No parent likes to see their child hurting, so when a little one comes to you with pain on their face, it’s very easy to give them painkillers or something from the drugstore. All of us want to help our children feel better, so why not?
The problem with this is that many of these quick fixes wreak havoc on the body and the little one is then in a worse place than they started. Acetaminophen, for instance, though an easy answer for pain relief and fevers, has many hidden dangers.
According to NIH’s PubMed website:
Acetaminophen/paracetamol is the most widely used drug of the world. At the same time, it is probably one of the most dangerous compounds in medical use, causing hundreds of deaths in all industrialized countries due to acute liver failure (ALF). Publications of the last 130 years found in the usual databases were analyzed.
Sherlock This Home
If someone is in pain, it means something is going on under the surface that needs to be addressed. The key to pain relief is finding what is causing it.
Does your child have a headache? How much water have they had? Screen time? Food? What kind of food have they had–something full of sugar or preservatives or allergies? Are they stressed? Have they recently taken a tumble?
Does the child have a stomachache? Could they have a gut infection? Are they hungry? Did they eat too much? Did they eat something they’re allergic to? Are they scared or stressed? How much sugar have they had recently?
Does the little one have a fever? Good! That means their body is fighting something off. Help the fever rather than the infection.
Does the little one in question have a cough or a runny nose? How much sugar or dairy have they had recently? Help them fight the cold without being miserable with these tips.
The Three T’s
If you’ve been around The Wellness Way or another chiropractor for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard of the three T’s. Toxins, traumas, and thoughts. These three things are, more often than not, the culprit for illness or pain. Become the detective your child needs and figure out what sort of pain relief is necessary.
Toxins
Toxins can come from many places, and result in inflammation throughout the body. If you’re inflamed in your joints, your joints hurt; if your muscles or organs are inflamed, pain is centered around that inflammation.
Air and water often hide toxins that can be responsible for the inflammation and subsequent pain. How good is your air or water filter? Have you replaced it recently? The household cleaners used around the house, and air fresheners can also be big sources of toxins. Allergies, too, cause inflammation and trigger the immune response.
What can you do?
Get your child’s allergies tested, and, until you get your results back, cut out things like sugar, dairy, and naturally inflammatory foods that do your body more harm than good.
Get the little one’s gut tested to see if they’re fighting a gut infection, and how to combat it.
Do your research to find good air and water filters and replace them regularly. We at The Wellness Way highly suggest the Triad Aer air filter.
Replace your household cleaners with these cleaner options.
Have the little one keep drinking water to flush the toxins out of their system. If they get bored of water easily, try some of our infusion recipes to make it more fun and tasty.
Traumas
Has your little one taken a tumble recently? It’s a common thing to happen in childhood–falling off a playground, out of a tree, off a deck, running into the side of a pool because their eyes are closed as they swim. The impact of the hit can reverberate through the body and easily knock things out of balance or twist this or that. Something as simple as a stubbed toe or twisted ankle can impact the rest of the body.
What can you do?
Get adjusted–return your body to its intended alignment to take the extra pressure off the impacted areas and restore proper function.
Encourage the little one to take some extra rest to temporarily take the pressure off.
You can also let the little one use something like a hot water bottle to provide a bit more pain relief. Don’t use a heating sock, as microwaves can pose hidden dangers. The placebo effect of a special blanket can also help.
Diffuse some healthy, clean essential oils to also calm the little one’s mind and let them sleep.
Thoughts
The way you think has more of an impact on your body than you might think. We’ve all heard of the placebo effect and the power of suggestion. More than that, anxiety and mental health issues have a large impact on your lifestyle, and vice versa.
How stressed is your child? We all know things like school can provide stress, but stress can also come from things as simple as a messy room or little sleep.
What can you do?
Let your little one have time to be a child–to get outside and play in the dirt and their imagination. Play and getting outside are stress relievers for both children and adults–join them outside and have a tea party or storm a castle. Have a candid conversation with them about how they’re feeling and if anything is stressing them or causing them to be scared or afraid.
No one likes to see those they care about in pain–the best way to keep it from happening is to work with the body and strengthen it in the areas it needs. To get adjusted, order a Triad Aer filter, or learn more about how to help your family’s bodies support themselves, contact a Wellness Way clinic today!
