Chiropractic care for children: too much, too little or not enough?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Chiropractic Care
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Clinical Management

Background:

• Thematic series on chiropractic care for children commissioned to update clinicians.
• Need for current best evidence in pediatric chiropractic evaluation and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• Provide an overview of a thematic series on chiropractic care for children.
• Synthesize current evidence and identify future research opportunities.

Main Methods:

• Review of individual articles within the thematic series.
• Synthesis of evidence on chiropractic management of pediatric musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions.
• Evaluation of chiropractic care for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Main Results:

• Articles cover chiropractic approaches for children, musculoskeletal/non-musculoskeletal conditions, ADHD, and adverse effects.
• Overview of current evidence and future research directions for pediatric chiropractic care.

Conclusions:

• Discussion of strengths and weaknesses in contemporary research on pediatric chiropractic care.
• Implications of current evidence for chiropractic practice with children.
• Highlights the need for continued research to inform best practices.