As a concerned parent, you no doubt want your child to be as healthy as possible.

You're not alone if you believe that if your child doesn't complain of back pain then there isn't a need to visit the chiropractor. This is simply not the case. I doubt that most parents wait until their child has a tooth ache to visit the dentist.

When you think of how important it is for our nervous systems to work correctly, it's evident that we not wait until pain or other symptoms appear in our children to have their spine checked.

Read on and I'll explain just how beneficial chiropractic is for not only adults but children of all ages. It's never too early to have your spine checked.

A major component to your child's overall health is the communication between your brain and body, a vital link that controls the growth, repair and function of every cell, tissue and organ in the body. In order for this communication to occur and allow the messages to be sent to all parts of the body from the brain, the spine needs to be free of interferences. If a bone of the spine is out of place, a subluxation has occurred thus not allowing the nervous system to work as it should.

With very young children and infants that aren't able to communicate well, it is even more important to keep a close check on their spine-our body's internal power plant.

If the nervous system is not working at its best, many diseases and illnesses are more apt to appear throughout the body, even without any symptoms being present.

When we think of children, we often think that they are very pliable and nearly invincible. When they fall off their bike or bang their head, they almost immediately recover without incident. They might not feel the pain associated with their injury because only a small percentage of nerves in our bodies actually have the capability to tell the brain the message of pain. We certainly don't see many two year olds walking around complaining of back pain. But, that does not mean that their spine is properly aligned and allowing the nervous system to work at its best.

The body's innate intelligence wants it to stay healthy and naturally works to keep us healthy. When the nervous system doesn't work as it should, the body can't heal itself and help us to stay healthy and free of disease. The spinal cord protects the nerves, so when a bone of the spine is out of alignment, the nerves can't serve us as is needed. If a child's spine has bones that are not aligned as they should be, the child may compensate for this and cause further problems that may not become symptomatic until much later in life.

It's important to know that when a chiropractor treats a child, it's with a simple and gentle adjustment which allows nervous system messages to reach their intended target.

My suggestion to all parents is to prevent illness and disease whenever possible for all members of your family... no matter the age. Give your body the opportunity to flourish and support a wonderful lifestyle by taking care of your spine. You're never too young to have your spine checked and help that nervous system to work great. Enjoy spring and the great outdoors knowing you're doing all you can to keep yourself and your family healthy and happy.

If you have questions concerning chiropractic, give us a call at Spoelstra Family Chiropractic at (208) 667-7434 or look us up on the Web at www.CDAHealth.com.