A chiropractic pediatrician (DICCP) performs chiropractic care on children. Because of the rapidly changing bodies of children, a DICCP (Diplomate in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics) chiropractor is given special training for appropriate treatment at each stage of a child’s development.
Training for a DICCP involves completing a 3-year, board certification program administered by the International Chiropractic Association (ICA) Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics. This program includes more than 360 classroom hours of instruction.
First-year topics include classes in pre-natal care, birth, post-partum care, neonate normals, neonate abnormals, school age adolescents and case correlations.
The core of chiropractic work involves manual adjustment of the spine to properly align the vertebrae and to allow the body to heal itself naturally. However, because an infant’s spine is different from that of a school-age child, which is different from that of an adolescent, a chiropractic adjustment at each stage of a child’s development is different. Understanding the distinctions helps to ensure that chiropractic care is safe and effective for children of any age and that young people have access to proven healthcare options that don’t involve drugs or surgery.
The chiropractic pediatrician will see infants in their first year in order to assess them for possible spinal trauma during birth and to give them a head start on health for the rest of their lives. Detecting and treating problems early in an infant’s development can prevent the need for more drastic measures when the child reaches school age or adolescence.
For instance, conditions like scoliosis can be corrected and the suffering of a child reduced or eliminated altogether. Left untreated, such conditions can grow worse with time and may lead to more serious health problems or repeated injuries later in life. World-famous Jamaican track star Usain Bolt is just one example of someone who, with early chiropractic care, could have avoided a great deal of pain and suffering caused by his abnormally curved spine.
Although all chiropractors are trained in pediatrics, the DICCP’s professional specialization requires additional rigor. Coursework can include the following:
- Pediatric neurology
- Craniosacral therapy
- Pediatric orthopedics
- Pediatric radiology
- Pediatric sports injuries
- Pediatric nutrition
- Craniosacral/Myofascial
- Nutritional approach to autoimmune challenges
- Advanced techniques for infants and pregnant women
- Caring for special needs children
- Pediatric trauma and emergency medical procedures
This additional training allows chiropractic pediatricians to take care of children at every stage of their development, no matter what challenges beset them.