Child's First Spinal Exam

When is it time for a child's first spinal examination?

By Dr. Joelle Johnson Bsc, D.C.

 

When is it time for a child's first spinal examination?
Should we wait until children complain of back pain before taking them to the chiropractor?
These are questions which parents frequently ask of their chiropractor.

Throughout most communities, it is a generally well-accepted fact that children should have regular dental check-ups. Well, what about the potential for children to develop spinal problems?

Shouldn’t children be examined at regular intervals during their growing years to identify spinal problems which may progress to become serious, permanent problems?

Examination of the growth patterns of a child's spine shows that the time of fastest spinal growth is during the first year of life, when the average length of the spine grows from 24 to 36 cm. This is a 50 percent increase in one year.

The next fastest growth rate occurs between the ages one and five years when the spinal length increases from 36 to 51 cm, a 42 percent growth rate.

Between the ages of 5 and 10, we see the slowest period of growth, 10 cm in five years, or a 20 percent growth rate. The adolescent growth phase is most noticeable for its growth spurts, when a teenager may grow three to four inches in less than a year. The average total growth for the adolescent period is 20 cm in males and 15 cm in females. This represents a growth rate of 25 percent in the females and 33 percent in males.

Now, taking all that into consideration, it can be seen that the period of fastest growth, the first year of life, is also a period of considerable trauma when the child is learning to sit, crawl and then walk. Because the first year of life is such an important one for spinal development, and because the potential for trauma is high, it is recommended that a child's first spinal evaluations should be performed during this period.

Beyond the first year, the child needs regular checkups to ensure that the microtrauma, are not causing spinal problems. Such microtraumas can be playing roughly, falls off of bikes, down stairs, off play groud equipment and  many other childhood traumas.

Getting you child adjusted after these traumas can greatly reduce the issues they may have later in life.

You can call us at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness at 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer , T4R 2C3

403-347-3261
www.family1stchiro.ca