Pediatric Chiropractic Care: Is It Safe?

Chiropractors are no strangers to the question: "Is chiropractic care safe for children?" Extensive research on the subject of chiropractic care and techniques tailored to the unique bodies and needs of children indicates yes. One common concern regarding pediatric chiropractic care is based upon a misunderstanding that everyone, regardless of age, receives the same techniques and treatments. However, just as a child sees a pediatrician, receives child-appropriate doses of medications, and responds differently than adults to different medical treatments, so too do children require tailored chiropractic care. The field of pediatric chiropractic care is enormously large and effective, and has helped children across the globe. And just as different bodies young and old have different needs, chiropractors modify techniques depending on the age and development of the child. Childhood chiropractic care has resulted in high improvement of conditions from musculoskeletal pains to GI ailments, and has been employed to successfully treat childhood asthma as well as pain in the back, joints, and soft tissues. This summer, the Chiropractic Board of Australia and the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) released statements about the safety and efficacy of pediatric chiropractic care, asserting that the practice is gentle and effective. The ACA further cited over 115 years of scientific literature investigating adverse events in pediatric chiropractic care, and illustrated that such adverse events were "exceedingly rare." Pediatric chiropractic care has been demonstrated as an important component of childhood health care, and supports the wellbeing of young people through safe, gentle, and effective treatments.