustment” or “cracking” that you might associate with regular Chiropractic care is modified to suit the age of the child. In young patients, we may not use spinal manipulation as the bones have not fused or calcified and it would not be appropriate to do so. During 5 years of studies and post-graduate studies, Chiropractors are also taught a range of different treatment techniques including low-force techniques such as
- Activator
- Active stretching
- Soft Tissue treatment
- ART Active release therapy
- Low-force adjustments
- Mobilisation/manipulation (depending on the age of the patient)
- Taping and bracing
- Thorough assessment skills that will help to pick up on any delayed development milestone ie not walking when they should be , red flags (serious pathology) or injuries that can sometimes be subtle such as concussion.
These techniques and skills help provide well-rounded and gentle care for pediatric patients that are suitable to all stages of development.
“Safer Care Victoria Review In March 2019, the Victorian Health Minister tasked Safer Care Victoria (SCV) to lead an independent review of the practice of spinal manipulation on children under 12 years. SCV wished to hear from parents of children who have accessed chiropractic care, exploring their experiences, both positive and negative.”2
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The main reasons parents brought their children in for consultation typically:
Babies
- Unsettled babies
- Babies that seem to be more unsettled in their car seat
- Traumatic birth
- Difficulty breastfeeding especially on one side
- Flag importance milestones are being met and ensuring conditions like hip dysplasia ( A poorly developed Hip) are not missed.
Above is Dr Gooch assessing his daughter Ellie for signs of hip dysplasia. Her exam was normal.
When we suspect a child does have hip issues, often they are referred for X-ray or Ultrasound assessment. Below is an X-ray of normal hip (The side without the R) and a hip with dysplasia (the side with the big R)
Photo source/credit: Radiopedia.
Children
- Wry neck (Neck is spasm and can’t turn it)
- New to wearing school bags
- Active lifestyle or the commencement of a new sport.
- Time spent on tablets and phones “ie text neck”
Teenagers
- Contact sports and high-demand sports
- Phone use “text neck”
- Gaming
- Poor posture habits
- Supporting growth
- Headaches and migraines
- The assessment and management of scoliosis
If you would like to find out more about Pediatric Chiropractic care, reach out we would love to hear from you.