Pediatric & prenatal chiropractic in Coral Springs

What pediatric chiropractic is — and what it isn’t

Pediatric chiropractic is gentle, hands-on care for a child’s developing spine, pelvis and posture. It bears no resemblance to the adjustments adults picture: an infant visit uses only light fingertip pressure — about the force you would use to check whether a tomato is ripe — and there is no sudden movement and none of the popping sounds parents sometimes expect. Older children and teens receive light, specific techniques scaled to their size.

What it is for: supporting comfortable movement, balanced posture and a spine that moves freely as a child grows, after the physical demands of birth, through the falls of toddlerhood, and into the backpack, screen and sports years. Chiropractic adjustment is a hands-on treatment that restores joint motion and eases muscle tension; the Cleveland Clinic describes it as generally safe when performed by a trained, licensed provider (Cleveland Clinic, Chiropractic Adjustment).

What it is not for: pediatric chiropractic does not treat or cure colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies, reflux or any medical condition, and we do not claim it does. Those belong with your pediatrician. If a concern is outside what gentle structural care can help, we will say so plainly and point you to the right provider. That honesty is the foundation of family care in our Coral Springs office.

Why do families bring babies and kids to a chiropractor?

The reasons are structural and practical, not medical. These are the most common in Coral Springs and Parkland families:

• After a long, difficult or assisted delivery. Birth is physically demanding for a newborn; a gentle check of neck and spinal motion is the most common reason new parents visit.
• A head-turn preference or one-sided tension. A baby who always looks one way, or feeds more comfortably on one side, may have restricted neck motion that gentle care can ease — alongside the pediatrician’s evaluation for torticollis.
• Feeding posture. Comfortable neck and jaw motion supports a comfortable latch position; we work with your lactation consultant, never in place of one.
• Toddler tumbles and milestones. Learning to sit, crawl and walk — and falling constantly while doing it — leaves small areas of tension that are easy to ease early.
• Posture, backpacks and screens. School-age children and teens with slouched posture, neck or mid-back aches, or heavy backpack strain. See our posture correction page.
• Young athletes. Growth-spurt stiffness, sports strains and recovery for kids in travel soccer, baseball, gymnastics and dance; see sports injury rehab.

Is pediatric chiropractic safe?

When it is gentle, appropriate to the child’s age and performed by a licensed provider who screens carefully, pediatric chiropractic has a good safety record. The safeguards matter more than the technique, and these are ours:

• Fingertip-light force. Infant contacts are light pressure held gently; children and teens receive low-force, specific techniques — never adult-style manipulation on a small spine.
• A thorough history and exam first. Every child is examined before anything is done, and we adjust only what needs support.
• Red flags are referred, not treated. Fever, lethargy, unexplained weight loss, persistent vomiting, limb weakness, or pain after significant trauma go to the pediatrician or urgent care first.
• Coordination with your pediatrician. We work alongside your child’s medical team and respect its lead; chiropractic never replaces vaccinations, well-child visits or medical treatment.
• Parents stay in the room, always. You see everything, and we explain every step in plain language.

For prenatal visits, the same principle applies: gentle, pregnancy-safe techniques, belly-supported tables, no X-rays, and coordination with your OB or midwife. Our prenatal chiropractic care page covers pregnancy care trimester by trimester.

How pediatric chiropractic works at TSAWC

Family care in our office follows the same 4R Method — Repair, Rebuild, Regenerate, Refine — that guides adult care, scaled to a child’s size and stage and with the lightest touch that helps. Dr. Yael Porat provides much of our pediatric and prenatal care.

R1 · Repair — ease the restriction

For infants, Repair means light fingertip contacts that ease restricted motion in the neck, upper back or pelvis after birth. For older children it means gentle, specific adjustments for a stiff neck or mid-back, and for teens, care for the sports strains and growth-spurt stiffness that come with being active. Visits are short, spaced out and reassessed often — a few visits over a few weeks is typical, not a long program.

R2 · Rebuild — support good patterns

For school-age children and teens, Rebuild means posture habits that stick: backpack fit, screen and desk setup, simple strengthening for the upper back and core, and movement coaching through physical therapy when a young athlete needs it. For toddlers, it mostly means letting them keep tumbling.

R3 and R4 · Regenerate and Refine

For kids, Regenerate rarely applies — children recover beautifully on their own. Refine is the family rhythm many of our Coral Springs and Parkland families settle into: an occasional check as a baby becomes a toddler, a posture visit at the start of a school year, a tune-up during a sports season. We would always rather see a child improve and space visits out than keep them coming longer than needed.

5 proven facts parents should know about pediatric chiropractic

Clear answers to the questions parents ask most before a first visit:

1. It is gentle by design. Infant care is fingertip pressure; there is no cracking, twisting or sudden movement at any age.
2. It is structural, not medical. The aim is comfortable motion and posture. It does not treat illness, and a provider who promises otherwise should be questioned.
3. Fewer visits, not more. Children respond quickly; care is a handful of visits reassessed often, not a long package.
4. The pediatrician leads. We coordinate with your child’s medical team and refer anything outside our scope.
5. Parents decide. You are in the room, you see everything, and you can stop at any time.

What to expect at your child’s first two visits

We measure before we treat — gently, playfully, and at your child’s pace.

Visit one — we measure (and usually begin care)

1. A real conversation. The pregnancy and birth, your child’s sleep, feeding and milestones, any falls or sports, and what you have noticed — a head-turn preference, a slouch, a complaint of aching.
2. A gentle, age-appropriate exam. For infants, observation of head and neck motion, hip and pelvic symmetry and how they move; for older children, posture, spinal range of motion, a check of the shoulders, hips and feet, and a neurological screen. Playful and low-key.
3. Surface scanning when appropriate. For school-age children and teens, surface EMG and thermal scanning show where the muscles along the spine are guarding — touch-free and painless. Not used for infants.
4. X-rays rarely. Only for older children when a specific concern such as scoliosis screening calls for it, and never routinely.

Visit two — your findings and your plan

Your child’s findings explained plainly, with an honest recommendation — including ‘nothing needs doing’ when that is the answer. When gentle care is appropriate, it begins at this visit and is reassessed each time. For a teen or parent with their own spine questions, the 60-second spine assessment is a good starting point.

Prenatal care for mom, family care for everyone

One of the things families value most is staying with the same office from pregnancy into a baby’s first year and beyond. Many moms begin prenatal care partway through pregnancy for back, hip or pelvic pain, continue gently through the third trimester, and then bring the newborn in for a gentle check when they feel ready.

That continuity means we already know your history and your goals, and it lets care for mom and baby be planned together — around naps, feedings and school pickups. Dads, grandparents and teenagers are welcome too; whole-family chiropractic care is how many Coral Springs and Parkland households use our office.

• New parents: the lifting, carrying and feeding postures of the first year are hard on a mother’s neck, upper back and wrists — see upper back pain and carpal tunnel.
• Postpartum: gentle pelvic and low back care as ligaments tighten again after delivery, with massage therapy for the tension of the fourth trimester.
• Little ones welcome: children can come along to a parent’s visit; our team is happy to help plan appointments around your family’s day.

When a child needs the pediatrician instead

Some signs are never chiropractic problems and need medical evaluation the same day: fever in an infant, lethargy or a child who is hard to wake, persistent vomiting, a stiff neck with fever or rash, limb weakness or loss of a skill they had, severe pain after a fall or sports collision, or any head injury with vomiting, confusion or drowsiness. If any of these apply, please see a doctor or urgent care today.

For the everyday reasons families come in — a post-birth check, a head-turn preference, a slouching teenager, a young athlete who is stiff and sore — gentle pediatric chiropractic is what we offer families across Coral Springs and Parkland, with honest expectations and your pediatrician in the loop.

Serving families across North Broward

Our clinic at 5675 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076 serves Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Margate, Boca Raton, Tamarac, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. Same-day appointments are usually available — call (954) 341-2256 or book online. Most patients from Parkland and Coral Springs are here in under 15 minutes.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jared Cohen, DC — Co-Founder & Clinical Director, The Spine and Wellness Center. Last reviewed October 2026.

Frequently asked questions