CHIROPRACTIC.

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CHIROPRACTIC.

• THE MISSING PIECE

Dr. Alisha Davis, DC, CACCP Board Certified in
Chiropractic Pediatrics [phone] adavisdc_at_ya
hoo.com
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What is a Board Certified Pediatric
Chiropractor?

• A pediatric chiropractor is a chiropractor who
  has taken post graduate classes in the care and
  management of children. In addition, there are
  additional classes devoted to Neurosensory
  Integration and to the Challenged Child.

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Why Chiropractic for Kids?

• During early childhood, the nervous system and
  the musculoskeletal system are rapidly
  developing. Any abnormalities that occur during
  this period of time can leave damaging effects on
  the child.
• Nurturing a healthy nervous system while it is
  maturing is critical in developing a fully
  functioning mature nervous system (1).

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Why Chiropractic for Kids?

• 90 of the neurological development and synaptic
  connections are completed by the age of 6. Any
  subluxations that are present must be corrected
  to insure proper development of the nervous
  system.
• Neurological facilitation, or a chiropractic
  adjustment, at any point during the development
  of the CNS can have permanent and far reaching
  effects on the functional outcome of the nervous
  system. Not only is the correction easier when
  they are younger it also is more permanent.

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• While a doctor of chiropractic does not treat or
  cure illnesses, many childhood disorders may be
  the result of nervous system interference or
  malfunction caused by spine related problems,
  such as
• Hyperactivity
• Learning disorders
• Bedwetting
• Allergies
• Asthma

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Questions a Chiropractor must ask when examining
a child

• Is there Nervous System Interference? Where is
  the interference? What is wrong?
• Has the Nervous System matured appropriately for
  the age of the child?

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The Nervous System
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Grays Anatomy

• The nervous system controls and coordinates all
  functions of the body.
• The nervous system controls everything your body
  does. It controls the muscles, breathing,
  digestion, heart rate, immune system function,
  etc.

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Functions of the Nervous System

• Receive information
• Integrate information
• Respond to the information
• Stimulus ? Received by Peripheral Nerve? Spinal
  Cord integrates ?Brain processes the stimulus?
  Down the spinal cord? Peripheral nerve responds
  to stimulus

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Nervous System Development

• A childs nervous system matures in a specific
  pattern through
• Self-Regulation
• Sequence
• Adaptation/Brain plasticity

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Development of the Nervous System

• Greatest development occurs during the first two
  years of life Grows 50 during the first year
• Brain grows 2 ½ to 3 times during the first year
• Myelination of the spine occurs caudally starting
  at the cervical spine.
• The cerebellum is ¼ the size of an adult.
• Spinal cord at birth is 15 cm and 17 as an adult
• Primitive reflexes are present
• Age 6 all sensory and motor functions are
  developed

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Development Stages

• There are three major windows of time during the
  development of the childs spine.
• Birth through age 5
• 5 to 10 years of age
• 10 to 15 years of age

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The Pediatric Spine (Birth to age 5)

• The pediatric spine is mainly cartilage until the
  age of 6
• Therefore, the spine is very sensitive to changes
  during this time.
• Bone ossification occurs due to blood and nerve
  flow.

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The Pediatric Spine (Birth to age 5)

• Transitional areas of the spine (C0-C1 and L5-S1)
  are more susceptible to biomechanical stresses
  placed on the spine.
• Posture and repetitive behaviors contribute to
  abnormal spinal development.

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The Pediatric Spine (Birth to age 5)

• Uncorrected subluxations to a developing spine
  can cause long term biomechanical injury. Injury
  to the spine deprives the spine of proper
  nutrition to the developing cartilage and can
  lead to early degeneration.

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The Young Child

• Ages 5 to 10
• Starting school
• Recess outside climbing on playground equipment
• Sliding on the slide
• Organized sports
• Repeated falls and tumbles

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The Young Teenager

• Ages 10 to 15
• Last stage of spinal development
• Improper backpack load
• Poor posture
• Repetitive sports injuries

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Development of the Nervous System

• When spinal bones lose their normal position or
  ability to move during this stage of tremendous
  physical growth, possible permanent deformities
  can occur. Left uncorrected, these small
  cumulative traumas can have far reaching effects
  on the development of the child.

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Nervous System Development

• Integrity Maturation Development
• The development and maturation of the nervous
  system depends on the integrity of the Central
  Nervous System.
• Chiropractors can play a huge role in the
  integrity and development of the nervous system
  because an adjustment has direct affect on the
  Central and Autonomic Nervous System.
• Lets find out how.

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The Nervous System
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• The Central Nervous System is composed of the
  brain and the spinal cord.

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The Peripheral Nervous System

• It is composed of nerves that connect the brain
  the spinal cord to the rest of the body.
• Cranial nerves take nerve impulses to and
  from the brain.
• Spinal nerves take nerve impulses to and
  from the spinal cord.

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• The brain stem lies between the brain and the
  spinal cord. The brain stem organizes and filters
  all information coming into the brain for
  processing.
• Therefore, any pressure on the brain stem can
  cause improper sensory processing to occur.

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• It is critical that the messages from the brain
  travel down the spinal cord, through the spinal
  openings, and reach the body systems without
  interference.

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• The spinal column houses a critical part of the
  bodys nervous system, the spinal cord. The
  spinal cord is responsible for the transmission
  of nerve impulses to and from the brain. A spinal
  manipulation or subluxation can interrupt this
  flow of information and affect the bodys nervous
  system causing pain, muscle and organ
  dysfunction, and other imbalances.

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• Proper functioning of the Central Nervous System
  is a critical component in how we process and
  react to certain experiences and how we plan and
  organize an appropriate response.
• For example, the child can have an overactive or
  under active response to certain stimuli like
  touch, sight, or sound.

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• When a child has a disorganized response to a
  sensory input then it results in an imbalance
  within the CNS. The output response by the PNS
  will then in turn be disorganized.
• The child may be hyperactive, disorganized,
  uncooperative or distracted.

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The Nervous System

• The nervous system must connect like puzzle
  pieces. In a child with sensory processing
  disorder, the pieces do not fit together
  correctly or the child is slower than normal
  putting the puzzle together.

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Brain Development
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Brain Development

• Initially, most of the input for the infant is
  through the visual and motor systems. The motor
  cortex is developing rapidly at birth and is
  responsible for planning and executing complex
  actions. It must develop the ability to
  communicate with the cerebellum as well as with
  spinal cord connections to the muscles throughout
  the body.

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Brain

• Composed of 3 sections
• 1) Cerebrum
• Speech, memory and thought
• Cranial Nerves originate in cerebrum

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Brain

• 2) Cerebellum
• Controls balance, walking, and coordination
• Base of the brain
• Major connection with the spinal cord
• Receives action potentials from skin, joints,
  and neuromuscular spindles
• Information sent to CNS and spinal cord

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Brain

• 3) Brain stem
• Origination of most Cranial Nerves
• Controls Heart rate, breathing, and blood
  pressure
• Passes through the Foramen Magnum
• Caudal end becomes the beginning of the Spinal
  Cord
• 4th Ventricle present

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Spinal Cord

• Approximately 17 long
• Extends from the Brain Stem at the Medulla
  Oblongata to L2
• Pairs of Spinal Nerves branch at every level of
  the spine and go to all the muscles, organs, and
  glands.
• The cord is enclosed by the vertebral column.
• Center of Reflexive Action

Picture provided by the AMA
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Spinal Cord

• Housed by the vertebral column for protection
• Cord surrounded by Pia Mater, Arachnoid Mater,
  and Dura Mater
• Lesions of the spinal nerves can produce loss of
  sensation, motor weakness, and hyporeflexia

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The Upper Cervical Spine

• The greater the subluxation, the earlier the
  symptoms. The greater the distortion of the
  upper cervical spine, the more severe the
  symptoms become.

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The Upper Cervical Spine

• First cervical vertebra, Atlas
• May occlude the neural canal of the spinal column
• Causes neurological and physiological changes and
  dysfunction
• Subluxations at C1 can affect the entire body
• Cranial Nerves VI, VII, IX, XI, and XII

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The Upper Cervical Spine

• Rotation can cause mechanical stress to the dura
  mater of the brainstem and cerebellum
• Includes nerve tissue from every level of the
  spine
• Continuation of the brain stem
• Must be evaluated to insure the proper
  development and health of the child

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A Vertebral Subluxation
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Vertebral Subluxation

• So what can interfere with the function of your
  Nervous System?
• Something called a Vertebral Subluxation
• A subluxation is not just called a pinched
  nerve. It is any slight irritation to the nerve
  caused by a misalignment of the vertebra.
  Subluxations interfere with the communication and
  function of the nervous system.

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A short circuit in the Nervous System is called a
Subluxation

• The nervous system is like the electrical system
  in your house, and the spinal column is like your
  circuit breaker panel.
• When a vertebrae (circuit breaker) is misaligned
  (subluxated), a short circuit occurs.
• We need to turn the power back on!

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What is a Subluxation?

• According to the International Chiropractic
  Association, the vertebral subluxation complex is
  an alteration of biomechanical and physiological
  dynamics of the contiguous spinal structures
  which can cause neuronal disturbances.

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What are Causes of Vertebral Subluxations?

• C section birth
• Traumatic birth by forceps
• Birth trauma
• Breech pregnancy
• Toxicity exposure, anesthetics, etc

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Birth Trauma and Spinal Cord Injuries

• Birth related spinal cord injuries appears to be
  under diagnosedIn birth injuries, the upper
  cervical spine or the cervicothoracic junction is
  usually affected.
• Dickman, Rekate, Sonntag, Zambraski
• Division of Neurological Surgery, Barrow
  Neurological Inst, Phoenix.
• The primary mechanisms of injury to the spinal
  cord appears to be excessive traction applied to
  the spinal canal and cord during the birth
  process.
• Symposium on operative obstetrics, Donn, MDVol
  10, No. 2, June 1983

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Journal of Manual Medicine, Springer Velag 1992

• Traumatization of the suboccipital structures
  inhibits functioning of the proprioceptive
  feedback loops. The motor development, though
  preprogrammed, cannot develop normallyBut the
  price for this is a reduced capacity to absorb
  additional stress later. These children may show
  only minor symptoms in the first months of life
  but later on at the age of 5 or 6 they suffer
  from headaches, postural problems or diffuse
  symptoms like sleep disorders, being unable to
  concentrate etc.