When a chiropractor asks a parent the question, "How long since your child has had a spinal check-up?" the question is sometimes met with the reply, "But my child doesn't have back pain!"
When we see a wall poster in a chiropractic office and read the message that "Chiropractic Care Is a Family Affair," do we immediately understand all the reasons why children attend the chiropractor?
A recent United States-wide survey, conducted through this column, shows that the most common reason why children attend the chiropractor is for earache or, more specifically, for a condition known as middle ear infection or otitis media.
A surprising result? Well not really. Chiropractors who treat lots of kids (and from the survey, many chiropractors do) know not only the high incidence of the problem known as chronic, recurrent otitis media, but they also know that this painful condition usually responds dramatically, within a few adjustments.
Many medical pediatricians are now referring their patients to chiropractors, before putting "the tubes" into the kids' ears, to try a conservative alternative -- a refreshing new move in the health care profession.
So far, the survey has identified 82 conditions or reasons why kids go to chiropractors.
Preliminary results from the recent survey (N=600) identify the top 10 pediatric conditions treated by chiropractors to be:
Another interesting feature of the survey, which asks why parents bring their children to see a chiropractor, is the distribution of the childrens' ages.
The following table shows that kids of all ages are being treated by chiropractors. The table indicates a fairly even distribution across the ages from the first year of life through the age of 15 years. Apart from the slight increase in children being treated at ages five and 12 years, another highlight in the data collected so far is the higher incidence of children being treated in the first year of life than at ages one through four. While this is only preliminary data (N=600), this does identify an interesting tend of parents taking their children to the chiropractor for a check-up at the earliest stages of life.
The full report, which should be published next year, will attempt to identify, for the major presenting conditions, such characteristics as:
This is a refreshing approach, and one which could substantially reduce the cost of family health care.
Peter N. Fysh, D.C.
Sunnyvale, California
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
