BACKGROUND: The number of children receiving chiropractic care is on the rise. According to the American Chiropractic Association, the percentage of chiropractic patients under 17 years of age has increased at least 8.5 percent since 1991. One Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reports that nearly 3 percent of children in the United States were treated with chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation in 2007. This makes chiropractic care the second most common form of complementary or alternative medicine for kids, the most common form being the use of natural products such as fish or herbs.

Parents have reported numerous reasons for taking their children to the chiropractor. The most common reasons are typical back and neck pains. New to the list are issues such as asthma, chronic ear infections, nursing difficulties, colic and bedwetting. Chiropractors will admit that their success stories are not studies. Their work is not backed by the studies that would be necessary if their techniques were a drug. The president of the American Chiropractic Association's council, Elise Hewitt, was quoted as saying, "There is insufficient proof that (alternative practices) are safe and effective."

RISK FACTORS: Although there have been a few randomized controlled trials (RTCs) that have reported significant clinical benefits for kids receiving chiropractic care, experts agree future studies are needed. Researchers caution parents not to rely on chiropractic care as the primary treatment for serious conditions like cancer.

The official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study stating certain risks associated with chiropractic treatment of children, including damage as a result of immaturity of the spine. The journal says rotational manipulation of the cervical spine and high-velocity spinal manipulations are especially risky for kids.

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