What to expect from your child’s first chiro appointment
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 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: 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: For toddlers and older children: 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: 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. References
