Neuroplasticity in 4 Easy Steps to Help Your Child
As parents, one of the most encouraging truths about your child’s brain is this: it is constantly changing, adapting, and growing. This ability is called neuroplasticity—the brain’s capacity to form and strengthen connections based on experience, movement, and learning. Research shows that neuroplasticity is shaped by environmental input and stimulation, influencing everything from motor skills to behavior and learning. In simple terms, your child’s brain becomes better at what it practices. Pediatric chiropractic care focuses on supporting the nervous system—especially the communication between the brain and body—helping create an environment where these positive changes can occur more efficiently.
From my research and reading, there are four key ingredients that help drive neuroplasticity: novelty, frequency, intensity, and duration. First, the brain thrives on new and novel experiences. When children are exposed to new movements, sensations, or challenges, their brains are more likely to form new connections. Frequency matters because repetition strengthens these connections—what your child does consistently becomes wired into their nervous system (“nerves that fire together wire together”)*. This is supported by neuroscience research showing that repeated stimulation reinforces neural pathways and improves function. Intensity refers to how engaged and activated the nervous system is during an activity, while duration reflects how long and consistently these inputs are applied over time. Studies demonstrate that intensity and duration together influence the degree of neuroplastic change in brain networks. When all four elements are present, the brain is given the best opportunity to adapt and grow.
This is where pediatric chiropractic care can play a supportive role. Gentle, neurologically-focused adjustments provide novel sensory input to the brain and body, helping “wake up” areas of the nervous system that may not be communicating optimally. Brain-based chiropractic adjustments are new and unexpected inputs (new); the body does not receive these sorts of spinal corrections throughout a typical day unless they go to a pediatric chiropractor. Through regular visits (frequency), appropriate care plans (duration), and targeted adjustments that engage the nervous system (intensity), chiropractic care may help reinforce healthier brain-body connections. Emerging research even shows measurable changes in brain activity following chiropractic care, suggesting it can influence neuroplastic processes. For parents, this means that consistent, supportive pediatric chiropractic care—combined with movement, play, and enriched experiences—can help your child build stronger foundations for growth, learning, and overall well-being.
Recently, when calling a company to order a product, I gave my email address (rubinchiropractic@gmail.com) to them for verification. This person then said, “I’ve heard about bringing kids to a chiropractor…what is it that you do?” I told her that “the brain and the body are connected by the spine, so that everything we feel and everything we do is because of that connection. If something is interfering with that connection, there will be a consequence. That’s what we do…we reconnect the disconnected areas!” I then found a referral in her area from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association website: https://icpa4kids.com/find-a-pediatric-chiropractor/ Another kid’s going to be better!
*[More on this in a future blog post]
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