How to Know if Your Child Needs a Chiropractor

Being in an automobile accident in the Miami/Cutler Bay area can be incredibly scary and have long-term health implications. This situation can become even more traumatic when there is a child involved in this terrible event. While it may or may not be obvious if the child who was traveling with you was injured, it is imperative that they have a full medical evaluation to ensure their long-term well-being. Thankfully, the healthcare professionals at your Miami/Cutler Bay Impact Medical facility are here to help.

Working alongside our Impact Medical team, your child will be given a full examination to determine what treatment may be needed to help them fully recover. Oftentimes, imaging studies and physical therapy will be prescribed along with chiropractic care. You may be surprised to see chiropractic treatment on the menu for juvenile patients, but this modality can be minimally invasive and highly effective in treating a child’s post-accident issues.

When it comes to injuries sustained in an automobile accident, children have risk factors that differ from their adult counterparts. Little ones who have been in a car seat or booster experience and absorb impact differently than those who fully grown. Additionally, the skeletal system of a young one is immature and more prone to experiencing spinal injuries and/or nerve damage. 

The following injury categories in children are commonly seen and successfully treated by our incredible team of chiropractors at Impact Medical in Miami/Cutler Bay:

CAR SEAT/BOOSTER INJURIES

• Of course, you should always have your child secured into a car seat or booster in accordance with the law and guidance from the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), but like any accident victim, there may be injuries from the restraint holding your child in place. A chiropractor can diagnose and treat alignment and muscle injuries associated with the impact.

HEAD AND NECK TRAUMA

• A child’s head and neck strength are less than an adult making them highly susceptible to injuries of the neck and spine. This type of collision injury is one of the most common in pediatric patients. 
• Maladies that fall into this category are whiplash, concussions, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and spinal fractures/compression. 
• Left untreated, head and neck trauma can result in temporary or even lifelong issues with cognition, behavior, and development.

AIRBAG INJURIES

• Airbag impact can cause severe damage to a child’s skull and spine due to the force with which they deploy in a crash. This is why children should always be restrained and ride in the rear seats of a vehicle. 

FRACTURES

• Car accidents can leave a child with fractures to various parts of their bodies. Common areas include the limbs and pelvis, which a skilled chiropractor can treat alongside an orthopedist to minimize long-term damage and shorten recovery time.

Whether your child has communicated about post-accident discomfort, or seems fine, as mentioned above, it is always a good idea to have them fully evaluated after involvement in an accident. Also, younger children may not have the capacity to express if they are suffering in pain. 

We encourage you to bring your child to the caring team at Impact Medical to have them fully evaluated by our staff after they have been involved in an accident in the Miami/Cutler Bay area. Of course, we hope to give them a clean bill of health, but if there are residual health impacts, we will work alongside you to diagnose and treat them so your kiddo can return to running around and feeling his or her best quickly. Every parent deserves the peace of mind that comes from knowing their child is in the best of hands, and Impact Medical strives to provide that with every patient. Give us a call today!