Treating children but not taking a crack at it

Janelle Meares always knows when her four-year-old son Riley's ''naughty bone'' is out.

But only hours after he sees his chiropractor, Tim*, ''he'll be back to the old Riley,'' she says.

Ms Meares takes Riley to his chiropractor for help with behavioural issues, although she first used the treatment for her children when her eldest daughter, Kaitlyn, was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies.

She and her husband had both seen chiropractors in the past, and when she read online that it could help with food allergies, she decided to take Kaitlyn along.

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''It did improve her allergies but whether or not that is a coincidence I don't know,'' she said.

She believes it is wrong to say parents like her would take their children to a chiropractor instead of seeking medical treatment.

''I would always go to my GP first - not that I don't trust Tim, but at the end of the day Tim is a chiropractor, not a GP,'' she said.

''You want to make sure that your kids are fine and healthy, and [the treatment] is a real positive for Riley.'' She said she saw improvements in behaviour and sleep after her children saw the chiropractor. The visits are partly covered by private health insurance. But Ms Meares said she would not accept chiropractic treatment for her children that involved the physical cracking seen in some adult treatments.

Instead, Tim uses an Activator, a spring-loaded device that needs a very small amount of force.

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Treating children but not taking a crack at it