Pediatric Chiropractic Care for Infants, Children & Teens in Upper Darby
Pediatric chiropractic care is different from chiropractic care for adults. Children are smaller, still developing, and require age-appropriate examination, positioning, and treatment techniques.
At Everybody’s Chiropractic Center in Upper Darby, PA, we provide gentle chiropractic and musculoskeletal care for infants, children, and teenagers. Dr. Dan Klein has more than 30 years of experience caring for families throughout Upper Darby, Havertown, Drexel Hill, and surrounding Delaware County communities.
Parents commonly bring children to our office for concerns involving pain, posture, sports injuries, restricted movement, or other musculoskeletal problems.
Our goal is simple: evaluate the child carefully, determine whether a musculoskeletal problem is present, and provide appropriate conservative care when chiropractic treatment is indicated.
What Is Pediatric Chiropractic Care?
Pediatric chiropractic care focuses on the muscles, joints, spine, movement, and other parts of the musculoskeletal system.
Treatment is modified according to the child’s:
- Age
- Size
- Stage of development
- Symptoms
- Medical history
- Comfort level
- Examination findings
An infant is not treated the same way as a teenager, and a child with a sports injury may require a very different approach from a child being evaluated for posture or restricted movement.
Why Do Parents Bring Children to a Chiropractor?
Children are active.
They run, jump, fall, play sports, carry backpacks, sit at computers, use phones and tablets, and experience rapid growth.
As a result, children and teenagers can develop many of the same types of musculoskeletal complaints adults experience.
Parents may seek evaluation for:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Muscle soreness
- Joint pain
- Sports injuries
- Postural concerns
- Restricted movement
- Discomfort after a fall
- Repetitive-use injuries
- Headaches when a musculoskeletal cause is suspected
- Pain associated with prolonged sitting or computer use
The first step should always be determining why the child is having symptoms rather than assuming chiropractic treatment is automatically appropriate.
Chiropractic Care for Infants
Infants require an especially gentle and cautious approach.
Parents may sometimes seek a musculoskeletal evaluation when they notice concerns involving positioning, movement, or apparent discomfort.
When evaluating an infant, we consider the child’s medical history and current symptoms before determining whether chiropractic care is appropriate.
Techniques used for an infant involve far less force than techniques commonly associated with adult chiropractic treatment.
We also recognize the limits of chiropractic care. Symptoms such as fever, poor feeding, persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing, unusual lethargy, seizures, developmental concerns, or signs of illness require evaluation by the child’s pediatrician or another appropriate medical provider.
Chiropractic care should not be promoted as a treatment for childhood illnesses such as ear infections, colic, asthma, digestive disease, or other systemic medical conditions.
Chiropractic Care for Growing Children
As children grow, their bodies continually adapt.
Growth spurts, school activities, backpacks, prolonged sitting, recreational activities, and falls can all place stress on developing muscles and joints.
A pediatric chiropractic examination may evaluate:
- Posture
- Spinal movement
- Joint mobility
- Muscle tension
- Areas of tenderness
- Movement patterns
- Balance and coordination when appropriate
- Neurological findings when clinically indicated
Treatment recommendations are based on what we find during the examination.
Pediatric Chiropractic Care for Posture
Posture is becoming an increasingly common concern among children and teenagers.
Long periods spent:
- Looking down at phones
- Using tablets
- Sitting at computers
- Gaming
- Doing homework
- Carrying backpacks
can contribute to neck, shoulder, and upper-back discomfort.
However, there is no single “perfect posture.”
Instead, we focus on whether posture or prolonged positioning may be contributing to pain, stiffness, or limited movement.
Treatment may include chiropractic care, stretching, strengthening, ergonomic recommendations, and encouraging regular movement breaks.
Chiropractic Care for Young Athletes
Youth sports place significant physical demands on growing bodies.
Children involved in soccer, basketball, baseball, football, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming, dance, track, hockey, and other activities may experience musculoskeletal injuries.
Common complaints can include:
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain
- Shoulder discomfort
- Knee pain
- Hip pain
- Ankle pain
- Muscle strains
- Joint stiffness
- Overuse injuries
A proper evaluation is important because children can sustain injuries that require medical imaging, orthopedic evaluation, or temporary restriction from sports.
When chiropractic care is appropriate, treatment may focus on restoring movement, reducing musculoskeletal discomfort, and helping the child safely return to activity.
Chiropractic Care for Teenagers
Teenagers can experience many of the same musculoskeletal problems as adults.
Sports, prolonged sitting, lifting, school activities, jobs, and rapid growth can all contribute to symptoms.
Teenagers commonly report:
- Lower back pain
- Neck stiffness
- Shoulder tension
- Headaches associated with neck tension
- Sports injuries
- Joint discomfort
- Muscle tightness
If your teenager is experiencing persistent back pain, learn more about our back pain treatment in Upper Darby.
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Different for Children?
Yes.
Pediatric chiropractic care should be adapted to the child’s age, size, and condition.
Treatment may involve:
- Gentle joint mobilization
- Age-appropriate chiropractic techniques
- Soft-tissue treatment
- Stretching
- Therapeutic exercise
- Postural recommendations
- Activity modification
Not every child requires an adjustment, and treatment should never be based simply on age or the assumption that every child needs routine chiropractic care.
Is Pediatric Chiropractic Care Safe?
Any healthcare treatment should begin with determining whether it is appropriate for the patient.
Before treating a child, we review relevant health history and perform an examination appropriate for the child’s age and symptoms.
Parents should tell us about:
- Previous injuries
- Medical conditions
- Surgeries
- Medications
- Neurological symptoms
- Recent illness
- Developmental concerns
- Recommendations from the child’s pediatrician or specialist
When a child’s symptoms suggest something outside the musculoskeletal system, referral to a pediatrician or another healthcare provider may be more appropriate.
When Should a Child See a Medical Doctor First?
Parents should seek prompt medical evaluation for symptoms such as:
- Significant trauma
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe or worsening headache
- Persistent fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Significant weakness
- Seizures
- Loss of coordination
- Persistent vomiting
- Unexplained weight loss
- Severe or rapidly worsening pain
- Changes in bowel or bladder control
- Any symptom that causes significant concern
Chiropractic care is not a substitute for pediatric medical care.
Why Choose Everybody’s Chiropractic Center for Pediatric Chiropractic Care?
More Than 30 Years of Experience
Dr. Dan Klein has been providing chiropractic care in the Upper Darby community for more than three decades.
Experience matters when deciding how to evaluate and treat patients of different ages and sizes.
Gentle, Age-Appropriate Care
Children are not simply smaller adults.
Treatment techniques are modified according to the child’s age, size, symptoms, and comfort.
We Treat the Entire Family
Many families choose Everybody’s Chiropractic Center because parents, children, and teenagers can receive musculoskeletal care in the same practice.
Individualized Treatment
We do not place every child on the same treatment schedule.
Recommendations depend on the child’s examination findings and individual needs.
Convenient Upper Darby Location
Our office is convenient for families throughout Upper Darby, Havertown, Drexel Hill, Springfield, Lansdowne, Broomall, and surrounding Delaware County communities.
Learn more about our practice on our Upper Darby chiropractor page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pediatric Chiropractic Care
What age can a child see a chiropractor?
There is no single age that determines whether evaluation is appropriate. The child’s symptoms, history, and reason for seeking care are more important.
Are children adjusted the same way as adults?
No. Techniques and the amount of force used should be modified according to the child’s age, size, and condition.
Can chiropractic care help children with colic or recurrent ear infections?
Some parents bring infants or children to our office because they are also dealing with concerns such as colic, excessive crying, or recurrent ear infections. Over the years, we have seen many families report improvement while their child was receiving chiropractic care.
However, chiropractic care should not be presented as a treatment or cure for an ear infection or other childhood illness. Evidence for chiropractic care in infantile colic is limited and mixed, and children with suspected ear infections or persistent symptoms should also be evaluated by their pediatric healthcare provider.
Our role is to evaluate the child for any musculoskeletal issues that may be appropriate for gentle, age-specific chiropractic care while working alongside the child’s medical providers when needed.
That lets you truthfully say you have seen children improve, while separating your experience from a medical promise that chiropractic directly treats the infection or colic itself.
Can chiropractic care help a young athlete?
Chiropractic and other conservative musculoskeletal treatments may be appropriate for certain sports-related joint or muscle problems. However, suspected fractures, concussions, serious injuries, and other concerning symptoms require appropriate medical evaluation.
Does my child need a pediatrician’s referral for chiropractic care?
No. A referral is generally not required to schedule a chiropractic evaluation. Chiropractors are portal-of-entry providers, so parents can bring their child directly for an examination.
If your child has an ongoing medical condition, recent injury, concerning symptoms, or is under active medical treatment, coordination with the pediatrician or another healthcare provider may still be appropriate.
Pediatric Chiropractor Near Upper Darby, Havertown & Drexel Hill
If your child or teenager is dealing with back pain, neck pain, sports-related discomfort, posture problems, or another musculoskeletal concern, a proper evaluation can help determine what is causing the problem and whether chiropractic care is appropriate.
At Everybody’s Chiropractic Center, Dr. Dan Klein has more than 30 years of experience caring for children, teenagers, and families throughout the Upper Darby area. Care is always adapted to the child’s age, size, symptoms, and comfort level.
Parents visit our office from Upper Darby, Havertown, Drexel Hill, Springfield, Lansdowne, Broomall, Clifton Heights, Aldan, Darby, Collingdale, Yeadon, Media, Newtown Square, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Haverford, Philadelphia, and surrounding Delaware County and Main Line communities.
If you are looking for a pediatric chiropractor near you, call 610-789-1800 or Make an Appointment.
You can also find Everybody’s Chiropractic Center on Google Maps