Chiropractic Care for Kids in Cary

A child's nervous system is the controller and regulator of all the other systems in their growing body. From blood flow, to brain function and bone growth, the nervous system plays a central role in keeping things working and healthy. Stress and misalignment of the spine can have serious impacts on your child's overall health, behavior, and development. Legacy Chiropractic is a chiropractic clinic that offers gentle and non-invasive therapy that works to correct underlying issues before they become hard-wired in during development, providing support for a pain-free and successful childhood.

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Pediatric Chiropractic in Cary

It may be difficult to imagine that a child would need chiropractic care. They seldom complain of chronic pain the way adults do and their bodies appear to be made of rubber in the way they bounce back from injury. The truth is, children's bodies are under a lot of stress while they are in a state of development and keeping them healthy requires maintenance.

Stress and trauma to the body and spine commonly begin with the birthing process. Infant’s spines can easily become misaligned from the intense pressure involved in both natural and Cesarean births. Unfortunately, other than crying, they have no way of communicating their pain, and it's source, to us. Throughout infancy they may sleep in awkward positions, and occasionally take a tumble. As children, they grow into toddlers who strain, and twist, and fall, while learning to crawl and walk. Luckily, they are very resilient and can take a lot of impact, but it is not uncommon for these injuries to develop into patterns of movement that will pull a child's bones out of alignment over time.

As kids, they may start to develop bad posture. Sitting in front of a computer or TV can have serious repercussions on the spine. Playing contact sports, wearing heavy backpacks (most likely the wrong way), and even sitting in desks can all cause issues. As teenagers, they begin to deal with the stress of more daily responsibilities, like becoming part of the work force, and use their bodies to perform physical labor such as painting houses and serving tables.

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities throughout development for a child's body, and particularly their spine, to become out of alignment which will affect other aspects of their healthy nervous system function and development.

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Pregnancy and Chiropractic
Pregnancy is an exciting time of life with many changes. Many women choose to receive chiropractic during pregnancy and you may be wondering if it’s right for you. As a mother is progressing through the pregnancy her body will face new kinds of stress on the spine and pelvis. Chiropractors work with the nervous system by removing spinal misalignments called subluxations. These misalignments which may have been silent before the pregnancy can create uncomfortable symptoms as physical stress increases. Some of the classic symptoms of subluxations in pregnancy can be pain and discomfort in the low back, hips, and pubic bones. Additionally, pregnancy hormones which relax ligaments to prepare for labor also can create instability of all joints including the spine and pelvis.

Dr. Ballam is trained to evaluate the nervous system and detect subluxations. At Legacy Chiropractic we utilized the Gonstead Method, a systematic approach of evaluating the spine and pelvis for subluxations. Great care is taken to specifically identify the problem and correct it with the highest level of precision. With the Gonstead Method, several adjusting tables are available to provide the care so that the mother and baby have the maximum amount of comfort. In fact many of our pregnant patients have asked if they can take our tables home since they are so relaxing!

In addition to using the Gonstead Method, Dr. Ballam also uses the Webster Technique with pregnant patients. This analysis checks for misalignment of the pelvis which could cause intrauterine constraint and breach presentation. The Webster Technique has demonstrable success in decreasing breach presentation at labor.

Research has shown that

• Chiropractic has been shown be to effective in relieving back pain, headaches, and round ligament pain for pregnant women.
• 84% of pregnant women receiving chiropractic treatments received relief from low back pain.
• Women under chiropractic care had nearly a 25% reduction in the average labor time. (With women who had given birth in the past, that number rose to 33%.)
• Postpartum pain was relieved in 75% of moms that received regular chiropractic care.

As part of your health care team, we would like to help you experience the best pregnancy possible. If you are pregnant or you are planning to become pregnant please call our office to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Ballam to learn more about how chiropractic can help you.

Did you know that chiropractic care during pregnancy not only helps mom but also the baby?

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How Can I Tell If My Child Needs Chiropractic Care?

A child's spine can become quite misaligned without any awareness on their part of pain or discomfort. Children have not always developed enough awareness of their bodies to identify a subtle chronic issue developing. Even when a child is experiencing pain, they may not be able to communicate it to you and it can come across as grumpiness, acting out, or incessant crying. Issues with the spine can also be the source of many other childhood issues.

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What is Chiropractic Care for Kids?

A chiropractic treatment for a child begins with an extensive examination to determine the exact issue and the best route for treatment. Even if your child is too young to communicate, or too shy, a chiropractor has the skills to work with them to find out exactly what is going on before proceeding with treatment, if it is determined treatment is needed. Gentle and non-invasive adjustments are then made to the spine. Children will often become relaxed and even fall asleep following treatment, a good sign that it has been effective. If you are concerned about your child's spinal health, call our team at Legacy Chiropractic to set up a consultation today.