An upper cervical misalignment is one of the most common reasons a child experiences headaches, neck, and upper back pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in their arms and hands. It can also cause painful earaches, difficulty swallowing, choking, poor attention span, and poor school performance.

Children may experience several of these symptoms. They may also display emotional behavior struggles such as anxiety, anger, irritability, or depression. The problem stems from the misalignment in the base of the skull in which the neck and head position are off, affecting how the nervous system works. But what are the common causes of upper cervical misalignments in children? Here are some ideas.

1. Birth

The cesarean delivery method has been the most popular delivery technique for decades in the US. It involves a surgical incision in the mother’s uterus and uterus, which increases the risk of birth malformations due to the physical trauma to the baby’s skull when the head has to pass through the actual birth canal.

2. Trauma

Children will always tend to explore their surroundings no matter how many warnings their parents give. In some instances, a kid may experience trauma or injuries due to the environment they play in. An injury involving the upper cervical area may cause misalignment. Therefore, parents should have their children checked professionally to ensure they are free from possible trauma.

3. Sports Injuries

There are many sports that kids can engage in, and many of these require a lot of stamina and strength. Gymnastics, martial arts, soccer, football, and basketball are just a few examples of sports children can participate in. Still, if they are engaging in a sport that requires contact, they may sustain injuries that may lead to misalignment of the upper cervical spine.

4. Car Accidents

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of upper cervical misalignments. Unfortunately, children are not immune from getting involved in car accidents. Some may occur from speeding, reckless driving, drunk driving, or even distracted driving. Injuries to the children may range from simple to severe, possibly leading to misalignment. Children are even more at risk if they are not wearing a seatbelt at the accident.

5. Assault

Children can also fall victim to assault by adults and other children. Abuse is a severe problem in the US, and if an adult or older sibling abuses a child, it can cause severe physical trauma that may lead to misalignment. Other causes of upper cervical misalignment may involve child abuse and child neglect.

Effects of Upper Cervical Misalignment in Children

Upper cervical misalignment in children can be pretty severe, depending on the degree of misalignment. It can cause paralysis in the child’s body and death in extreme cases. Fortunately, upper cervical misalignment is easy to correct because all it requires is a little guidance, and you can see a significant improvement in the child.

The symptoms that children display can vary from one child to the next. As mentioned earlier, some kids will experience headache, neck and upper back pain, tingling, numbness, weakness in the arms and hands, painful earaches, difficulty swallowing, coughing, choking, poor attention span, poor school performance, and emotional behavior struggle like anxiety, anger, irritability, and depression.

Conclusion

Parents should take their child to the doctor to have an examination done if they have any of the symptoms mentioned above to rule out other health conditions. The best way to help a child is to find a chiropractor in your area who is a pediatric specialist. They can comprehensively examine your child and perform a chiropractic adjustment to correct the misalignment.

Kindspine is a chiropractic clinic based in Atlanta, GA. We provide consultations for children and adults who might suffer from chronic back pains and other ailments. Our goal is to assist people in making them feel better through chiropractic practices. Book an appointment with the best chiropractor clinic near you through our website today.