Chiropractic Care Can Improve Kids’ Balance and Coordination
Balance and coordination are two important gross motor skills in a child's physical development. They allow children to participate in sports and other physical activities and reduce their risk of injury. Balance and coordination also improve a child’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Poor development in these areas, however, can cause physical limitations that lead to low self-esteem and/or feelings of isolation when a child can’t keep up with his or her peers.
Recent research has found that chiropractic care can improve kids’ balance and coordination.
“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain,” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. “Basic science research shows that the proper functioning of the brain relies on proper structure and movement of the spine from an early age.”
“It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Coordination and balance disorders may be related to how the entire body communicates with the brain and the most critical area for this is the spine.”
— Dr. Matthew McCoy
Abnormalities in the position of vertebrae can lead to subluxations, which can impact the legs, hands and feet - all necessary for keeping good balance and coordination. These subluxations are what chiropractic doctors work to correct.
While further research is needed, in Dr. McCoy’s study, the parents of a 9-year-old boy were concerned that he had scoliosis. Previous X-rays and an MRI showed several malformations, and he had other health factors, including developmental delays and Klippel-Feil syndrome. His inability to perform coordinated functions affected his daily activities and ultimately impacted his self-confidence. His medical care team had recommended surgery but, after a chiropractic examination, the chiropractor found structural shifts in his head, neck, upper and lower back. Restrictions and muscle tightness were also noted in his neck and low back. Balance assessments and other testing also showed abnormalities. Through chiropractic care, he was able to avoid surgery and experienced improvement in balance and coordination in his daily activities which led to improvement in his self-confidence and social skills.
How do you know if your child has issues with balance and coordination?
Some signs to look for include:
Falling easily or inability to recover quickly from being off balance
They avoid physical activity
Delay in reaching certain developmental milestones such as walking
Less skillful than their peers at physical activities like team sports, bike riding, tennis
In addition to chiropractic care, there are numerous games and activities that can assist with balance and coordination, such as:
Twister
Good, old fashioned catch
Yoga
Bowling
Hopscotch
Crab Walk
Jumping rope
Our mission is to inspire families to live healthy and happy lives. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.