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Home / Conditions / Chiropractor for Kids
Dr Oliver Dans provides gentle, age-appropriate chiropractic care for children at Integrating Wellness, working with families across Bannockburn and the Golden Plains. From newborns to teenagers, the approach is adapted to the child’s age, size, and presenting needs.
Dr Oliver Dans
Paediatric chiropractic care uses techniques that are fundamentally different from adult adjustment. There are no high-velocity manipulations on a child’s spine. The pressure used is gentle and precisely applied, adapted to the child’s age and size. For newborns, the pressure is often no more than the gentle touch you would use to check a ripe tomato.
Dr Oliver’s approach with children is thorough, fully explained to both parent and child throughout, and nothing proceeds if a child is unsettled or uncomfortable.
Children present to a kids chiropractor for a wide range of reasons. Some parents bring their children after a specific incident. Others come because something has been gradually developing without a clear explanation. Common presentations include:
Forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and spinal loading from heavy school bags are increasingly common in children. Growing pains in the legs, particularly at night, can also have a musculoskeletal component that chiropractic assessment can help identify and address.
Some parents seek chiropractic assessment for infants experiencing colic, unsettled behaviour, or feeding difficulties. The assessment looks at the musculoskeletal system, including the cervical spine and jaw mechanics, for any physical contributors to the child’s presentation. Chiropractic care does not claim to treat colic as a condition, but where physical tension or restricted movement is identified as a contributing factor, addressing those findings can support the infant’s comfort.
Physical tension, postural discomfort, or nervous system dysregulation can all contribute to poor sleep in children. Where these factors are identified through assessment, chiropractic care can form part of a broader approach to supporting more settled sleep patterns.
Dr Oliver has additional training in supporting children with developmental, behavioural, and learning-related presentations through reflex integration. This approach assesses whether retained primitive reflexes are contributing to the child’s presenting picture and works to support their integration. It is used alongside, not instead of, other professional support the family may already be accessing.
Chiropractic assessment for sports injuries in children considers the growing spine and joints specifically, and treatment reflects that.
Some parents bring their children for periodic assessment as a preventive measure, particularly during growth spurts or periods of high physical demand. Paediatric chiropractic care in this context is about identifying and addressing developing patterns before they become symptomatic.
The childrens chiro approach at Integrating Wellness reflects where the child is developmentally. A newborn assessment looks entirely different from an assessment for a twelve-year-old.
For infants and young children, assessment involves gentle palpation of the spine and cranium, and treatment uses light fingertip pressure rather than any form of thrust or manipulation. For older children and teenagers, the approach transitions gradually toward techniques closer to adult care, always guided by the child’s comfort and the clinical presentation.
Dr Oliver takes the time to explain what he is doing and why at every step. Children who understand what is happening are generally far more at ease, and parents who can see exactly what is involved are better placed to make informed decisions about their child’s care.
Children can be assessed by a chiropractor from birth. Newborns are sometimes brought in following a difficult delivery where cervical strain or positional asymmetry has been observed. Toddlers and young children may present with postural patterns developing early. School-age children often come in with backpack load, sports injuries, or postural issues from screens and desks. Teenagers present similarly to adults, with the added consideration of a spine that is still growing and developing.
There is no age minimum for a chiropractic assessment. The approach simply changes to reflect where the child is developmentally.
The first visit begins with a thorough history from the parent, covering the child’s presenting concerns, birth history, developmental milestones, and any relevant medical background. Dr Oliver then conducts a gentle physical assessment of the spine, posture, and relevant neurological signs, explaining each step as he goes.
Treatment at the first visit is introduced gradually. At the end of the visit, Dr Oliver explains what he found, whether further care is appropriate, and what that would involve. Parents leave with a clear picture of the findings and the next steps.
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Dr Oliver Dans holds a Masters in Chiropractic with additional qualifications in Applied Kinesiology and specialist training in supporting children with developmental, behavioural, and learning-related presentations, including reflex integration. He has worked with children across all age groups throughout his more than ten years of clinical practice.
Many families in the Golden Plains region have historically travelled to Geelong for paediatric chiropractic care. Dr Oliver’s presence at the Golden Plains Medical Centre in Bannockburn makes that level of care locally accessible for families in Bannockburn, Lethbridge, Meredith, Inverleigh, and across the wider shire.
If you have questions about whether chiropractic care is appropriate for your child, the first consultation is the right place to explore that. Book for $79, which includes a full assessment, clear explanation of findings, and initial treatment where appropriate.
Yes. The approach used for infants and young children involves gentle, precisely applied pressure with no thrusts or manipulations. Dr Oliver explains every step throughout and adjusts his approach based on the child’s response. Parents are present and informed at all times.
Paediatric chiropractic care addresses musculoskeletal contributors to a child’s presenting picture. Common reasons parents bring children include postural issues, growing pains, sports injuries, birth-related cervical strain, sleep difficulties, infant unsettledness, and developmental or behavioural presentations where reflex integration assessment is sought. Chiropractic care works alongside other professional support the family is accessing, not as a replacement for it.
For infants and young children, the techniques are so gentle that most children do not react at all. Older children may notice a mild sense of pressure or movement, similar to what an adult experiences, though scaled to their size and presentation. Dr Oliver adjusts his approach based on the child’s response and comfort throughout the session. Nothing proceeds if a child is distressed.
From birth. Newborns are sometimes assessed following a difficult or assisted delivery where strain to the cervical spine or cranium may have occurred. The assessment for a newborn is entirely observational and palpatory, with any treatment using the lightest possible touch. Parents are present and involved throughout.
Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns present from birth that are designed to integrate, or become incorporated into more complex movement, as the nervous system matures. When these reflexes are retained beyond the expected developmental window, they can contribute to difficulties with coordination, learning, attention, and behaviour. Reflex integration assessment identifies whether retained reflexes are part of a child’s presenting picture, and supports their integration through specific gentle movements and exercises. It is not a treatment for developmental conditions but a way of addressing one potential contributing factor within a broader care approach.
If you have noticed postural changes, complaints of back or neck pain, difficulty with certain movements, or patterns in sleep, feeding, or behaviour that have not been explained by other assessments, a chiropractic assessment is a reasonable next step. Dr Oliver will give you an honest picture of what he finds and whether chiropractic care is appropriate, or whether a different referral pathway is more suitable.
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