More Children Going to Chiropractors 2

The June 6, 2002 issue of the Boston Globe reports on a phenomenon becoming more common, children under chiropractic care. The story states: "Chiropractors' offices, once filled with middle-aged construction workers, over-the-hill athletes, and migraine headache sufferers, are taking on a younger look these days as more and more parents are bringing their children in for exams. For many children, trips to the chiropractor have become a weekly event, squeezed between sports practices, orthodontist appointments, and piano lessons."

Not surprisingly, the article also presents an opinion from a medical doctor, Dr. Robert Baratz, who said, "Show me a medical doctor who says, 'You're here for hypertension. Oh, why don't you bring your kids in, too.'" In spite of these antiquated opinions, the Globe reported that in 1998, children made 420,000 visits to Boston-area chiropractors. This according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Local chiropractors say that figure has steadily grown since that study..

The article justifies the increased usage of chiropractic care by suggesting there is an increased need. "To understand why, look no further than Little Leaguers' mud-stained uniforms, laptops flipped open on the edge of beds, and excessively heavy backpacks. Add in high-heel and platform shoes worn by teenage girls, hours in front of Nintendo and, in some cases, too much studying and not enough exercise, and you've got a lot of young, aching backs." The Boston Globe also suggests, "The bigger reason children are getting treatment, though, appears to be parental experience. Some 27 million adults frequented chiropractors' offices in 2001, up from 22 million in 1996, according to the American Chiropractic Association. As more adults find relief from their back pains through chiropractic treatment, they're taking their kids in for checkups, too".

Probably the most telling part of the article were the patient comments. One explains 'I started coming to the chiropractor because I had a lot of tension in my back working in front of a computer all day," said Audet, of Sharon. "When I first saw kids here, I thought it was kind of weird. But after my husband and I had been coming for four or five years, I thought, 'Why not have them try it?'"

The chiropractors interviewed in the article explained that most younger patients have no symptoms, but come in for wellness and preventative care. They further explain that the children come in for correction of subluxations to allow the body to function healthier.