Fathers and mothers are increasingly turning to alternative therapies to treat their children’s ailments – and that includes chiropractic medicine.
Chiropractors, who treat disease by manipulating the vertebral column, undergo years of training and must be licensed to practice. However, their approach to healing has not been fully accepted by conventional health professionals.
According to figures from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, nearly 3 percent of American kids received chiropractic treatment in 2007, USA Today reports.
That same report indicated that as many as one in 10 children used alternative medicine that year, a category which could include practices such as meditation or acupuncture, as well as herbal supplements.
However, the article warns that there is not currently sufficient research exploring the safety of such treatments on children.
A 2007 study on chiropractic care and kids found a couple of significant injuries to children, but it was impossible to determine if spinal manipulation was the actual cause of the harm, pediatrician Sunita Vohra of the University of Alberta told the news provider.
With these facts in mind, fathers may consider waiting to see if a clear line of parenting advice emerges on the topic before bringing their child to a chiropractor.
