Pediatric chiropractic

Available at Lake Forest, San Diego, and Spring Valley

Pediatric chiropractic care uses very gentle, low-force techniques to check and care for the spine and joints of infants, children and teens. It focuses on posture, movement, minor injuries and sports strain, and it works alongside your child’s pediatrician.

Now welcoming new patients

Gentle care for growing bodies

Children grow quickly, and how their spine and joints move affects how comfortably they sit, play, carry a backpack and take part in sports. Our chiropractors care for infants, toddlers, children and teens using techniques suited to each age.

Every visit is calm and tailored to your child. If you have concerns about your child’s posture, the way they move, or aches after sport or play, we are happy to take a look.

What is pediatric chiropractic care?

Pediatric chiropractic care looks at the spine and joints of children and teens and at how their body moves and adapts to daily activity. Techniques are much gentler and more specific than in adult care.

Evaluations consider posture, movement patterns and activity levels, not just pain. The goal is to improve mobility and ease tension so children can move comfortably, keep good posture and stay active. Care may also help with minor injuries and sports strain.

Why children may need a check

Children should not have ongoing pain. When they do, it is worth checking. Many kids come in saying something like “my upper back aches after soccer,” and looking at that early makes a difference.

Some parents also bring their children in for regular check-ups, not only when something hurts, in the same way many adults come in for maintenance care. Restrictions are often easier to address when they are found early.

How we assess children

For children, the assessment is mostly gentle palpation: feeling along the spine for areas that are restricted or not moving well, along with simple movement checks. There are no heavy diagnostic steps, and the first visit is straightforward and gentle.

X-rays are taken only when clinically needed. For example, if a young athlete falls, lands on their head and has numbness or tingling, X-rays help show what is happening in the neck before any treatment begins.

Our approach to treating kids

Treatment for children is very gentle. Nothing forceful used in adult care is used with kids. The younger the child, the more often a small handheld instrument is used, with only light pressure.

Children tend to respond well. They are more flexible than adults and usually bounce back from injuries more quickly, so care plans for kids are often shorter.

Common reasons families visit

  • Aching in the neck, upper back or lower back after sport or play
  • Strains and minor injuries from falls, tumbles and contact sports
  • Posture concerns, such as rounded shoulders or a forward head from screens and heavy backpacks
  • A tight or twisted neck in infants (torticollis), once medical causes have been ruled out
  • Changes in how a child walks, runs or moves that a parent has noticed
  • Regular check-ups for active kids

Your child’s first visit

You stay with your child throughout. Your chiropractor starts by talking with you, and with your child when they are old enough, about what you have noticed, their health history, birth history for infants, and the sports and activities they enjoy.

The exam is gentle and often feels like play for younger children: watching how they move, checking their posture and feeling along the spine. Your chiropractor explains what they find and, if care is recommended, what it will involve and how you will know it is helping.

Everyday habits that help

Small changes at home support care in the office. Backpacks should be worn on both shoulders and kept light. Screen time is easier on the neck when the screen is raised to eye level and children take regular movement breaks. Warming up before practice and resting between seasons can help young athletes avoid overuse injuries.

Your chiropractor can suggest simple stretches and exercises suited to your child’s age and activities.

Patient case studies

Neck injury with nerve symptoms in a young gymnast

Patient
A young girl who does gymnastics.
Symptoms
After a fall onto her head she had significant neck compression, numbness and tingling into the arm, and headaches.
Findings
X-rays were taken. The impact had irritated a nerve where it leaves the spine in the neck, and the area was inflamed, so recovery was expected to take longer than simple neck pain.
Care
Frequent visits at first, with attention to how she was sleeping, since sleep position plays a part in how the neck heals.
Outcome
She recovered fully, with no more numbness, tingling or headaches, and was back to gymnastics in about a month.

Lower back injury in a young football player

Patient
A young football player.
Symptoms
He injured his lower back when he was tackled during a game and came in with limited movement.
Findings
A muscle strain together with irritation of the spinal joints in the lower back.
Care
Treatment for both the spinal joints and the strained muscles, stretches at home from the start, and strengthening exercises added after about two weeks.
Outcome
Within a couple of weeks he was almost back to normal, and he returned to playing soon after.

Upper back pain in a youth basketball player

Patient
A young boy who plays basketball.
Symptoms
Upper back aching after games. He could bend forward easily but found bending backward difficult.
Findings
Restricted joints in the upper back were limiting how far his spine could extend.
Care
Gentle diversified adjustments to the upper back.
Outcome
His flexibility improved, and the aching at the end of games eased.

Individual results vary.

Book pediatric care

Offered at 3 Greenlight offices.

Your questions,
answered

About pediatric care at Greenlight.

Is chiropractic care safe for babies and children?

Pediatric chiropractic uses very gentle, low-force techniques adapted to a child’s size and age. Care is conservative and coordinated with your pediatrician when needed.

How early can my baby see a chiropractor?

Babies can be evaluated shortly after birth if parents have concerns, for example about how they hold their head or neck. Techniques are light and carefully modified for newborns and infants.

What do you commonly see in children?

We often see neck and back discomfort, upper back aching, shoulder discomfort, posture concerns, a tight or twisted neck (torticollis), sports strains and unusual movement patterns, after medical causes have been ruled out.

Will the adjustment hurt my child?

No. Adjustments for children are very gentle and often use light fingertip pressure or a small instrument. Most children are comfortable throughout.

How many visits will my child need?

It depends on the concern and what we find. Some children respond quickly, while others need a short series of follow-up visits based on their progress.

Do you replace my child’s pediatrician?

No. Chiropractic care complements medical care. We encourage regular pediatric checkups and work with other providers when appropriate.