As an old guy, I am very careful not to fall. After all, I don’t want to break a hip right? You probably don’t like to fall either. But what about when you were a kid? As a kid you fall thousands of times while you learn to do all the things that a kid does, walk, run, climb, ride, skip, skate, board, ski, slide, etc. As an adult you learn that falling is bad and so as you age you generally stop sliding, climbing, skiing, boarding, skating, skipping, riding, and running, or at least some of these. You might still walk but most adults sadly try to minimize that too. It is true that kids don’t have bad backs but they have hundreds more subluxation events than you or I do as adults. And in fact it is during these years that the subluxation process begins to take hold of their spinal/neurological development. So, it just makes sense that kids need to be checked for subluxation. I wish I had been when I was a kid. Perhaps I wouldn’t have the disc herniations and some of the health issues I have had as an old guy. Perhaps I wouldn’t have some of the pains I have endured. And although I am reasonably healthy, perhaps I would be healthier. I wish.
This article is not to beat the dead horse that if you have kids you should bring them in. You know my very firm stance on that. This article is for the parent to learn how to check their own kids, or for you to give to parents you care about so that they can check their kids. This method works well for the 6ish and over crowd. The younger ones are harder and usually need the experienced chiropractor’s approach. But go ahead and try.
Step 1: Have your child take off her shoes and shirt (For the sake of brevity, I will use a female). Put your hands on her hips. Note if one hip is higher. Do the same for the shoulders. Note if the spine appears curved or twisted in any way. Anything less than perfect alignment indicates subluxation.
Step 2: Have your child lie face down with her head straight. Have her tuck her chin to her chest to open the neck bones. Using your finger or thumb, press next to her spine from top to bottom on the left and right sides. Use moderate force similar to how I examine you. If she says ouch or flinches at any point she probably has subluxation.
Step 3: With her chin tucked like before, press right on the spine on the little bumps from bottom to top. Again, if she says ouch she probably has subluxation.
That’s it. Let me know what you find. A child is most likely to have subluxation in the neck first. 84% are subluxated at birth. The low back comes later. While kids don’t have bad backs like you and I, our subluxations began when we were kids and if our parents knew what you know, we surely wouldn’t have the backs we have today.
This article is not to beat the dead horse that if you have kids you should bring them in. You know my very firm stance on that. This article is for the parent to learn how to check their own kids, or for you to give to parents you care about so that they can check their kids. This method works well for the 6ish and over crowd. The younger ones are harder and usually need the experienced chiropractor’s approach. But go ahead and try.
Step 1: Have your child take off her shoes and shirt (For the sake of brevity, I will use a female). Put your hands on her hips. Note if one hip is higher. Do the same for the shoulders. Note if the spine appears curved or twisted in any way. Anything less than perfect alignment indicates subluxation.
Step 2: Have your child lie face down with her head straight. Have her tuck her chin to her chest to open the neck bones. Using your finger or thumb, press next to her spine from top to bottom on the left and right sides. Use moderate force similar to how I examine you. If she says ouch or flinches at any point she probably has subluxation.
Step 3: With her chin tucked like before, press right on the spine on the little bumps from bottom to top. Again, if she says ouch she probably has subluxation.
That’s it. Let me know what you find. A child is most likely to have subluxation in the neck first. 84% are subluxated at birth. The low back comes later. While kids don’t have bad backs like you and I, our subluxations began when we were kids and if our parents knew what you know, we surely wouldn’t have the backs we have today.