The Difference Between Chiropractors and Pediatricians

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When it comes to understanding spinal problems and their causes, pediatricians are not trained specialists. While the medical profession does have doctors who specialize in spinal problems (orthopedic surgeons), these doctors generally work on the more obviously serious spinal conditions. Few pediatricians are trained to recognize the subtle spinal problems which can cause so many health issues in children.

Most chiropractors, including those in our clinic, are trained to evaluate pediatric spinal problems and will use gentle, specific skills to identify, evaluate, and treat any involved spinal areas. Spinal adjustments for infants and young children involve very light finger-tip adjustments to correct malfunctioning spinal structures. A gentle spinal adjustment, using no more than two pounds of pressure, is usually sufficient to restore mobility to subluxations that are causing interference with the normal function of a child’s nervous system. Given the more flexible nature of children’s spines, usually only a few adjustments are needed to restore normal function.

In the event your child develops a condition for which chiropractic care is inappropriate, we do not hesitate to make patient referrals to practitioners in other fields of healing when such referrals are necessary to provide the highest quality of patient care.

References: Vange B. Contact between preschool children with chronic diseases and the authorized health services and forms of alternative therapy. Ugeskr Laeger 1989; Pistolese RA. Risk Assessment of Neurological and/or Vertebrobasilar Complications in the Pediatric Chiropractic Patient. J Vertebral Sublux Res 1998; 2(2):73,81.