Children and Falls

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every day, approximately 8,000 children are treated in U.S. emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. With these injuries affecting about 2.5 million children annually, falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all children up to 19 years of age. Not only do serious falls warrant the attention of a chiropractor, but parents may also want to have the potential effects of repeated falls by their children subjected to chiropractic evaluation. While children tend to be quite resilient, everyone from teaching toddlers to young tree climbers are in danger of falling, which may have a cumulative effect not as readily noticeable as one that causes bruises and broken bones.

Although children appear to bounce back from most injuries quickly, many parents don’t understand the long- term effects of misalignments that children develop in their spine. Unfortunately, children do not always verbalize exactly what they feel when they are sore, uncomfortable, or in pain. Just like with adults, if the underlying cause is left alone for too long it can develop into more serious issues.

P.S. If parents note that their children exhibit limited head or neck mobility and/or uneven shoulders, they may want them to be evaluated by a chiropractor.