Gentle, age-appropriate chiropractic care from newborns through teenagers — addressing birth trauma, developmental concerns, sports injuries, and postural problems at every stage of growth.
Why Children Need Chiropractic
Children's spines are subjected to significant physical stress beginning at birth — and those stresses compound throughout childhood and adolescence. Early assessment and care during key developmental windows can prevent adult spinal problems before they have a chance to develop.
The birth process itself can be physically demanding for the cervical spine and cranial structures. Whether natural or cesarean, deliveries involving prolonged labor, forceps, vacuum extraction, or nuchal cord presentations can produce strain in the upper cervical joints and suboccipital musculature. These early-life tensions are associated with torticollis, feeding difficulties, colic, and irritability — conditions that respond well to very gentle chiropractic assessment and care.
As children grow, they fall hundreds of times learning to walk, carry increasingly heavy backpacks, spend hours with their necks flexed over screens, and sustain sports-related impacts. Each of these experiences can create spinal dysfunction that, if unaddressed, becomes progressively more established over time. Correcting these patterns early — when the spine is still developing — is far more effective than treating the same dysfunction 20 years later as a chronic adult condition.
Gentle assessment and care for newborns and infants experiencing torticollis, colic, feeding difficulties, and birth-related tension
Spinal checks during key growth stages to catch postural imbalances, scoliosis early signs, and developmental movement concerns
Addressing the epidemic of "tech neck" and backpack-related spinal dysfunction in school-age children and pre-teens
Sport-specific assessment and care for growing athletes dealing with overuse injuries, growth plate stress, and sports-related spinal strain
Conditions We Address
Dr. Etemadi sees children of all ages at Prestige Spinal Care — from newborns through teenagers. These are the most common presentations in pediatric practice.
Infant Torticollis & Colic
Torticollis — persistent head tilt and restricted cervical rotation in one direction — is one of the most common presentations in infant chiropractic practice, and one of the most responsive to early care.
Congenital muscular torticollis often results from intrauterine positioning, birth canal compression, or delivery forces creating tension in the sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper cervical joints. If untreated, torticollis can lead to plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), asymmetrical facial development, breastfeeding difficulties (if the infant can only comfortably latch on one side), and developmental movement delays.
A case study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics documented complete resolution of combined colic and torticollis in a 3-month-old infant following four chiropractic visits. A 2022 systematic review in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reviewed the evidence for chiropractic care in infantile colic and concluded that chiropractic represents a warranted alternative approach — supported by clinical evidence and consistent with the needs of parents seeking non-pharmacological care for their colicky infant.
For infants, Dr. Etemadi uses fingertip-level pressure — no more force than you would use to gently press on a ripe tomato. Most infants relax during the assessment and adjustment, and many fall asleep. Parents typically notice behavioral changes — less crying, improved head rotation, better feeding — within the first several visits.
The Tech Neck Epidemic
Children today are spending more time with their necks flexed over screens than any previous generation — and the spinal consequences are appearing in clinical practice at earlier and earlier ages.
Every inch that the head migrates forward of the shoulder line adds approximately 10 pounds of effective gravitational force on the cervical spine. The average teenager with a 3–4 inch forward head posture is experiencing 40–50 pounds of additional cervical loading during the hours they spend on screens. Over months and years, this compresses the cervical discs, strains the posterior neck muscles, restricts cervical mobility, and begins causing changes in the curvature of the cervical spine.
What was once a clinical finding in 40-year-old office workers is now routinely seen in 12-year-olds. The difference is that when these postural changes are addressed during adolescence — when the spine is still actively growing and highly adaptable — the correction potential is far greater than in adulthood. Early intervention is not just more effective; it prevents the chronic adult pain pattern from establishing itself during the formative years.
Safety in Pediatric Care
Fingertip-level pressure — comparable to gently testing a ripe tomato. No thrusting techniques. The assessment is primarily palpatory, and the "adjustment" is a sustained gentle contact that allows the joint to move on its own. Most infants find it calming.
Light, specific pressure using one or two fingers. Techniques are modified based on body size and tissue compliance. Sessions are typically shorter than adult visits and are made engaging for the child — often treated as a fun interaction rather than a clinical procedure.
Gradually transitioning toward standard techniques as the child grows. Postural correction, soft tissue work, and corrective exercise are introduced at this stage — particularly for backpack and screen-related postural dysfunction.
Full-spectrum adult chiropractic care, adapted for growing musculoskeletal systems. Sports injury management, scoliosis monitoring, postural correction, and performance optimization are common focuses in teenage patients.
Scoliosis in Children
Idiopathic scoliosis — lateral curvature of the spine with no identified cause — most commonly appears during the adolescent growth spurt, typically between ages 10 and 15. Early detection is critical because curves progress most rapidly during periods of rapid growth.
Chiropractic care for scoliosis is not a cure, but it is an important part of conservative management. Regular chiropractic monitoring allows Dr. Etemadi to track the curve over time, address the spinal dysfunction and muscle imbalances that accompany scoliosis, and reduce the pain and mobility restrictions the curve creates. For mild to moderate curves, consistent chiropractic care combined with specific corrective exercises can help stabilize progression.
Dr. Etemadi will refer patients with rapidly progressing curves or those approaching surgical thresholds to appropriate orthopedic specialists — while continuing to provide conservative care that supports overall spinal health alongside any medical management.
Young Athletes
Youth sports participation carries a specific set of spinal risks — not only from acute injury, but from the cumulative effect of repetitive loading on growing musculoskeletal systems that are not yet fully mature.
Growth plates — the cartilaginous zones of active bone growth — are particularly vulnerable to repetitive compressive and rotational stress during adolescence. Sports that involve repetitive spinal loading (gymnastics, football, wrestling, baseball/softball, swimming) carry higher risks of growth plate stress injuries, stress fractures, and Scheuermann's disease (kyphotic deformity from vertebral endplate damage).
Dr. Etemadi provides sport-specific assessment and care for young athletes — addressing acute injuries, managing overuse conditions, and optimizing spinal mechanics to support both performance and long-term structural health. Many parents bring their young athletes in for maintenance care between seasons to address the cumulative wear of competition before it becomes symptomatic.
FAQ
Family Care
Dr. Etemadi treats patients of all ages and welcomes your whole family. Call us to discuss your child's specific needs before booking.