Chiropractic and The Sensory Child

Firstly, many thanks to The Sensory Child for the invitation to contribute to their blog. I'm looking forward to covering a few topics over the next few months. My intention is not to convince anyone that Chiropractic care is the only form of health worth considering for any challenges. However, I would prefer to firstly correct any misinformation (which is rife and based commonly on ignorance) and secondly to highlight how, where and when Chiropractic care may become part of one's lifestyle.

Briefly, to introduce myself, I have been a practicing Chiropractor for 15 years (10 of which here in Perth) during which time I have achieved advanced training, knowledge and skills in the technique of Chiropractic which I exclusively use (Gonstead system of Chiropractic) and in the application of such Chiropractic care to the paediatric (children) population.

None of this is to suggest that I am a self proclaimed expert or specialist, however it does equip me with the advanced skills to know how, when, where and why Chiropractic care may be applied.

So, Chiropractic care and children? Chiropractic care and anything beyond low back & neck pain and maybe some headaches?

Lets start by establishing some fundamental truths and then we can expand

5 unquestionable facts about the human body and Chiropractic

The body has the capacity to self heal, self regulate and self repair.
This capacity is initiated and controlled by the brain.
The connection between brain and body is via the nerve system, which touches every cell in the body.
Interference to this connection affects the quality of information passed from the brain to the body.
Chiropractic focuses on reducing and removing this interference.

The "vertebral subluxation complex" blocks vital neurological pathways to our cells causing various noticeable and un-noticeable dysfunctions.

Subluxation - like wearing someone else's glasses, you can still see, the messages are still being passed from brain to the body but there is interference.

The body is constantly adapting and correcting subluxations on its own.....

We're simply dealing with what your body isn't dealing with for whatever the limitations or the reasons are.

It is your nerve system that controls the function of your body and ultimately your health. Any interference to your nerve system will effect the function of your body and therefore effect your body's ability to keep you healthy. Chiropractor's locate and remove interference to your nerve system at the spinal level and thus allow your body's healing abilities to take over. Chiropractors seek to correct subluxations by a series of specific chiropractic adjustments to your spine. By correcting these subluxations you are allowing your nerve system to work normally and therefore allowing your body to heal itself.

What does this mean for the development of a child? What does this mean for the health and overall function of any of us?

The primary stimulus to the function of the brain and nerve system is movement of the spine. Any insufficiency due to abnormal or a lack of spinal movement reduces the input information to the brain, resulting in reduced quality of output information to the body.

Now, think of the average adult during the working week. On average we sit for between 20-40 mins travelling to work. We then sit for approximately 6-8 hrs of the working day. At the end of the day we then sit for another 20-40 mins travelling home. When we finally conquer the freeway and make it home, we then crash on the couch to unwind from the day. We then sit for another few hours in between showers, dinner etc before trying to get to sleep for hopefully, 8 hrs. And then we do it all again, 5 days per week.

So lets do some maths, based solely on a working week Monday - Friday

24 hours in a day
8 hours sleep x 5 days
1 hour travel time (average 30 mins each way) x 5 days
7 hours sitting at work (allowing for lunch and walking around office etc) x 5 days
3 hours sitting at home (dinner, TV, computer, reading) x 5 days

Considering for many these numbers are extremely conservative, it doesn't leave a lot of time in the day for much more. And who would be super motivated to go and move, the above sounds exhausting!

Now lets assume we are a more health conscious person who gets to the gym 4-5 times per week (which is above average) for at least 1 hour each time. Even with this well intentioned health benefiting activity, it struggles to balance out the lack of movement many adults suffer from.

So now lets consider any changes for children

24 hours in a day
8-10 hours sleep per day x 5 days
1 hour travel time x 5 days
6 hours sitting in classroom (from Grade 1) x 5 days
3 hours sitting at home (computer, Playstation/xBox, homework) x 5 days

Admittedly, most primary school aged children are spending lunch, recess and afternoons after school running around, but that is becoming less and less common compared to computers etc.

Do you see where this is going?

Movement is key!
Spinal movement is king!
Chiropractic focuses on the quality of spinal movement and its role in neurological function, therefore health!

With specific regards to children and development, if a child is not meeting developmental milestones, has some form of sensory processing challenge or is simply finding "life"/school/sport more difficult than is should be, the first question MUST be to ask WHY? If there is a loss of spinal movement which is deemed to be affecting the nerve system stimulation of the brain, then Chiropractic care may be warranted.

Finally, it is probably easiest to sum up my first contribution to the Sensory Child blog with the simple statement -