Most kids I see are somewhere between kindergarten and middle school. Old enough for a backpack, a sport, a few too many screens.
That is the group this page is about.
If your child is younger than school age, my pediatric chiropractic care page covers infant and toddler care specifically. If you are looking for care for the whole family under one roof, the family chiropractic care page has more on how that works. Got a grade-schooler with a stiff neck, a sore back, or posture that keeps getting worse? Keep reading.
No single sign. Usually parents notice a pattern.
Recurring neck or back pain after school. A kid who complains about growing pains more often than seems normal. Uneven shoulders when standing straight. Posture that keeps getting flagged by teachers or coaches. A shoulder or hip that tightens up after sports and does not loosen the way it should. Trouble turning the head fully to one side.
None of those are emergencies. But they are worth evaluating.
A few that come up often in my office: backpack-related tension in the upper back and shoulders, especially in older elementary kids who carry too much without both straps on. Stiffness through the mid-back after sports. Postural patterns that become more pronounced during a growth spurt.
If you are noticing uneven shoulders or a developing curve in the spine, bring it up. I will take a look and, if there is something structural worth tracking, I will refer for a scoliosis evaluation. Chiropractic care does not correct scoliosis. But early awareness matters.
Mostly I am looking at how they move.
Where the spine is not moving the way it should. Where muscle tension is compensating for that. And where the pattern probably started.
For school-age kids, the causes are pretty predictable. Backpacks are a big one. Researchers at Nemours KidsHealth recommend kids carry no more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight in a backpack, but most carry considerably more than that. The strain shows up in the upper back and neck fast. One shoulder, tight strap, too much weight. It adds up.
Screen time is another. Tablets and phones push the head forward. That puts load on the cervical spine. Same mechanical problem adults deal with, smaller frame, earlier age.
Sports and activity round it out. Falls, collisions, repetitive motion. Growth spurts that shift mechanics faster than the structure adapts. Growing kids take a lot of load on tissues still forming.
The approach I use for kids is gentle. Not every visit involves a forceful adjustment. Some kids do well with gentle chiropractic adjustments: instrument-assisted, low-force, precise. No manual thrust.. A small spring-loaded tool, low-force, precise. No manual thrust. Method depends on the child’s age, size, and what I find.
Worth being upfront about this. Parents ask and deserve a real answer.
For musculoskeletal complaints in school-age kids, there is supportive evidence. Neck pain, back pain, postural tension, sports-related strain. That is where the evidence is strongest.
The research on broader claims is thinner. Chiropractic does not treat ADHD, ear infections, asthma, or other systemic conditions. Anyone suggesting otherwise should be questioned. Those conditions belong with your child’s pediatrician and appropriate specialists. I stay in my lane.
When done correctly by someone trained to work with kids, the adjustments are safe. The force used on a child is nothing like what is used on an adult. At my office, the first visit is always evaluation-first. For older kids, I review imaging before any spinal work starts. If something points to a different cause or a more urgent referral, I say so.
My position: it can be useful for musculoskeletal issues in school-age kids. Works well alongside regular pediatric care. It does not replace it.
The first appointment runs about 30 minutes. Most of it is evaluation.
I will ask about the complaint. How long it has been going on, what makes it better or worse. Then we look at posture, range of motion, how the spine is moving segment by segment. For kids who need imaging, I refer out for that before any adjustment.
From there I can tell you what I am seeing and whether chiropractic makes sense. No adjustment on the first visit if we are still gathering information.
Kids are usually less anxious than expected. The office is calm. If they want to know what comes next, I explain it. The visits tend to go fine.
It depends on what we are seeing.
For a specific complaint, like tension from a sports strain or postural tightening, a short course of visits is usually enough. The goal is to get things moving better and give the body a better pattern to work with. Then we reassess.
For families who bring kids in for general wellness, one or two visits a year is reasonable. Think of it roughly the way you think about a dental check. Catching small things before they compound.
Growth spurts sometimes change things. When kids grow fast, mechanics shift. Old complaints flare. New ones start. Those windows are worth paying attention to.
I do not push long treatment contracts. If progress stalls, I will tell you. We figure out the next step together.
Located in Denver at 425 S. Cherry St., Suite 307. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 to 12:30 and 2:30 to 6. Closed Friday through Sunday.
If your child is younger than school age, the pediatric chiropractic page covers infant and toddler care. If you want to bring multiple family members in, the family chiropractic care page has more on how that looks.
To get started, call 720-889-1659 or schedule online.
