4 Benefits of Chiropractic for Teenagers

Teenagers go through a lot – emotionally, socially, and physically. Between sports, activities, and running around town with friends, teenagerhood also tends to be  a particularly active time of life. Teenagers’ bodies experience pain associated with rapid growth, strain from carrying around heavy backpacks and looking at their phones, sports injuries, and other events that can take a toll on their overall health.

While many teenagers are able to bounce back quickly from bumps and scrapes, spinal pain and injury can have long-lasting negative effects. As a parent, you have options when it comes to helping your teen live a healthy life. Chiropractic care is a great healthcare solution for people of all ages, especially teenagers. Read on to learn more about how chiropractic care can help your teen live their healthiest life:

• Safely manage pain. Between ages 13 and 19, most people experience several significant growth spurts. Unfortunately, these periods of growth are not necessarily balanced; parts of the body will grow much faster than others. This can lead to the aches and discomfort commonly known as “growing pains.” Active teens are also prone to injury, which may be addressed by a medical doctor by prescribing pain medication. While medication can be the right solution in certain circumstances, it always comes with risks. Regular chiropractic adjustments ensure proper spinal alignment, reducing pressure on the nervous system and effectively managing pain, especially for growing bodies. Chiropractic is also a safe alternative pain management strategy for those looking to avoid or lessen dependence on medication.
• Counteract text neck. Let’s face it: when teens aren’t in the classroom, on the sports field, or at the dinner table, they are almost always looking at their phone. This means most teens spend hours each day with their neck strained forward and down to look at a screen. Poor posture and pain can also result from slouching, sitting too much, and carrying around a heavy backpack. A chiropractic adjustment helps realign the spine and addresses imbalances caused by poor posture, reducing pain and strain on the neck, back, and shoulders. A chiropractor can also give your teen advice on how to practice better posture in their daily lives, hopefully lessening the effects of text neck on their long term health.
• Speed healing. No matter how much we want to protect them, teenagers are going to get hurt. Whether through sports, horsing around with friends or siblings, or mindless accidents, teenagers are at an age when injury is inevitable. Chiropractic care may be able to help: regular adjustments ensure proper spinal alignment and optimal functioning of the nervous system. When the nervous system is working well, the body heals faster and more completely. To get the best results, it’s important to start chiropractic adjustments before your teen gets hurt and make them a regular part of their health routine. This way, when injury inevitably occurs, their body will already be primed to start healing itself efficiently and effectively.
• Help in developing lifelong healthy habits. Though it may seem like they never listen to you, your teenager is still influenced by the example you set for them. While they might complain now, they will thank you later for encouraging healthy habits like proper nutrition, safe and sustained movement, and solutions like regular chiropractic care. A chiropractor can also provide an additional source of information about how your teen can stay healthy. Because chiropractic is part of a holistic approach to health, most chiropractors encourage good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress relief as part of an overall health outlook. By bringing your teen to the chiropractor, you are setting them up to develop good health habits for life.

Good health is a lifelong journey, and starting chiropractic care at a young age can help ensure your child grows without pain, heals efficiently, and develops good habits that will last. Teenagers are generally active, and good health habits will keep them running from school to activities, to friends, to homework. Before you know it, you will have a healthy, happy adult on your hands.

At Kennedy Chiropractic, we provide expert chiropractic and holistic care to people of all ages in Wauwatosa and surrounding communities. Whether you’re looking for chiropractic care for your teen, yourself, or someone else you love, Dr. Kennedy has the solution for you. Give us a call today to get started.