Conditions & Concerns
Family Wellness
Care for children and adults is individualized in technique and force.
Families often come in together, and their needs are not the same.
Technique and the amount of force used are always chosen for the individual person in front of us — an evaluation finding in an adult is not treated the same way as one in a child.
Why this matters
Habits around posture, movement and stress tend to form early, which is part of why some families want their children evaluated alongside themselves.
Many parents are looking for care that is conservative and grounded in evaluation rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, and that is the same standard we hold for every member of a family, regardless of age.
The brain & nervous-system connection
Where the nervous system fits in
Nervous-system development and the role of sensory input in that development are areas of ongoing scientific interest. Our role is to evaluate movement, posture and nervous-system-related function in each family member individually — not to treat or claim to influence childhood development.
What we look at
We look for patterns, not a single test
We don't evaluate someone based on a single symptom or a single test. We look for patterns across several areas of function, and those patterns are what guide the care we recommend.
- Detailed health history and consultation
- NeuroInfiniti Stress Response Evaluation
- Posture and movement
- Balance and coordination testing
- Eye movement or neurological screening when appropriate
- Grip or motor-function testing when appropriate
- Palpation and spinal function
- Other examination procedures based on the individual
Not every person receives every test. What we perform depends on your history, your age and what the examination shows as we go.
How we approach care
Evaluation comes before treatment. Foothills Chiropractic is a neurologically based office, which means we start with how your brain, nervous system and spine are functioning, and let those findings — not simply where you hurt — guide what we recommend.
Not everyone is adjusted the same way. Technique and force may vary with age, examination findings, health history, comfort and clinical judgment. Dr. Geran is trained in several chiropractic techniques and chooses based on findings rather than preference alone.
Chiropractic is one part of a broader health picture. When findings fall outside our scope, Dr. Geran may recommend referral or co-management, and progress is reassessed over time rather than judged only by how you feel on a particular day.
Dr. Mike Geran practices at Foothills Chiropractic in Travelers Rest, SC, and sees patients from across the Furman University area and the surrounding Upstate communities.
Scope of care
What this does — and doesn't — mean
What we do
- • We evaluate chiropractic and musculoskeletal function.
- • We look at nervous-system-related functional findings that fall within our scope.
- • We assess movement, balance and coordination findings.
- • We measure stress-response patterns with the NeuroInfiniti evaluation.
- • We make individualized chiropractic care recommendations and re-measure over time.
What we don't claim
- • We do not diagnose, treat or cure diseases.
- • Chiropractic care is not a treatment for dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other neurological diseases.
- • Chiropractic care is not a replacement for medical care, testing or medication.
- • No outcome is promised. Results vary from person to person.
Medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment or co-management may be needed when findings or symptoms warrant it, and Dr. Mike Geran will say so.
Evidence
What does the research say?
We separate two different kinds of evidence: research into the brain, the nervous system and healthy aging, and research on chiropractic or manual therapy itself. Each summary is labelled, and each links to the primary source rather than a secondary summary.
We are continuing to review published research relevant to this topic and will add sourced, linked studies here as that work is completed.
We periodically update this section as new research becomes available.
Explore this topic
Explore Family Wellness
Articles and, over time, short videos on this topic. Anything still in draft is marked as such rather than presented as finished guidance.
Why Chiropractic Can Be Part of a Family Health Plan
How families use conservative care.
Family WellnessBabies and Chiropractic
What care looks like — and does not look like — for infants.
Family WellnessThe 5 Essentials of Family Health
A simple framework families can actually use.
Specific concerns in this area
- Chiari Malformation
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Growing-Related Musculoskeletal Pain
- Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease
- Postpartum Back & Pelvic Pain
- Prenatal Back Pain
- Prenatal Headaches
- Prenatal Sciatica
- Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction
- Round Ligament Pain
- Scoliosis-Related Pain & Mobility Problems
- Torticollis
Related topics at Foothills Chiropractic
- Brain Health & Healthy Aging — How well the brain and nervous system coordinate movement, balance, stress and recovery matters to how we experience aging.
- Focus, Attention & Brain Function — Attention is a nervous-system function, and it is influenced by stress, sleep and input.
Common questions
- Do you see children?
- Yes. Every person, regardless of age, is evaluated before any care is recommended.
- Is care for children different?
- Yes. Force and technique are chosen based on the child's age, examination findings and comfort, and are never the same as what is used with an adult by default.
- Do you make health claims for children?
- No. We do not diagnose, treat or make outcome claims for children any more than we do for adults. We evaluate function and make individualized recommendations.
When medical evaluation may be needed
Some symptoms need medical evaluation first. If anything in your history or examination suggests that, we will say so and help point you in the right direction.
Think Foothills Chiropractic might be right for you?
Start Here walks you through what the process looks like, so you can decide whether taking the next step makes sense for you.