Chiropractic care for children and teens in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Kids on St. Thomas swim, sail, surf, play ball for their schools, and carry backpacks up hills that make adults stop for breath. Some end up with a sore back, a stiff neck, or a knee or heel that hurts after practice, and parents want to know who on island will look at it. This page explains what Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness in Charlotte Amalie does for children and teenagers, how it differs from adult care, and when the right first stop is your pediatrician instead of us.

Dr. Keys sees children of all ages, from infants a few months old through teenagers. We see them for musculoskeletal problems only: joints, muscles, and the spine. That is a deliberate limit, and it applies to babies as well. Colic, ear infections, feeding and sleep problems belong with your pediatrician. Many childhood aches have nothing to do with the spine and need a pediatrician. The exam comes first, and if it says you are in the wrong office, we tell you that day and point you to the right one.

What we see in children and teens

• Sports injuries. Rolled ankles, knee pain in runners and jumpers, shoulder pain in swimmers and pitchers, heel pain in soccer players, and low back pain in gymnasts, dancers, and teenagers who just started lifting. Our knee pain and heel pain pages cover the adult versions; in kids the causes are often different.
• Posture, backpacks, and screens. A loaded backpack on one shoulder, hours on a phone or tablet with the head dropped forward, and a desk that does not fit leave a teenager with a stiff neck and upper back. See our neck pain page.
• Growth-related aches. Pain just below the kneecap (Osgood-Schlatter) and pain at the back of the heel (Sever's) are common in active kids between about 9 and 15. They are irritations at the growth plate and usually settle as the child finishes growing. We do not claim to fix them. A clinician has to sort them out from something that needs more attention. Where it helps, we check the foot, ankle, and hip mechanics around the sore spot and work out a sensible training load with the parent and coach.
• Scoliosis screening. Pre-teens and teens going through a growth spurt should have their spines checked for a curve. We screen for scoliosis in children and teens. See our scoliosis page for what we can and cannot do.
• Headaches in teens. Many teen headaches start in a stiff neck and a lot of screen time. Our headaches and migraines page covers when a headache needs a physician instead.

Teen athletes are also covered on our athletes and sports injuries page.

How care for a child is different from care for an adult

It is lighter. Techniques for children and teenagers use lower force than adult adjusting: instrument adjusting, gentle mobilization, and soft tissue work, matched to the size and age of the child. There is no reason to push hard on a growing spine, and we do not. A teenager close to adult size may be treated more like an adult; a younger child is not.

X-rays are not routine for children. X-rays are rarely needed for adolescents; whether one is taken depends on the child's history and condition.

Dr. Keys is the Chair of the Virgin Islands Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a member of the Virgin Islands Chiropractic Society, and the International Chiropractors Association representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What a first visit looks like for parents

A parent or guardian must be present at every visit for a minor and signs the consent forms. It starts with a history, taken with you and your child together: what hurts, when it started, what sport is involved, any falls, and anything else going on with their health. Then an exam of posture, how the spine and the sore joint move, strength, and a short screen for things that belong with a physician. Dr. Keys explains what he found and lays out a plan, usually a few visits plus exercises and changes to the backpack, desk, or training schedule. If we are not the right place, we say so at that visit and tell you who is. New patient forms are at forms, and a general first visit is described at what to expect.

When to see someone else first

Some symptoms in a child need a pediatrician or the emergency room before anyone considers hands-on care. Go there first if your child has:

• Back pain under about age 10 with no clear injury to explain it
• Fever with back or neck pain
• Night pain that wakes them from sleep
• A limp with no injury to explain it
• Pain along with weight loss, or a child who looks unwell
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in an arm or leg
• Any change in bowel or bladder control
• A fall from height, a hard hit to the head or neck, or a collision in a car or on the field

Suspected concussions also go to a physician first. If we find any of these during an exam, we stop and refer you.

Getting seen

Call (340) 690-4994 or email info@tradewindschiropractic.com. We take walk-ins and same-day appointments. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday hours run until 7:00 pm, after school and practice. We are in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, St. Thomas, USVI 00802, just east of Charlotte Amalie. Hours are Mon, Wed, Thu: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Tue, Fri: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Closed Sat and Sun. Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness has more than 180 five-star Google reviews.

Questions patients ask

Is there a pediatric chiropractor in the USVI?

Tradewinds Chiropractic in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas sees children and teenagers for musculoskeletal problems: sports injuries, back and neck pain from backpacks and screens, and scoliosis checks. Dr. Bradley Keys examines first and uses lower-force techniques for kids. Call (340) 690-4994 to book.

Do you see kids in St. Thomas, and how young?

Dr. Keys sees children of all ages, from infants a few months old through teenagers. Care is for joint, muscle, and spine problems only. A parent or guardian must be present at every visit for a minor and signs the consent forms. If your child's problem is not one we should handle, we tell you at the first visit and point you to a pediatrician.

My teenager has back pain from sports or a heavy backpack. Who do I see in St. Thomas?

Start with us if the pain came on with a sport, a heavy backpack, or long hours at a desk or screen, and there are no red flags. We examine the spine and the sport involved, treat with gentle techniques, and change the load that caused it. Back pain with fever, night pain, numbness, weakness, or a hard fall should go to a pediatrician or the emergency room first.

Is chiropractic safe for children and teenagers?

When the techniques are chosen for the age and size of the child and an exam comes first, the care is gentle and low force. We use instrument adjusting and mild mobilization rather than adult-strength adjusting on growing spines. The bigger risk in children is a missed diagnosis, which is why we screen for problems that belong with a physician and refer when we find them.

Can you check my child for scoliosis?

Yes. We screen for scoliosis in children and teens. X-rays are rarely needed for adolescents; whether one is taken depends on the child's history and condition. We document what we find and work alongside the pediatrician or orthopedist who monitors the curve, and we do not straighten curves or replace that monitoring.