Upper Cervical doctors hear from parents that they appreciate the importance of regular check-ups for their child’s teeth, eyes and ears, but they draw a blank when it comes to a spinal check-up. Yet that could be one of the most important check-ups your child will ever have.
You might be surprised to learn that a number of adult problems upper cervical doctors deal with can have a start in childhood. For example, the “growing pains” of a 12-year-old boy can become crippling low back and leg pains in adulthood: the “jolly jumpers” used by a toddler can contribute to spinal curvatures (scoliosis) in the adolescent. Your child’s spine is his or her lifeline. Running through it is the spinal cord containing billions of nerves that send messages and information from the brain to every part of the body and back again.
Yes, we all have our very own Internet! As long as none of these messages is interrupted, your child will have a greater potential for optimal health. If, however, there is any interference with this “information highway,” the message sent by the brain will not reach the part of the body it intended to reach. As a result, the body starts to work improperly. This interference can affect the immune system, lower body resistance and leave your child more vulnerable to various bugs and infections.
THE FUNCTION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
It is generally agreed that the immune system is very closely linked to the nervous system. As a matter of fact, Dr. Stephen Marini, with the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, feels that the immune system is like a “circulating nervous system.” He also feels most diseases that children get are really the result of the improper functioning of that system. This interference in your child’s nervous system is what upper cervical doctors refer to as head/neck misalignment- small misalignments of the top bones of the spine which can put tension on the delicate nervous system.
HOW DOES YOUR BABY’S SPINE LOSE ITS NATURAL ALIGNMENT?
Head/neck misalignment has many causes. One potential cause is actually the process of being brought into the world - birth. For an infant, it can be very stressful. Head/neck misalignment associated with birth trauma can cause/contribute to hyperactivity, lowered resistance, ear infections, asthma and bed wetting, as well as signs of “central motor impairment.” According to Dr Gutman, a German specialist, “a spinal check up after birth should be obligatory.”
As babies get older, they are often subjected to some uncomfortable traditions: wearing tight diapers that do not allow proper hip development; “jolly jumpers” which place an infant in an upright position long before the spine can deal with gravity; poorly designed school desks and poor mattresses, just to name a few. Then of course there is the usual process of crawling, walking and running. As your child matures, other incidents and activities can also create head/neck misalignment. For instance, falling off a bike or down stairs, hockey, football, skateboards and roller blades.
If allowed to remain, head/neck misalignment can be the starting point of nerve system and body malfunction. When a head/neck misalignment has existed for some time, it will often produce symptoms (pain is the most common) as a warning to let you know that something is simply not okay.
Upper cervical care is for everyone, but is especially important for children. It can make a huge difference in their lives. Correcting head/neck misalignment and maintaining that correction at an early age is often neglected and can be carried by a child as a burden throughout a lifetime.
I am of the thought that all parents should be made aware of upper cervical care for themselves and their children and the benefits that come from a normally functioning nervous system and a healthy body.
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