De-Stress Your Kids In Tokyo

Tokyo Chiropractor Dr Ariel Thorpe
Jun 24
3 min read

Adults are familiar with stress, but what about children? As a chiropractor, Dr. Ariel at Electra Chiropractic in Tokyo cares for whole families, including babies, toddlers, and teenagers. These crucial early years are when chiropractic can play a key role in managing stress through healthy brain development and nervous system regulation.

How Children Experience Stress in Tokyo

The effects of stress can manifest in kids through a variety of conditions:

Nocturnal enuresis, commonly known as bedwetting, can be the result of stress. For kids, even a small event - whether emotional or a fall - can trigger a stress response.
School stress, even as early as graduating from kindergarten to year 1, can be a source of stress for kids in Tokyo.
Pharmaceutical overdoses in teens was on the rise from 2020 through 2023, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency in Tokyo. Stress associated with drug use can be a catch-22, as the initial use may be an attempt to relieve stress but the stress of drugs themselves creates substantial health issues, causing more stress and potentially life-threatening conditions. Studies have found correlations between drug abuse and lack of healthy parent-teen relationships.
Childhood epilepsy in kids in Japan is even potentially linked to a mother’s stress levels during pregnancy.

Chiropractors Can Help Stressed Kids and Teens In Tokyo

Although these symptoms and conditions might appear to be isolated issues for young people, chiropractors frequently find that children with these problems have vertebral subluxations disrupting their nervous systems' communication with the rest of the body. When the spine is properly aligned and mobile, children's bodies are exceptionally capable of self-correcting and healing, resulting in healthy, symptom-free kids and teens.

Avoiding The Triggers Of Stress In Teens and Kids

It’s not enough to deal with a condition once a kid is in a highly stressed state. In addition to getting babies and kids checked by a chiropractor, the stressor itself must be identified and handled. Ideally the stressor can be eliminated, but if it is unavoidable then it’s up to the family to find the support and tools to manage it. Especially in situations where the child is showing symptoms or has a condition that is linked to maternal and/or paternal stress, it is essential that parents also start using their own stress management techniques. These tips are helpful for reducing childhood stress naturally:

Mindfulness and meditation. Especially now in the era of Zoom, many guided meditations are available online. Some children may find lying or sitting still a challenge in the beginning, in which case start with mindfulness practices while moving. Encourage the child to start and finish one task before switching to another. Ask your child questions - and listen to their answers - about the immediate activity to keep their attention focused on the present moment.
Creating art. Providing the space, time, and art materials can move a child’s mind into a place of exploration and communication. Some kids are more visual, especially as they are still learning to write and speak.
Open communication. Ask kids what is going on in their lives. Create a daily ritual of spending time together as a family, perhaps at a meal time. The earlier a family can implement this routine the better so that as the child grows up, they already have the support system in place.
Limit screen time. Aside from essential educational activities, start tracking and reducing screen time. Is the tablet, phone, or computer essential to their development or is it a substitute nanny? Using devices is becoming an epidemic in young people as chiropractors are seeing degenerative changes in spines earlier and earlier, resulting in more corrective chiropractic care. The easiest - and cheapest - way to avoid this is to reduce time allowed slumped over a device, which creates undue strain on the spine and nervous system.