Chiropractic for Kids

Children have been a part of chiropractic for 100 years

What we do is so safe and effective that it is only natural to care for children as well as adults. The essence of what we do is to restore perfect function in the body and let nature do its work to do the healing. Instead of filling children with drugs, we allow their inherent ability to grow and self heal to express itself!

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Children respond extremely well to natural chiropractic care

Many children are first brought to us by their Mom because of recurring ear aches, allergies, asthma or scoliosis. Perhaps, they have already tried the medical route of more and more drugs and surgery, and have not found good results, or have tired of the numerous side effects. Sometimes enlightened parents brings their children in to see us so their children won't have to grow up with the same conditions that caused the parent to come in. They want to prevent health problems for their children, allowing their nerves, bones, muscles and immune systems to grow up strong, without interference.

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Chiropractic care is more than simply adjusting spines

It is a healthy lifestyle, a progressive way of thinking, a preventive approach to health and living. All chiropractors attend to the spine and nerve system in our patients. Dr. James Salmi also gives excellent advice on diet and nutrition, assist patients in how to exercise properly, and alter their health habits (stopping smoking, proper sleeping habits, etc.), and educate his patients on how to live healthier lives, reducing their need for drugs or surgery. We work together to take care of the whole person, and restore them to wholeness. Hence the term "holistic" has always been associated with chiropractic care.

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Needs of younger patients

Dr. Salmi is also aware of the particular needs of his younger chiropractic patients. Caring for young infants and two year olds requires more time and attention than simply handing them a prescription to be filled. Dr. Salmi finds himself having to educate parents to concepts that their children innately know and understand:

• Our bodies are designed to work perfectly.
• Doctors don't heal, the body heals itself.
• The power that made the body, heals the body.
• Illness is not the result of a deficiency of drugs in your system.
• Healing comes from the inside out.

Simple, isn't it?

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Ear infections

(Otitis media) are the #1 reason children are brought to the pediatrician. Over twenty five million visits a year, and over 24 million prescriptions for antibiotics. However, most ear aches are not bacterial in nature, so antibiotics are useless in treating them. Antibiotic side effects can include digestive problems, yeast infections, rashes and immune weakness. From the Medical Tribune:

"Antibiotics are associated with a near doubling the risk of vomiting, diarrhea or rashes... it is incumbent upon (clinicians) to recognize that the benefits of using antibiotics to treat ordinary childhood ear infections, are too small to justify the risks."

What Dr.. Salmi does in chiropractic is find the cause of the problem. First, he determines why the immune system or ear is susceptible to inflammation or infection. If the nerves supplying the ears, neck and lymphatic drainage are disturbed, no amount of drugs will correct the problem. Gentle adjustments to the upper cervical spine (neck) can get amazing results with most children, to clear the ears and eustachian tubes of fluid. Often times, the chronic ear infections never return!

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UNNECESSARY ANTIBIOTICS

American patients outside hospitals are prescribed antibiotics by their doctors about 150 million times a year. More than 50 million of those prescriptions are probably unnecessary, according to researchers at the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC used data from the National Center for Health Statistics, combined with accepted principles of medical treatment for five common infections to arrive at these estimates.

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TYPE OF INFECTIONS ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIPTIONS (PER YEAR) PERCENTAGE UNNECESSARY

Common Cold 18 million 100%
Ear Infection 23 million 30%
Sore Throat 13 million 50%
Bronchitis 16 million 80%
Sinusitis 13 million 50%

The reason is simple: many of these infections are viral, but antibiotics only kill bacteria.
Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics.

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Drugs are not the answer

There are many studies which demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic care of children. A study conducted on 200 chiropractors and 200 medical doctors to determine the health status of their respective children found that children raised under a "chiropractic model" which included good nutrition and spinal adjustments, 69% of the chiropractors' children had never had an episode of otitis media, while among their medical counterparts all but 19% had experienced ear infections, although drugs were readily available to them. Over 50% of the chiropractors' children had never used antibiotics in their lives, while 89% of the medics' children had used antibiotics.

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In another study

Involving 1,250 children, researchers found that nerve pressure in the spine "causes... lowered resistance to infection- especially ear, nose and throat infections." The authors were medical doctors, who advised that all children should have their spines checked by chiropractors, since "the success of (chiropractic) adjustment overshadows every other type of (care)." Before resorting to antibiotics or any form of surgery, have your child's spine checked.

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You have nothing to lose

If you want to learn more about how we can help you and your family, click on any of our pages to see how we help the body return to good health (see What is Chiropractic or the Spine and Nerves section). Dr. Salmi treats his patients using Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Methods. The safest, most effective, and researched chiropractic care. Make an appointment in our Parkland/Spanaway office (on Pacific Avenue near PLU) to come in and be examined, to return you and your children to perfect health, naturally.

Visit Acts Chiropractic Center today.