Pediatric Chiropractor in Urbandale, IA
Gentle Urbandale pediatric care: Building healthy kids today so we don’t have to fix sick adults tomorrow.
Not many parents make the choice to bring their kid to a chiropractor on a random day. What usually happens is they notice something. Their seven-year-old is complaining of frequent headaches. Their kid is slouching like a comma from screen time. The standard options have been exhausted, and nothing has worked.
Then they begin to ask questions. And this is exactly where we come in.
The parents in Urbandale have their hands full. We have two parents working households with the school year in full swing. There are travel tournaments for soccer on the weekends and screen time that no parent intended to give. All of this takes its toll on your kid's spine and nervous system. Kids wear backpacks that are too heavy, they spend hours sitting down, and they take up positions during the night. The body remembers, even at the age of six years.
I hear the following all the time from parents in this area:
Their kid has headaches with no identifiable cause
They haven't been able to sleep for months
They appear to be stressed, irritable, or just different
They've seen a pediatrician, but the situation just doesn't feel better.
These are not inconsequential. And too many parents feel out of options before they have a thought about a pediatric chiropractor.
This happens more than you might expect. Parents come to us for their own neck pain and they feel better. Then we'll hear that their eight-year-old has been struggling with sleep for months. This is the conversation that changes the trajectory for the entire family.
We get the most calls for families in the Urbandale Community School District right around the beginning of the school year, when the backpacks get filled. We work with infants, young children, middle schoolers, and high schoolers in club sports. Our techniques are gentle for kids and not what you would think of when considering adult adjustments. Gentle, specific and patient.
Being a parent myself, I understand. Parents will not hand over their kids to someone who is unable to explain what they're doing. That's what we do prior to every treatment. And that's why families stay and refer to their neighbors.
What Takes Place During a Child’s Initial Visit?
The first thing we do is discuss. Parents talk to me before the child gets on the table. We review the details with you.
Do they have problems sleeping or sitting?
Do they have trouble wearing their backpack?
Has your child had falls or bumps from sports?
What happens next is, many times, the parent will be surprised by how much the discussion covers. Because kids are often hesitant to let you know where it hurts.
Next, we do a fast postural assessment. I want to see how they're standing, how their back looks, if one shoulder is higher than the other. I see this every day in Urbandale in kids that spend hours at tablets and desks slouching, because their body conforms to what it does most, which can sometimes lead to discomfort that they're not necessarily feeling yet.
After that, the big question you have is about the adjustment itself. For the children I work with, the adjustments are very gentle. It's a little bit of pressure on a child that's very light, often no more than the pressure you'd use to test a ripe tomato. I've had many kids that didn't want to sit still, that didn't want me there that I had to make a joke, or I had to distract them. That's fine. I'll just wait for when they're ready.
Here's a typical first visit timeline:
Health and parent review
Postural and spine assessment
Show of findings and what we noticed
Walk-through of the adjustment before it's done
Child's gentle adjustment based on their age and what we see
Brief follow-up and what to expect after it's done
Most kids walk out feeling more relaxed than when they came in, and most parents feel more confident than when they came in. That's what we aim for each visit.
Conditions Pediatric Chiropractic Can Treat for Each Age
Parents tend to be surprised by the variety of things that we can help with. We see babies, young children and teens of all ages, with each age group having a unique set of issues. As your child reaches new milestones like crawling and walking, ensuring proper alignment is vital, because your baby’s movements are literally building their brain. A proper chiropractic care for kids ensures your baby growth is in safe hands.
Infants are one of the biggest groups that we see here in Urbandale because birth can be hard on a baby's spine and neck, even if everything goes right. There are those babies that have only one side they want to nurse on or only one way they want to look, and it's not a coincidence. It's an indication to the brain that something isn't right. The adjustment to the nervous system in a baby that we do is extremely light, not forceful, not dramatic, and parents are watching, and they often think it's different than expected.
Toddlers and early childhood children fall, a lot. That's their job at this age. Most falls aren't a problem, but many small bumps over time will cause a misalignment in the spine before the child feels any discomfort. We also encounter children in this category who may be struggling with sleep, have frequent ear infections, or have an immune system that is not responding optimally. We do not say we will "fix" these things; however, often by supporting the nervous system, we can facilitate the body in doing what it was meant to do.
We are also seeing more and more school-age children in the Walnut Creek area and the surrounding Urbandale area presenting to us with postural issues. Too much screen time, heavy backpacks, long periods of sitting at a desk, rounded shoulders, forward head posture, kids with three headaches a week. Their parents often say, well that's just normal, well, no that's not normal.
Some of the more common concerns we see of all ages are colic and feeding difficulties in babies; recurrent ear infections and compromised immune systems; postural and tech neck issues in school-age children; tension and headaches in older children and teens; sports-related injury and strains in active youth. The teenage years bring a whole new set of circumstances and issues on their own. They are involved in sports, stressed, in and on their phones all the time, but they respond just as well to care. It's amazing when a teenager says, "I feel better," and we see it throughout the body, not just in the back.
How the type of birth that occurred in your life may play a role in the need for an early evaluation by a chiropractor?
The type of birth may impact the new born in several ways:
C-section birth: The way in which a C-section is performed may put stress on the child's upper neck and cervical spine. The way in which the child is "pulled" may be very effective, very controlled, but the upper neck may have some significant stress.
Using vacuum or forceps to assist the birth: The use of vacuum, or forceps, or other means to assist a child may create stress on the neck and head of the newborn. There is a lot of potential for a baby to have upper cervical tension with these methods.
Long, hard labors: A baby may have pressure on the spine and head with a long birth, especially when not assisted with forceps or vacuum. In this circumstance, babies can develop restrictions to movement that we cannot identify without an exam.
Fast labors: A long birth is not the only thing that could impact an infant's upper neck. Sometimes babies can be born very quickly and it can be equally jarring to a baby's nervous system.
This does not necessarily mean that there is something "wrong" with your child, it simply means there are certain risks that we should be aware of so that we can offer you an early evaluation and care if needed, in the hopes to minimize issues such as colic, trouble breastfeeding, poor sleeping and the like that could potentially arise. And yes, a baby may not have been involved in a vacuum delivery or may not be a C-section; they could have even been born very quickly, which can still have potential to impact a child's neck.
Young Athletes and the Postural Patterns Parents Overlook
A mom or dad brings their child in for pain in their shoulders or neck and as soon as I observe how they move or stand I notice a pattern that everyone has missed. It is very common. Kids are very busy in Urbandale. Kids that play soccer, baseball, wrestling, or basketball typically play multiple sports throughout the year, and the body does pick up quite a bit. The activities do not create issues, but a young spine is developing, and the repetitive motion creates imbalances that increase with each repetition. A kid who pitches with his right arm all spring is loading one side of his body again. This happens fast.
Here are just a few postural patterns I see most often in young athletes:
One shoulder noticeably higher than the other
A head that juts forward after lots of screen time at home and at the sporting venue
Uneven hip rotation or tilt when we examine standing posture
A very tight upper back and neck that never release during or between the seasons
Young athletes that live around the Urbandale Community School District tend to be year-round athletes. That means that there is not really time for their body to reset and let their bodies recover. They may live in what I call a low-grade stress state with their nervous system and their posture reflects that. This is one of the many benefits of pediatric chiropractic care for young athletes that we find very useful.
Fixing a spinal restriction with a child is much easier than that restriction in an adult of twenty-five, which has been compensated by the child's body for sixteen years. If I can fix a problem early, that is great, but I must see it first, and that is what I do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chiropractic care actually safe for babies and young kids?
Yes, pediatric chiropractic care is safe when done by a trained chiropractor who works with children. The pressure used on a baby or young child is extremely light about the same pressure you'd use to test a ripe piece of fruit. Nothing like an adult adjustment. Before anything happens, I walk parents through every step. You'll know exactly what I'm doing and why. Most kids leave more relaxed than when they arrived.
How many visits will my child need before we see results?
Most parents notice something different after the first two or three visits. It depends on how long the issue has been built and your child's age. A baby with nursing preference on one side may respond quickly. A middle schooler with months of poor posture from screen time may take a little longer. After the first visit, I give you a clear picture of what I found and a realistic timeline so you're never guessing.
My child isn't in pain, do they still need a chiropractic check?
Pain is usually the last sign something is off, not the first. Kids who sit for hours, carry heavy backpacks, or play contact sports can develop spinal misalignments long before they feel discomfort. A quick postural check can catch things early like one shoulder sitting higher than the other; before they become a bigger problem. Think of it like a dental check. Don’t wait for toothache to see the dentist.
What should I bring to my child's first chiropractic visit in Urbandale?
Bring any recent pediatrician notes, a list of symptoms you've noticed, and your child's typical daily routine. Things like how long they sit at school, what their backpack weighs, and whether they play club sports all matter. Urbandale families often come in right at the start of the school year when backpacks get loaded up. The more you can share upfront, the better picture we get before the assessment even begins.
Can a chiropractor help my child with headaches or sleep problems?
Yes, these are two of the most common reasons Urbandale parents bring their kids in. Frequent headaches with no clear cause and months of poor sleep often connect back to tension in the spine and nervous system. We don't promise to fix everything, but by supporting the nervous system, we help the body do what it's built to do. Many parents tell us sleep improved within the first week or two after starting care.
What if my child won't sit still or is scared during the visit?
That happens all the time, and it's completely fine. I've worked with plenty of kids who wanted nothing to do with me at first. I'll use a distraction or simply wait until they're comfortable. There's no rush. The goal is for your child to feel safe, not pressured. Most kids who come in nervous end up relaxed by the time they leave and some even ask when they come back.
Start Your Child on the Path to Wellness Today
Put your child on the right path for the rest of their lives! Contact us today to schedule your child's first visit at our Urbandale location.
Pediatric Conditions We treat….
Colic Relief
Ear Infection Treatment
Waking up to a child’s middle-of-the-night ear pain is heartbreaking, especially when the cycle of pediatric visits and antibiotics never seems to end. If you’re tired of temporary fixes for recurring infections, you aren't alone—but there is a different way forward.
At Levels Family Chiropractic, we help Urbandale families break the cycle. Instead of just masking symptoms, we focus on the root cause of why these infections persist. By ensuring the body’s nervous system and drainage pathways function correctly, we empower your child to heal naturally. Stop managing the pain and start addressing the source.
As a premier Urbandale chiropractor, we specialize in helping families navigate the exhausting early challenges of parenthood by addressing the physical stressors behind colic. We believe every baby deserves the best start in life. Our approach focuses on ensuring your infant's nervous system functions without interference, allowing their body to regulate and heal naturally.
By removing underlying tension, we help restore peace to your home and health to your child. At Levels Family Chiropractic, our goal is to help your baby reach their highest potential for long-term wellness. Move beyond stress and support your baby’s development today.
