Recently while out walking on one of my favorite neighborhood trails I was able to bear witness to one of those seemingly small yet impactful moments.  A mother with three young children was out there getting one of her workouts in. She was jogging while pushing a stroller with her youngest in it while her daughter and son jogged along with her. I could hear them chattering as they were gaining from behind me. As they went by I cheered for them telling them they were doing a great job. I could also hear the mother encouraging them along saying, “,we’re almost there,great job we’re almost there!” As they ran by, I turned around to head back from the direction I started. They passed me again on the way back to the parking lot and again I could hear the mother encouraging her children along. She was telling them how great they were doing, how far they have already come, and how they were almost there to the finish. It may not seem like such a big deal, but this brief encounter struck a huge a chord with me that morning.

I thought in my mind ‘what a great example she is setting for her kids’. Not only is she doing something healthy and wonderful for herself, but at the same time, she is showing her kids how to take care of themselves by exercising. She was encouraging them, teaching them they can do anything if they set their minds to it. She was truly leading by example by being out there with them. It made me start thinking about all the ways in life we set examples for those we love. Everything we do in some way, shape or form is setting an example for our kids, loved ones, or our friends. The choices we make in life, such as whether we exercise or not, what we eat, how we use our words, and how we approach our health, all in some way impact those close to us. I don’t have kids of my own, however I know that kids are always learning (both consciously and subconsciously) from the choices adults make. Not to put any pressure on all of us adults, but we are literally walking, talking examples of how to live. The question is, what habits do you want your kids or loved ones to pick up from you?

Of course, since I am a chiropractor, my mind went right to the topic of kids and chiropractic. Yes, we check and adjust children of all ages, and we do have quite a good number of kids in our practice. However, in my mind, we aren’t taking care of enough children. The reason I say this is because I know there are lots of people who come in regularly to be checked and adjusted, yet their kids stay home. I’m sure the parents haven’t quite understood why a child would need to have their spine checked. Its true most young kids don’t experience back or neck pain, however they do experience enough falls, bumps, bruises, sicknesses, etc that may cause shifts in their spine. These shifts, as some of you know, may cause a breakdown of the communication between their brain and body. Ultimately, this can lead to a whole host of problems with their health and well-being since their bodies won’t be working at 100 percent. I would guess most parents want to ensure their child is growing with a body and nerve system that is functioning at or close to 100 percent!

Most often, when adults first start under care they find out that there is some degree of degeneration and arthritis in their spine. This is due to years and years of living with misaligned spines and certain areas wearing out faster than they should. Quite often, these same adults will realize that if they started under chiropractic care when they younger, they wouldn’t have the degree of degeneration that they have now. Just think of how life-changing and life-enhancing it could be for kids to start under care at a young age and grow up being adjusted on a regular basis. If they were checked and adjusted on a regular basis, they would be given the gift of going through life without spinal degeneration or arthritis. They would be given the gift of a healthier functioning nerve system, a higher functioning immune system, and even a body that’s able to adapt to it’s environment on a higher level. Who wouldn’t want that for their child or loved one? If you’re interested in having your child’s spine checked, give us a call or stop at the front desk the next time you’re in and we can easily set up an appointment to get them started on an even healthier path in life.