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Kids and ‘Kiropracters’ Go Together |
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As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. " If you think children are too young for chiropractic care, think again. Chiropractic is preventive care. What better time to begin preventing health problems later in life than in the early years? "Childhood years are formative years," says Dr. Sharon Mellott, Saratoga, Calif., chiropractor. "In fact, the spine does not ossify (harden) completely until early adulthood. Children's bones are soft and more easily deformable." |
From birth, life puts stresses on the body than can cause spinal misalignments. "The birth process can be devastating to the baby's spine," explains Dr. Mellott, noting that newborn necks are often strained. Pinched or impinged nerves in the upper neck region can result in a variety of metabolic imbalances, she adds. Failing is a way of life for youngsters, but "prat falls"-repeated trauma to the spine can cause misalignments of the spinal bones. Early chiropractic adjustments |
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Swim Your Way to Health and Fitness |
can help correct this by keeping the body in balance. Walking itself puts stress on |
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Swimming is a refreshing: you submerge the fatigue of a hot summer day. Swimming is a way of healing: cardiovascular fitness strengthens the bones and tones the muscles. More than 100 million adult Americans swim. And no wonder, given its benefits – from aiding problems of circulation to the soothing lift water can bring to tight or aching joints. What’s more, the injury potential is low. "Swimming conditions both the upper and lower extremities with less gravitational stress (than running), " reasons Dr. Lawrence E. Grusky, |
Exercise your shoulder muscles. Dr. Rick Morris, Santa Monica sports chiropractor, recommends: "Hold a light weight in both hands (5 to 15 lbs). Lift your elbows to the level of your shoulders, keeping the shoulders low. Point forearms down. Slowly lift your forearms so they are pointing directly up, keeping elbows raised. Do 5 or fewer repetitions, slowly expanding to 15 before increasing the weight. Start your swim slowly, then increase the pace. Vary your strokes instead of using a single stroke repeatedly. Alternate breathing to both sides to minimize neck, shoulder and arm strain |
young legs, so Mellott cautions parents not to force babies to walk too early, putting pressure on their still - soft bones. Acommon spinal deformity in children - 18 to 22 percent have it, estimates Dr. Larry Webster of Life Chiropractic College - is scoliosis, an S-shaped curvature of the spine. Often the pelvis is tilted and one shoulder is higher than the other. Scoliosis may put pressure on the internal organs and can lead to problems in childbearing, digestion, and breathing. Early chiropractic detection and care is important. Some child-care hints: |
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Miami sports Chiropractor. When pain or injury do strike, poor conditioning, improper instruction and faulty technique are usually the causes, says Dr. Grusky. He cites shoulder, neck and knee ailments as most common. Some hints to help: Begin by completing a thorough warm up to include stretching of the neck, shoulder, leg and low back muscles advises Dr. Grusky. "Stretching increases muscle flexibility and lessens injury from strenuous contraction during swimming." |
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Look straight ahead instead of down to lessen neck strain. Keep your pelvis down and your back flat. If you feel signs of overuse: dizziness, chest difficulty, joint or muscle pain, stop. |
Don't pick up your child by the arm or leg, forcing his extremities to bear his full weight. Lift by the waist or under both armpits. Are your child's toes straight? Toes tending inward or outward may signal pelvic misalignment. Can your child skip and hop easily or does he fall over his feet? This may signal pelvic misalignment or neurological defect, not clumsiness. Listen if your child complains of pain after gym class. Coaches may push children too hard for their bodies. |
