Chiropractic & Kids
Something as soft or as malleable as water can carve through stone. Given enough time, a seemingly meaningless trickle of water can carve through the hardest of rocks. Likewise, a simple movement can become a habit and these habits can become ingrained in the foundation. Eventually these simple movements become a memory or motor pattern. They become the only way we know how to do things. For example, I am strongly left handed and like most people I am really good at brushing my teeth- but can I do this simple task with my right hand? Not even close! The only way I know and the only motor pattern my body knows is to use my left hand.
But guess what? We can absolutely choose what patterns we want to install and likewise what direction we wish to grow. Everyone knows that if you want to shape a bonsai tree or bush you must trim it and provide it guidance so that it forms the right shape or obtains the right framework for the design you wish.
Here is the thing- kids are exactly the same. A really old quote from Francis Xavier went along the lines of “give me a child until he is seven and I’ll show you the man.” I believe that he is absolutely right, but probably on a different level. Under the age of seven, kids spines are highly mobile and a lot of their spine is not fully fused yet. Likewise their actual nerve connections are rapidly developing (connecting and disconnecting at a speed way out of the reach in the adult population). This is brilliant as it means kids seemingly have the ability to “bounce back” from anything. They are extremely mobile and can adapt to pretty well anything that the environment throws at them. On average, a child up until the age of 7 will have about 4000 concussive episodes! Isn’t that a lot to bounce back and adapt to?
What if they don’t bounce back the right way or adapt to whatever has knocked them about? Their bodies will still adapt but maybe in a way that isn’t best for them. For example, it might change a simple motor pattern or alter some minor muscle memory which would create a continual change in the way they use their bodies. This change may not be enough to stop forward progress but it may be enough to slow down or alter their development. This I believe is where chiropractic can come in.
Chiropractic works brilliantly on kids to check out their balance and to make sure that they are growing in the best shape and direction for them. It can minimise the nerve and muscle tension on their spines and throughout their bodies. Chiropractic can change and shape their development. Like the bonsai tree, it doesn’t always need pruning, but you want to make sure that it is growing in the right direction. So my suggestion is to get your children checked. See how they are growing and give them the best possible opportunity to grow as big and flower as beautifully as possible throughout their life!
Sincerely
James Staciwa
M. Chiropract, B. Chiro Sci
Below is a link to our friends at Pure Performance located here on Darby Street:
On the subject of changing our programming, check out the book The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D. Proof that with the right guidance, we can actually change our patterns.
