Movement is essential, from a baby’s first steps to a teenager’s athletic pursuits. How children move shapes their development, impacts their confidence, and influences their overall health. One of our primary goals is ensuring that children can move to the best of their ability at every stage of growth.
Paediatric chiropractic care offers gentle, non-invasive support for children of all ages, from newborns to teenagers. If you’re considering bringing your child to our clinic, this guide will walk you through what to expect during your child’s first chiro appointment.
Signs that your child might benefit from chiro treatment
- Asymmetry in crawling or walking patterns
- Difficulty with coordination or balance
- Delayed achievement of movement milestones
- Difficulty sleeping
- Postural concerns
- Complaints of pain/discomfort during particular movements
- Decreased performance in previously enjoyed activities
Before your arrival
Before your child’s first chiro appointment, we’ll ask you to complete some paperwork about their health history, any concerns you may have, and developmental milestones. This information helps us provide personalised care tailored to your child’s specific needs.
The initial consult
During your child’s first chiro appointment, we will start by:
- Discussing your child’s health history in detail
- Listening to your specific concerns and goals for treatment
- Asking about birth history, developmental milestones, sleep patterns, and other relevant health information
- Explaining how paediatic chiropractic care works and answer any question you may have
The assessment
Every child is different, which is why every assessment will vary slightly to your child’s needs. Our goal is to make the assessment as fun and stress-free as possible while still gathering the important information we need.
Paediatric evaluations are adapted to be gentle, fun, and age-appropriate. Depending on your child’s age, the assessment may include:
For infants:
- Gentle observation of primitive reflexes and movement patterns
- Assessment of muscle tone and joint mobility
- Evaluation of cranial shape and movement
- Checking for signs of tongue or lip ties that might affect feeding
For toddlers and older children:
- Observation of posture and movement
- Simple balance and coordination activities
- Range of motion checks through games and activities
- Assess for integration of primitive reflexes
Throughout the assessment, we use gentle touch and maintain a relaxed, positive environment. We understand that children may be nervous or energetic, so we are experienced in adapting to each child’s comfort level and temperament.
What are primitive reflexes?
An important part of your child’s first chiro appointment involves checking primitive reflexes. Primitive reflexes are automatic, involuntary movements that develop in the womb and are present at birth. These reflexes serve crucial survival and developmental purposes during a baby’s first months of life.
As the brain matures, these reflexes should naturally “integrate” or disappear to make way for more sophisticated voluntary movements and higher brain functions. This typically happens within the first year of life, varying by reflex. (1)
When primitive reflexes remain active beyond their normal timeline, we call them “retained primitive reflexes.” These retained reflexes can potentially impact a child’s development in various ways:
- Challenges with balance and coordination
- Difficulties with fine or gross motor skills
- Sensory processing issues
- Focus and attention challenges
- Reading and writing difficulties
- Emotional regulation issues
We will assess these reflexes on your child’s visit and when appropriate we will incorporate specific activities into care plans to help integrate any retained reflexes.
Treatment
Paediatric chiropractic treatment is very different to adult treatments, we use a range of gentle, light techniques that are performed in a comfortable position, being held by a parent, or while your child is playing. We keep our treatment tailored to your child’s developing spine and nervous system.
After treatment, we will provide you with some age-appropriate exercises/advice or activities to support your child’s development at home, as well as answer any additional questions you may have.
To schedule your child’s first appointment book an appointment online or call us on (02) 9948 2826.
