Wise Chiropractic of Las Vegas

Three Reasons to Reconsider Flu Shots

2012-01-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

Prepared by Dr. Jon Wise, Doctor for Wise Chiropractic Wellness Center

Call (702) 248-6292 or visit www.wisechiropractor.com

Three Reasons to Reconsider Flu Shots

There are three major reasons why this government push to vaccinate 84 percent of the U.S. population with a yearly flu vaccine is so incomprehensible:

1. The majority of flu shots contain 25 micrograms of mercury; an amount considered unsafe for anyone weighing less than 550 pounds! And which groups are most sensitive to the neurological damage that has been associated with mercury? Infants, children, and the elderly.

2. No studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related deaths among the elderly, yet this is one of the key groups to which they’re pushed.

3. If you get a flu shot, you can still get the flu (or flu-like symptoms). This is because it only protects against certain strains, and it’s anyone’s guess which flu viruses will be in your area. There are 1000’s.

So why would you take a flu shot – EVERY YEAR -- that has NEVER been proven to be effective, that can give you the very illness you’re trying to prevent, and has potential long-term side effects that are far worse than the flu itself?

The powers that be have done an excellent job of instilling fear into the population so they believe that they must get a shot to stay healthy, but the simple reality is it’s doing you more harm than good.

And, even if the flu vaccine could effectively prevent the flu, there have been several examples in past years where government health officials have chosen the incorrect influenza strains for that year’s vaccine. In 2004, the National Vaccine Information Center described how CDC officials told everyone to line up for a flu shot that didn't even contain the influenza strain causing most of the flu that year.

Two-Thirds of This Year’s Flu Vaccines Contain a Full-Dose of Mercury

According to Dr. Donald Miller, MD, two-thirds of this year’s flu vaccines contain 25 micrograms of thimerosal. Thimerosal is 49 percent mercury by weight.

Each dose of these flu vaccines contains more than 250 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.

By now, most people are well aware that children and fetuses are most at risk of damage from this neurotoxin, as their brains are still developing. Yet the CDC still recommends that children over 6 months, and pregnant women, receive the flu vaccine each year.

In addition to mercury, flu vaccines also contain other toxic or hazardous ingredients like:

• Formaldehyde -- a known cancer-causing agent

• Aluminum -- a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease

• Triton X-100 -- a detergent

• Phenol (carbolic acid)

• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)

• Various antibiotics: neomycin, streptomycin, gentamicin – which can cause allergic reactions in some people

The Evidence Against Flu Vaccines

For those of you who are still unconvinced, know that there’s plenty of scientific evidence available to back up the recommendation to avoid flu vaccines – if nothing else, then for the simple reason that they don’t work, and don’t offer any real benefit to offset their inherent health risks. For example:

• A brand new study published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons. The researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting" examined.

• A study published in the Lancet just two months ago found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. This supports a study done five years ago, published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

• Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine last month also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.

• Last year, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: “We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.”

• A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

Might Influenza be Little More Than a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” may very well be one of the most beneficial vitamins there is for disease prevention. Unfortunately it’s also one of the vitamins that a vast majority of people across the world are deficient in due to lack of regular exposure to sunshine.

Published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006, the hypothesis presented by Dr. John Cannell and colleagues in the paper Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D actually makes a lot of sense.

They raise the possibility that influenza is a symptom of vitamin D deficiency!

The vitamin D formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight regulates the expression of more than 2,000 genes throughout your body, including ones that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. Hence, being overwhelmed by the “flu bug” could signal that your vitamin D levels are too low, allowing the flu virus to overtake your immune system.

Eat Wise – Move Wise – Think Wise

2012-01-30T10:50:00.001-08:00

Eat Wise – Move Wise – Think Wise

By: Jonathan Wise D.C.

The chiropractic approach to healthcare is holistic, meaning that it addresses your overall health. Copious amounts of studies have demonstrated that chiropractic care is one of the most effective treatments for back pain, neck pain, headaches, whiplash, sports injuries and many other types of musculoskeletal problems. It has even been shown to be effective in reducing high blood pressure, decreasing the frequency of childhood ear infections, bed wetting and improving the symptoms of asthma and colic in children just to name a few.

Chiropractic is so much more than simply a means of relieving pain. Ultimately, the goal of the chiropractic treatment is to restore the body to its natural state of optimal health by improving neurological health. In order to accomplish this, chiropractor’s use a variety of treatment methods, including manual adjustments, massage, trigger point therapy, nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, and massage, as well as counseling on lifestyle issues that impact your health. Since the body has a remarkable ability to heal itself and to maintain its own health, my primary focus is simply to remove those things which interfere with the body’s normal healing ability. As a wellness doctor, my main goal is to teach you three things: Eat Wise – Move Wise – Think Wise.

Lesion One – Eat Wise

Eating wise is a very simply concept to understand. It means eating organic raw fruits and veggie and grass fed meats. It means stop putting chemicals, detergents and additives into your body. If it comes out of a box or can, chances are it’s not healthy for you.

People know that they should eat more fruit and vegetables in their diet, but most people don’t do it. It seems lately that the four major food groups of the American diet have become sugar, fat, salt and caffeine instead of fruits, vegetables, and meat. Because of the easy availability of fast foods and snack foods, we have lost our taste for fruits and vegetables; especially vegetables. It is not uncommon for many people to go for weeks without consuming a single serving of fresh vegetables. This is not good.

The human body evolved with a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and is dependent on many of the compounds unique to plant foods in order to operate correctly. If you don’t consume enough of these plant compounds, your energy level will suffer along with your overall health. Most people are shocked at how much better they feel when they cut down on the fast foods and snack foods and increase their fruit and vegetable intake.

If you find it difficult to work in several servings of fruits and vegetables into your routine every day, you may find it helpful to supplement your diet with what is called a “greens” supplement, which is a highly concentrated powder of fruits, vegetables and antioxidants. Better yet, make simple fruit smoothies with some of your seasonal fruits. Spring is just around the corner. There is an overwhelming supply of spring fruits like, Cherries, Blueberries, Papayas, Pineapples, Raspberries and Strawberries. Each of these fruit has similar properties. They all have tons of antioxidants, with some of the highest concentrations in blueberries. Cherries and pineapples are great for anti-inflammatory and great source of vitamin C and fiber. Papayas, raspberries and strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C along with having a good source of fiber and potassium.

Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is an important way to improve your overall health. The key is to make it part of your lifestyle - to make it a new habit.

Help Hints for your New Years Weightloss Goals!!!

2012-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Are you determined to meet your weight loss goals this year? If healthier habits and weight loss are among your new year's resolutions, give yourself a pat on the back for making health a top priority.

The hard part is actually sticking to it and making real changes! Here are a few tips to help you keep on track with your weight loss resolution.

Write your goals down

If you want to truly do something, write it down. Journals, food diaries and to-do lists are extremely important to your weight loss plan. Brainstorm all of your goals onto one piece of paper and then rewrite each one as a contract with yourself. Put your contract somewhere that will keep you reminded of the promise you have made. The fridge is a great place since this is the main area which will make or break your resolution. Refer to your contract daily to remind yourself of your long-term goal.

Set a definite date

If you just say you're going to meet your goal sometime within the year, that will not work. In fact, you will probably fall into the "I'll start next week" trap. Instead, mark your calendar for a certain date for each goal that you want to achieve. For example, by March you want to be walking 3 miles a day. Setting a definite date is a great way to make sure you stick with your plan!

Remove the temptations

Go into your kitchen and remove all bad foods from your refrigerator and pantry. This includes all snack foods such as cakes, pies, cookies, chips, sugar colas, crackers and any "empty calorie" foods that will impede on your weight loss goals. This step is very crucial step since the temptation to cheat will be increased 10-fold if you have cheat foods lingering inside your home. If you don't remove these tempting items, it will only be a matter of time before you breakdown and dive head first into the cookie jar at 2am in the morning for a binge! Fill your kitchen with healthy, nutrient dense food, such as:

• Lean protein (chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, egg whites)
• Fresh fruits (oranges, apples, grapes, strawberries)
• Raw vegetables (mushrooms, broccoli, squash, green beans, red peppers)
• Healthy snack foods (non-fat cottage cheese, sugar free jello, protein bar)
• Bottled Water

Meet mini-goals

Make small changes every week and they will add up in time. It's easier to move little pebbles than an entire mountain, right? Here are some examples of weekly changes you could incorporate into mini-goals:

• Week One: Drink 10 glasses of water per day.
• Week Two: Take the steps at work instead of the elevator.
• Week Three: Switch to diet sodas.
• Week Four: Eliminate fried foods.
• Week Five: Begin eating one vegetarian meal per week.
Friends for ever

You don't have to go it alone! Tell your friends and family what you want to accomplish and tell them how they can help you (and warn them of what doesn't help). Telling someone else your goals will probably make you feel that much more dedicated to reaching them. Who knows, maybe you'll even find a weight loss buddy among your peers who will join you on your journey to weight loss. Two heads are always better than one, especially when it comes to staying motivated!

Document everything

Keep a detailed record of your weight loss, dietary intake and how your feeling. By keeping this diet diary and journal, you will be able to truly see what your consuming, where your problem areas are, how your emotional state is.

Photograph yourself

Pictures don't lie. Buy an inexpensive digital camera and take a pictures of yourself every week in your bikini or swimsuit. Snap 3 pictures ever week including a profile shot, frontal shot and rear shot. Include these with your diet diary and journal so you can see how your body looks each week while you make changes to your diet and exercise program. Remember, sometimes the scale does lie. Even though your scale may read that you have gained 2 pounds over the last 3 weeks, this could very easily be 3 pounds of lean muscle. Lean muscle is an extremely metabolic tissue and the more you have, the more calories you burn even when you’re just sitting around! By adding photos of yourself, you will be able to reference your physical appearance from week to week. This basically takes the guess work out of losing weight and is crucial for any permanent weight loss plan.

Set realistic goals

Remember, it did not take you 2 weeks to gain those extra 25 pounds so it definitely will not take only 2 weeks to lose it all! You gradually gained the weight over several months and even years, so always remember that you're in this for the long haul. Its a marathon not a sprint and with this mind set you will be able to create new healthy habits which will eventually turn your "diet" into a truly healthy lifestyle to last a lifetime!

By incorporating the important tips above, you will have a better road map to succeed with your new year's weight loss resolution!

For those who have a really tough time dropping the weight on your own, have you looked into a Medical Supervised Diet and Lifestyle Change? Here at my office, I offer several weightloss solutions. One of the number one choices is the HCG Weightloss System. I will be happy to educate you on the subject. For those who are not interested in doing the HCG program, please feel free to talk with me to discuss all of your options.

What is HCG? HCG, “human Chorionic Gonadotropin” is a naturally produced hormone found in pregnant women. Research from Physicians has shown that it helps the body burn more fat when combined with a low calorie diet.

How does HCG work? When HCG is combined with a very low calorie diet it releases abnormal fat deposits and makes the fat available for consumption by the body. This enables a person to stick to the diet and lose on average a pound of fat per day.

HCG has been on the cutting edge of weightloss for the last several years. It has spawn soo much hype that many individuals are looking towards the concepts of losing rapid weightloss. There are also many people out there that understand this idea and are lurking in the shadows to prey upon you. HCG is one of those drugs that have two forms: Pharmaceutical and Homeopathic Grade. Both are excellent forms of HCG to use for this program, but they have to be a actual professional grade hormone. HCG by all definitions is a hormone. This hormone must be prescribed by a licensed doctor. Professional grade hormones are not sold to the public, meaning that the only individual who can purchase a real, professional hormone is a doctor or pharmacy. There are 1,000's of online websites that claim they offer HCG or the "Real HCG." Please be very cautious of these websites and always remember the fact that professional hormones can only be sold to the professionals, Doctors.

Because of all the non-professional and non-regulated HCG on the markets, the FDA decided to step in to put a stop to all the nonsense. But now there is a new issue brewing! The FDA has not nor will not approve HCG for weightloss. The FDA has now started to crack down on ever professional who is prescribing HCG for weightloss. Many FDA regulated laboratories who once manufactured HCG for doctors have decided to stop the production because of what the FDA could do in the future. Many of these companies to keep FDA status figure it is not worth the hassle to manufacture HCG which is a small percentage of their annual sales.

Will HCG be available in the future for weightloss? That is a great question, I don’t have the actual answer. But I do have a solution! There is a company here in the states that collected several Biomedical Scientists to study the HCG molecule and figure a way to break it apart, isolate the key parts of that molecule and create a new non-hormone compound that will work just as effective as HCG. These scientists have perfected it! Studies have been being performed for the last year or so. The results are outstanding! The test subjects have been achieving the same results, for some much better results than when they were on HCG alone.

I am telling everyone this because there is an Evolution on the horizon! This new non-hormone HCG is the way to go! Achieve the weightloss without the possible side effects of taking a hormone. For those women who experienced mood swings while being on HCG, well imagine not experiencing those same reactions. Many of the possible side effects of taking hormones will be dissolved!

My office has even been taking part in some of these research trials and I love the results. More information on this is coming really soon! It will be in the office for many patients and future patients to use and start achieving their weightloss goals on a healthier level. My office was once of the first offices to offer the HCG weightloss here in Las Vegas. I will be the first office in Las Vegas to offer this new groundbreaking product. Please stay tuned for the EVOLUTION in HCG!

Thank you,
Dr. Jon Wise

Why Parents Should Not Vaccinate Their Kids

2012-01-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

Nancy Banks M.D. (OBGYN) speaks out on the problems with vaccination.

See more in-depth conversations and investigative reports at http://garynull.tv

What is Nutrition Response Testing?

2012-01-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

What is Nutrition Response Testing?

Nutrition Response Testing is very precise and scientific. However, if I were to analyze you using Nutrition Response Testing before it was explained to you, you might find it strange, or simply not believable - only because it is probably very different from anything you may have experienced before.
I can completely understand that because when I first saw this type of work being done, my first reaction was “Hmm, what is this strange stuff?” No one was more skeptical than I was. As a result, I studied Nutrition Response Testing extensively to see if it was for real. And I am sure happy I did because it has helped me improve my health, and because of Nutrition Response Testing, we are able to help you improve your health.

Quite frankly, if you want to get healthy and stay healthy, it is important that you understand what Nutrition Response Testing is, and what our recommendations are based on.

Otherwise, you are less likely to follow through and actually do what you need to do to get well. To put it simply, if you don’t follow through, you won’t get well. And if you are not going to get well, why do it in the first place?
The results we have been having with Nutrition Response Testing are often in the 90% and better range. The only reason we are here is to help you get well. We have no other reason. That is why I want to make sure you get the correct understanding of what Nutrition Response Testing is right form the start.

Let’s get started!
In medical practice there are two key parts: the diagnosis (identifying and /or naming the “disease” or syndrome) and the treatment (drugs, surgery, etc.).
In Nutrition Response Testing we do not diagnose or treat disease - but we also have two parts: the analysis and the personal health improvement program (using designed clinical nutrition).

Simply put, first we do an analysis, and then we design a natural health improvement program to help you handle what we find in our analysis of your body and condition.

First the Analysis.

The analysis is done through testing the body’s own neurological reflexes and acupuncture points. The neurological reflexes are derived from the part of the nervous system whose job is to regulate the functions of each and every organ. The acupuncture points are selected from the ancient Chinese system of acupuncture, which is thousands of years old.

Nutrition Response Testing is a study of how the different points on the surface of the body regulate to the state of health and to the flow of energy in each and every organ and function of the body.

Interestingly, since the human anatomy has now changed significantly in thousands of years, the utilization of these reflexes and specific points have become extremely useful in our practice because they are so accurate!

Think about it!
Each Nutrition Response Testing reflex represents a specific organ, tissue, or function, and indicates the effect that energy, or the lack of energy, is having on the body. By testing the Nutrition Response Testing reflexes, we have a system of monitoring your body at each visit that has proven to be extremely accurate clinically, and that helps us identify exactly what the body needs and how well we are meeting that need.

Doesn’t this sound like something you would want for yourself in order to predict, with certainty, what is needed and wanted by the body to get you to the next stage of improved health?

How do we access the Nutrition Response Testing reflexes to get this information?

If I were to hook you up to an electrocardiograph machine and take a reading, that would make perfect sense to you, right?

What is actually happening during this procedure? Electrical energy form the heart is running over the wires. This electrical energy makes the electrocardiograph record the energy pattern in the form of a graph or chart. I could then study this graph and tell you what it all means.

Here is what we do with Nutrition Response Testing. Instead of connecting electrodes to the specific points being tested, the Nutrition Response Testing doctor contacts these points with his/her own hand. With his other hand, he/she will test the muscle strength of your extended arm. If the reflex being contacted is active, the nervous system will respond by reducing energy to the extended arm, and the arm will weaken and drop. This drop signifies underlying dysfunction, which can be affecting your health.

Why is the person who referred you feeling better?
Because we did a Nutrition Response Testing analysis for him or her, we found the “active” reflexes, and then made specific nutritional recommendations to help the body return to a better state of health.

We are prepared to do the exact same thing for you now. Isn’t that exciting? However, the best is yet to come.

The second part - the “Personalized Health Improvement Program”
Let’s say the liver or kidney reflexes are active. Then what?
Our next step is to test specific, time - tested and proven, highest possible quality nutritional formulas against those weak areas to find which ones bring the reflexes back to strength.

Our decades of clinical experience tell us that when we have found the correct nutritional supplements, as indicated by this procedure, and when we work out a highly personalized nutritional supplement schedule, we have accomplished the most important first step correcting the underlying deficiency or imbalance that caused the reflex to be active in the first place. By following the program as precisely as possible, you are well on your way to restoring normal function and improving your health.

It’s that simple!

In medicine, the medical doctor makes a diagnosis and then uses drugs or surgery to attack or suppress the symptom, or to surgically remove the “offending” organ or part.

In Nutrition Response Testing we use “ DESIGNED CLINICAL NUTRITION” to correct the cause of the problem, so that the body can regain the ability to correct itself.

What exactly is DESIGNED CLINICAL NUTRITION
First of all, Designed Clinical Nutrition is not ‘over-the-counter’ vitamins. Over-the-counter vitamins are pharmaceutically engineered chemical fractions of vitamin structures reproduced in a laboratory. They are not “whole food,”
They are not “whole food,” and the body does not actually recognize these as anything even vaguely beneficial (to put it mildly). Please ask about our audiotape: “The Whole Truth About Vitamins,” for an entertaining, in-depth explanation of this aspect of vitamins and other nutritional supplements. Because they are not made from whole foods, “over-the-counter” vitamins lack the essential synergistic elements normally present in WHOLE foods.
And example of a whole food could be carrots. Carrots are high in Vitamin A Complex. A “complex” is something made up of many different parts that work together. Synthetic vitamin A does not contain the whole “Vitamin A Complex” found in nature. So, if we were looking for a food high in Vitamin A, carrots might be one of our choices.

If one actually were deficient in any of the components of Vitamin A Complex, one would be wise to seek out a supplement that was made from whole foods that were rich in this complex - not from chemicals engineered in a laboratory to look like one little part of the vitamin A Complex that was erroneously been labeled as “Vitamin A.”

Vitamins that are being used all over today generally only need to have a small percentage of their actual content derived from natural sources to be labeled “natural”. If they are not derived from whole foods, they often make you even more deficient and nutritionally out–of-balance. They can create other health problems because they do not contain all of the co-factors found in nature that make the vitamins work.

So-called “scientific research,” done with these shoddy substitutes, repeatedly “proves” that vitamins are good for anyone! Can you imagine who pays for these “researches”?

“Designed Clinical Nutrition” is exactly that: designed (especially prepared based on a specific plan) clinical (pertaining to the results gotten in clinical use or actual practice on huge numbers of patients over many years) nutrition (real food, designed by nature to enable the body to repair itself and grow healthfully).

It is whole food in a tablet, capsule or powder, concentrated in a vacuum, cold-process system that preserves all of the active enzymes and vital components that make it work as the Creator intended. These real food supplements have been designed to match the needs of the body, as determined by the positive response shown when tested against the active Nutrition Response Testing reflexes that were found on your individual Nutrition Response Testing analysis. These are nutrients you are simply not getting, or not assimilating, in your current diet.

These deficiencies may be due to your past personal eating habits and routines, but it is for sure due, in some large extent, to the lack of quality in the foods commercially available in grocery stores or restaurants today.

SUMMARY
Through an analysis of your body’s reflexes, we help you to determine the exact nutrients you need to supplement your diet, in order to bring about balance and better health.

We make sure these highly concentrated therapeutic formulations available to you in tablets, capsules, or in powdered form to “supplement” your current diet. That’s why they are called “food supplements.”

Depending on your individual situation, we might also require that you make some specific changes in your diet & eating habits, and in your routines, in order to bring about the best possible results.
How are these products produced?

One example of a designed clinical nutrition supplement that we use is called “Catalyn”. This product is produced by starting with a wide variety of carefully chosen organically grown vegetables, taking the water and fiber out using a vacuum, low heat process without heating or cooking the vegetables, and then utilizing the concentrated food to make a bottle of Standard Process Catalyn Tablets.

The key to this whole procedure is the way it is done, using the “Standard Process” method:

Standard Process nutrients are derived from plants grown on their own farms, in soil free of pesticides—and no chemicals are ever used. Ph.D.’s check the soil before the seeds are sown, to make sure of the fertility of the soil - and even the weeding is done by hand.

The machinery involved in the processing of these products is made of glass and stainless steel only. The temperature used in processing harvested plants is never raised above the point of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, so that the active ingredients are not cooked; they remain active and alive, and have a very long shelf life.

Your vitality and energy is derived from live food. Most foods today are all dead - or are not really foods at all—as in boxed cereals, canned vegetables, soda, pop, etc. You can readily understand the difference between dead, devitalized pseudo-foods, with the synthetic or isolated vitamins on the one hand, and “Designed Clinical Nutrition” and a diet of real foods, on the other.

There is a great deal of technology and know - how behind what we do.
Having been designed through decades of clinical use of tens of thousands of patients, and on patients from many different types of health care practitioners, you can be assured that Nutrition Response Testing is capable of evaluating and solving your health concerns.

A complete Nutrition Response Testing analysis can be done on each patient on each subsequent visit, thereby revealing the next layers of dysfunction so these can also be addressed and corrected.

In this way, each patient gets a completely individualized handling in the correct sequence for his or her body. Very much like opening a combination lock, you must use the right numbers in the right sequence and in the right direction the right time - then the lock falls open.

By following the correct sequence as revealed through Nutrition Response Testing, you don’t “shot - gun” your diet or supplements. With a correctly done Nutrition Response Testing analysis, we can determine the correct food supplements for you - designed to give your body the best possible chance of getting well and staying that way.

Conclusion
Many people we see in our practice have eaten themselves into their current state of ill-health , to one degree or another. The deficiencies or imbalances lead to a breakdown in resistance, or immunity, and a loss of the ability to cope with environmental stresses (chemical, microscopic, or otherwise).
The good news is that it is possible to reverse the process!
It is possible to restore your health? What could be more natural? What could be more correct? Each cell, tissue, and organ in your body is in the process of replacing itself every day, month, and year. The health of each organ is dependent on making the correct nutrients available to upgrade or to maintain the health of the body at a cellular level.

Designed Clinical Nutrition provides the right basic materials.
Nutrition Response Testing tells you when and what to use to bring about the desired result.

With this understanding of what we do, can you see how we might be able to help you do something effective to get yourself well?
And once that is achieved, do you see how you might be able to use this approach to stay well?

Now you have the complete 1 - 2 - 3 package. You now know:
What we do
How and why we do it
What you need to do to have the potential of restoring your health and staying healthy.

But in the end you are the one responsible for your own condition. And with our guidance, we feel that - if you are a Nutrition Response Testing case - your chances of greatly improving your health can be as high as 90% or better.
In our experience, if our analysis indicates that you are not an Nutrition Response Testing / nutritional case then in all probability, while a nutritional program may give you some benefit, it may not give you the maximum results you desire.

But if our analysis confirms that you are an Nutrition Response Testing / clinical nutrition case, then, in our experience, nothing else will ever come close to what you can possibly achieve using Nutrition Response Testing and Designed Clinical Nutrition.

We wish the best of good luck in your quest to take back full responsibility for your health. Just remember to do it one step at time, and that we are here to guide you in that quest.

Once we accept your case, you can count on us to do everything in our power to help you achieve a healthier, happier life. May you never be the same.

5 Smart Substitutions When Eating Out

2012-01-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

5 Smart Substitutions When Eating Out
By To your Health

There's nothing wrong with the occasional treat-yourself trip to a fast-food or sit-down restaurant, but Americans are eating out at an ever-increasing (sometimes daily) rate, and usually paying the health consequences. It's tough enough finding healthy food when grocery shopping these days, but put your trust in the hands of a burger joint, a diner, a pizza parlor or the vast majority of other restaurants and you're generally asking for trouble. Here are five substitutions to infuse a little more health into your next dining experience away from home.

1. Skip the Fries

French fries and potato chips, two of the most common sides at fast-food and sit-down restaurants, contain little or no nutritional value and large quantities of fat (oil). But they certainly are popular, which is why potatoes (in the form of fries and chips) are among the most frequently consumed "vegetables." Skip the grease and go without if at a fast-food restaurant (most only offer fries, onion rings or other fried options, although some do offer sides of corn, beans or rice, which are definitely healthier than fries or chips). At sit-down restaurants, it should be even easier to replace the fries / chips with a side of rice, a small baked potato and/or some veggies.

2. Watch What You Drink

Soft drinks are exactly what your body (and teeth) don't need, yet they are a staple beverage at fast-food and other restaurants. Water offers three distinct benefits by comparison: it doesn't cost you anything, it's calorie-free, and it doesn't contain any sugar. While calorie- and sugar-free sodas are available, research suggests they may still be dangerous because artificial sweeteners may condition you to crave sweets and overeat. And do you really need a 32-ounce drink (of anything) with your meal?

3. No Oversized Loads

What's your average family meal at home like in terms of portion size? Unless you've purchased oversized plates, meals are generally within reason. Not so for an increasing number of fast-food chains and sit-down restaurants. "Super-sized" combo meals and 17-inch plates heaped with Thanksgiving-like portions are a recipe for weight gain. Stick to a reasonable portion size (or eat half and get the other half to go) and you won't have to unbutton the top button of your jeans midway through your meal.

4. Find a Veggie

Depending on the nature of the establishment, this can be fairly easy or a bit tricky, but either way, it's a worthy pursuit. Whether it's a hamburger with lettuce and tomato or a plate of pasta with broccoli, choose meals that have some natural color, courtesy of Mother Nature's best vegetables. A burger with cheese, a bun and nothing else or a plate of pasta with cheese and cream sauce are missing the color of nutrition your body needs. Pizza is even easier; add a few veggies along with your other favorite toppings.

5. Know What You're Ordering

In the past few years, the majority of restaurants have begun (by mandate and/or choice) to reveal how nutritionally unsound some of their meal options are. This can range from providing complete nutritional facts to listing calorie counts on the menu. Doing so gives you the upper hand when it comes to choosing a healthy (or at least healthier) meal for you and your family. Visit the Web sites of your favorite restaurants or review the nutritional information in-house before ordering. You'll be surprised at how much fat, sodium and calories are in some of your favorites; perhaps they won't be your favorites after you learn what's in them and you'll steer toward lower-fat, lower-calorie, better-for-you selections instead

10 Tips For Keeping New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

10 Tips For Keeping New Year's Resolutions
The Best Way To Stick With Your New Year's Resolution Is To Plan Ahead.
By Amber J. Tresca, About.com

Chances are, at some time in your life, you've made a New Year's Resolution -- and then broken it. This year, stop the cycle of resolving to make change, but then not following through. If your resolution is to take better care of yourself and get your inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) under control, you'll have a much better year if you are able to keep your resolution all year long. Here are 10 tips to help get you started.

1.Be Realistic
The surest way to fall short of your goal is to make your goal unattainable. For instance, resolving to never eat your favorite food again because it bothers your IBD could be a bad choice for a New Year's resolution. Strive for a goal that is attainable, such as avoiding it more often than you do now.

2.Plan Ahead
Don't make your resolution on New Year's Eve. If you wait until the last minute, your decisions will be based on your mindset on that particular day. Instead, your New Year's resolution should be planned well before December 31 arrives. If it's already to late for planning to start January 1st, pick another date -- February 1st, your birthday, the anniversary of your diagnosis -- whatever date is meaningful for you.

3.Outline Your Plan
Decide how you will deal with the temptation to skip that exercise class or have one more cigarette. This could include calling on a friend for help, practicing positive thinking and self-talk, or reminding yourself how your bad habit affects your IBD.

4.Make a "Pro" and "Con" List
It may help to see a list of items on paper to keep your motivation strong. Develop this list over time, and ask others to contribute to it. Keep your list with you and refer to it when you need help keeping your resolve.

5.Talk About It
Don't keep your resolution a secret. Tell friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or improve your health. The best case scenario is to find yourself a buddy who shares your New Year's resolution and motivate each other.

6.Reward Yourself
This doesn't mean that you can eat an entire box of chocolates if your resolution is to diet. Instead, celebrate your success by treating yourself to something that you enjoy that does not contradict your resolution. If you've been sticking to your promise to eat better, for example, perhaps your reward could be going to a movie with a friend.

7.Track Your Progress
Keep track of each small success you make toward reaching your larger goal. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and small accomplishments will help keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on losing 30 pounds, say, focus on losing that first 5. Keeping a food diary or a symptom journal may help you stay on track.

8.Don't Beat Yourself Up
Obsessing over the occasional slip won't help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take each day one at a time.

9.Stick To It
Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. Your new healthful habits will become second-nature in no time.

10.Keep Trying
If your resolution has totally run out of steam by mid-February, don't despair. Start over again! There's no reason you can't make a "New Year's resolution" any time of year.
In fact, sign up for our free Healthy Monday newsletter for tips on how you can recommit to living a healthy lifestyle at the start of each and every week.

Fast Facts About New Year's Resolutions
•63% of people say they are keeping their resolutions after two months
•67% of people make three or more resolutions
•Top four resolutions:
1.Increase exercise
2.Be more conscientious about work or school
3.Develop better eating habits
4.Stop smoking, drinking, or using drugs (including caffeine)
•People make more resolutions to start a new habit than to break an old one.
Source:

Schwarz, Joel. "How to keep up with those New Year's resolutions, researchers find commitment is the secret of success." University of Washington. 23 December 1997. 27 Dec 2011.

Smartphone Addicts Have Now Started Feeling the Pain

2011-12-22T13:39:00.001-08:00

Smartphone Addicts Have Now Started Feeling the Pain

The headline above comes from a December 5, 2011 article in The Economic Times, an online news publication covering the UK and India. The article starts off by noting that more Britains are using their smart phones for accessing the Internet and other tasks. A recent British poll from YouGov noted that, 44% of Britons use their mobile phone for activities other than making calls, for between 30 minutes and two hours per day.

Dr. Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association reports that leaning the head forward for extended periods of time to read the smaller screens has an adverse effect on the neck. “The weight of an average human head is between 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 to 5.5 kilogrammes).” He notes that if you look at a person with an ideal posture, you should be able to draw a line from their ear through their shoulder, hip, knee and ankle.

The article notes that when a person uses a smart phone, typically the head is leaned forward causing the effective weight of the head on the neck to be up to four times as much than if the head where held in straight-up neutral position.

Both Dr. Hutchful, and Dr. Emmanuelle Rivoal, a Paris-based physiotherapist and osteopath, report seeing more problems from the use of these devices. One of the more common terms being tossed around today is “Text Neck” which Dr. Hutchful described as a manifestation of repetitive strain injury or RSI. The article defines RSI by stating, “RSI is the name given to a group of injuries affecting the muscles, tendons and nerves primarily of the neck and upper limbs.”

Dr. Rivoal added that these types of problems were common with people who work on computers, “because they spend more than five hours a day in front of a screen.” He noted that a hand held device can be even worse because the screen is smaller.

Dr. Hutchful offered some advice to avoid injury for those who use smartphones regularly. This includes things as simple as keeping smartphone use at under 40 minutes. He offers, “Keep use to a minimum, take regular breaks and look at different ways of interacting.”

Is it Time Your Baby Saw a Chiropractor?

2011-12-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Is it Time Your Baby Saw a Chiropractor?

The above headline comes from a November 11, 2011 article in Essential Baby, an Australian publication that claims it is, "the largest online parenting community in Australia providing information and resources for conception, pregnancy, birth, baby, toddler, kids, parenting and women's lifestyle."

This article, written by Rebecca Martin starts off with her recalling the birth of her baby by saying, “After a long arduous labor requiring a suction cap to help my large first-born out, among the torrent of advice received was one unusual tidbit: ‘If he gets colicky, try taking him to a baby chiropractor’.”

Initially, Rebecca thought this advice was absurd, but when her colicky baby would not respond to every other remedy she tried, she started asking about a chiropractor for her baby. To her surprise she realized that many people were using chiropractors for their children. She reported, “Everyone, it seems, was doing it. All my more experienced mum-friends had one they could recommend. The child-health nurse, my GP and even the pediatrician who treated my son’s severe reflux, gave them the thumbs up.”

The article notes that when babies are adjusted there are no “bones cracked” as they called it. Many adjustments involve finger pressure on areas of the spine to have an effect on the nervous system. Dr Simon Floreani of the Chiropractors Association of Australia explained, “In the last decade there has been a lot more instrumentation used in the birth process, so babies get sprained and strained,” he says. “Chiropractic can help reverse the structural or mechanical injury of birth, and also help the nervous system to develop and construct normally. In infants, the biggest part the nervous system [affects] is sleeping, eating and pooing. Colic is a digestive thing, so if we can help ease the movement of milk through the bowel, we can help colic.”

The article also interviewed a chiropractic detractor who questioned research about chiropractic helping babies. To this Dr. Floreani responded with, “It’s difficult to get permission to do studies or trials on infants without getting caught up in a lot of ethics and issues.” He noted that medicine has tried to take the power away from mothers, and the best proof was that mothers are willing to pay for the care themselves. “Medicine can disempower you to say you know what’s right for your child. The fact that parents are paying out of their own pocket to [go to chiropractors] is more evidence than the best trials in the world.”

Taking Just a Little Too Much Tylenol Each Time Can Be Deadly

2011-12-22T13:36:00.001-08:00

Taking Just a Little Too Much Tylenol Each Time Can Be Deadly

The above headline comes from a November 23, 2011 article on the Healthland section of the TIME website. This is just one of many articles which include headlines like, "Popular painkiller can be deadly even in small overdoses" (CBSNews), "Sneaky Killer: Just a Little Too Much Tylenol Can Be Deadly" (Fox News), and "Too much acetaminophen over time may damage liver", (USA Today).

The articles are based on a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in the November 22, 2011 edition. The USA Today article starts off with an ominous warning, "Taking slightly too much of the pain reliever acetaminophen (best known by the brand name Tylenol) over time can lead to an overdose that can cause liver failure and death."

Dr. Kenneth Simpson, an author of the study explained in the USA Today article that taking just a little more than the recommended dosage over time can cause serious liver failure and death. He explained further in the Journal's press release, "They haven't taken the sort of single-moment, one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up, and the effect can be fatal." The term that the researchers used to describe this kind of repeated mini-overdosing was "staggered overdoses."

The study looked at 663 patients who had been hospitalized at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh between 1992 and 2008 with injuries caused by acetaminophen. Of these patients it was determined that 161 of them had staggered overdoses from, according to researchers, taking the drug for things like headache, toothache, muscular pains, and abdominal pains. Dr. Simpson explained the real danger these people were facing by reporting, "On admission, these staggered overdose patients were more likely to have liver and brain problems, require kidney dialysis or help with breathing and were at a greater risk of dying than people who had taken single overdoses."

The article in TIME reports that "Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world, with 28 billion doses purchased in the U.S. in 2005 alone." They go on to explain that because it is such a common drug, being the main ingredient in Tylenol, that people might think that it is safe. However, they note, "Tylenol overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the U.S., leading to 26,000 hospitalizations and nearly 500 deaths annually, according to the Food and Drug Administration."

Improvement in Autistic Behaviors Following Chiropractic Care

2011-12-22T13:35:00.001-08:00

Improvement in Autistic Behaviors Following Chiropractic Care: A Case Series
A case series published on December 5, 2011 in the scientific periodical, The Journal of Maternal and Pediatric Health, documented two cases of chiropractic helping two young adults with Autism related problems. One of the cases involved a 20 year old autistic man who displays aggressive behavior towards others. The second case was a 17-year-old autistic woman who abuses herself.

This research was carried out in Auckland, New Zealand in conjunction with the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and Life Chiropractic College West in California. According to the study authors, Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by abnormal social interaction and communication concurrent with repetitive behaviors and mannerisms which affect approximately one in every hundred people in New Zealand.”

In the first case a 20 year old man went to the chiropractor with a chief complaint of aggressive behavior toward others. His behavior included trying to grab others and bite them on the head and neck. These episodes occurred multiple times a week. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months and was living in a facility with other autistic individuals. He could not speak but could understand some basic commands.

A chiropractic examination was performed and care was initiated based on the findings of the examination. After the first chiropractic visit, the young man’s caregivers reported that he became more alert causing him to actually have more mood swings initially. However, after the second visit they noted that he was even more alert and started to eat more regularly. By the fifth visit, his attention span improved and he started watching TV, as well as being able to follow instructions and carry out tasks. By the conclusion of the study the young man’s behavior had improved to the point where he would no longer attack any of the staff members or students at school, he was calmer, and more able to follow instructions.

The second case in this study involved a 17 year old girl diagnosed with autism, who was also living in a facility. The study noted that according to her caregivers she exhibited behaviors that included episodes of screaming, crying, jumping up and down, biting the webbing between her thumb and index finger, and punching herself in the face to the extent she would have multiple bruises over her face. She also suffered from epileptic seizures.

Chiropractic care was initiated following an examination. The results reported that after the fourth visit she was sleeping through the night, and was described as becoming increasingly calm and was able to sit down to eat meals. As care continued the bruises on her face were gone, and she became more interactive with others often seeking hugs. Eventually, she was able to go on a boat cruise and could sit for an hour without becoming agitated.

In the conclusion of their study, the authors wrote, “Two cases of individuals who suffered from autism are presented. Each had favorable results after undergoing chiropractic care. This case series provides supporting evidence that individuals with autism may benefit from chiropractic care.”

Chiropractic Active Life Plan Explanation

2011-12-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

Chiropractic Active Life Plan Explanation (standard)

Chiropractic Active Life Plans are designed to help you and your family reach optimum health now, and over the course of your lifetime. Too many people wait until their health fails before they make it a priority and are paying very heavy prices for this, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” attitude. The fastest growing segment of the population today is centenarians. These are people who are at least 100 years old. Currently there are 70,000 people over the age of 100 in the U.S. With the baby boom generation maturing over the next 50 years, the U.S. Census Bureau expects the number of centenarians to climb to over 4.2 million by the year 2050. The chances of you reaching this milestone are increasing every day. The question is, “What will your health be like when you get there?” The health choices you make today will impact your quality of life in the future.

One of the most common comments heard by seniors is, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” We are getting this advance notice that our parents and grandparents didn’t receive. What will you do with this information?

Chiropractic Active Life Plans will help you achieve the quality of life you deserve! There are two types of Chiropractic Active Life Plans: Corrective Adjustment Plans (CAP) and Wellness Adjustment Plans (WAP). At your Chiropractic Report, we will discuss with you the Chiropractic Active Life Plan for which you are eligible so that you can reach all your health objectives.

 Corrective Adjustment Plan (CAP):

A Corrective Adjustment Plan is appropriate if you are currently experiencing pain, sickness, disease, spinal subluxation degeneration, or health problems of any kind. CAPs are designed to help you feel healthy again as quickly as possible and to stabilize your spine. CAPs begin with frequent chiropractic adjustments, usually three times per week, over a short period of time lasting two weeks to a few months. Dynamic exams are performed every 12 visits to determine how your body is healing and how your spine is correcting and stabilizing.

Once your spine is stabilized, your adjustment frequency will be reduced to once per week for the balance of a year. As your Corrective Adjustment Plan winds down, our chiropractic team will discuss your transition into a Wellness Adjustment Plan, so you can continue to remain healthy and active for the rest of your life.

 Wellness Adjustment Plan (WAP)

If you have already completed your Corrective Adjustment Plan with our office or another chiropractor, or if you are extraordinarily healthy and have no spinal subluxation degeneration, then you are ready for a WAP to help you achieve and maintain optimum health.

WAPs consist of weekly, bi-monthly or monthly adjustments (depending on the condition of your spine and your long-term health goals). The more active you are, and the more active and healthy you want to be, the more you will value and appreciate your WAP.

While visiting our office, you may see generations of families on Chiropractic Active Life Plans, enjoying the benefits of the chiropractic lifestyle. As you learn about the benefits of chiropractic care, you too will want your entire family participating in chiropractic care. Both the CAPs and WAPs are available for an individual or for a family. Our family plans make care for your entire family affordable so that everyone can enjoy the good health, an active life, and peak performance that chiropractic care provides.

Congratulations on participating in chiropractic care.

We look forward to helping you achieve all your health goals over the course of your lifetime.

What Do Adjustments Do?

2011-12-21T10:23:00.001-08:00

What Do Adjustments Do?

Probably the biggest chiropractic misconception revolves around the
adjustment. Naturally, we chiropractors think the adjustment is pretty
special. Along with sharing the principles of chiropractic it’s the most
important thing we do.
Chiropractors understand that the underlying cause of many health problems
is from nervous system disturbances along the spine. This often shows up as
one or more spinal bones that are stuck and not moving correctly. Many
think that a chiropractic adjustment puts the wayward bone back into its
proper position with the bones above and below it.
It doesn’t work quite like that. If it did, all you’d need is just one
adjustment!

Instead, consider this. Bones are static structures. They only move when
acted upon by a muscle. And muscles only contract when commanded by
your nervous system. That’s why chiropractic is actually about the quality of
your nervous system, not the condition of your spinal column.

Your body does the actual healing. The energy I supply with the adjustment
just helps things along. I use everything I know about anatomy, physiology
and spinal biomechanics to partner with your body’s wisdom. Repeated visits
help retrain muscles and with time, your body can “right” itself.

While it’s tempting for me to take credit for the amazing results I often see, it’s not
me. I’m just the assistant. Your body does the healing!

Does Chiropractic Treat Disease?

2011-12-21T10:22:00.001-08:00

Does Chiropractic Treat Disease?

When chiropractors observe that chiropractic care has helped people with virtually every type of
heath problem known to man; some mistakenly think that means that we treat disease.
Nothing could be further from the truth.

The fact is, we locate and reduce nervous system disturbances (usually along the spine) that
interfere with your ability to be fully you. Being fully you includes everything from turning
bending, walking and sleeping to breathing, fighting infection, digesting food and healing a cut.
When the integrity of your nervous system is restored, your body is more likely to work as it was
designed. Sometimes that capacity returns quickly. For others whose healing ability is limited
by stress, poor nutrition, negative emotions or other factors, it comes more slowly. And for a
few who have neglected their health for years, progress can be so incremental as to appear
ineffective.

Please do not blame chiropractic when results come slowly. Likewise, do not credit chiropractic
when success comes quickly. It is your body that does the healing. What you bring to the table
is actually more important that what we do on the table!

The Effect of Lumbosacral Manipulation on Corticospinal and Spinal Reflex Excitability on Asymptomatic Participants

2011-12-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

« BackJournal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics

Article in Press

The Effect of Lumbosacral Manipulation on Corticospinal and Spinal Reflex Excitability on Asymptomatic Participants

Gary Fryer, PhD, BSc (Osteo), ND
Alan J. Pearce, PhD, BSc (Spt Sci) Hons, Grad Dip

Abstract

Objective

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of a high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation to the lumbosacral joint on corticospinal excitability, as measured by motor evoked potentials (MEPs) using transcranial magnetic stimulation, and spinal reflex excitability, as measured by the Hoffman reflex (H-reflex).

Methods

In a randomized, controlled, crossover design, 14 asymptomatic volunteers (mean age, 23 ± 5.4 years; 10 men; 4 women) were measured for MEPs and H-reflexes immediately before and after a randomly allocated intervention. The interventions consisted of HVLA applied bilaterally to the lumbosacral joint and a control intervention. Participants returned a week later, and the same procedures were performed using the other intervention. Data for H-reflex and MEP amplitudes were normalized to the M-wave maximum amplitude and analyzed using 2-way analysis of variance with repeated measures.

Results

A significant interaction of treatment by time was found for MEP (F_1,13 = 4.87, P = .04), and post hoc analyses showed that the MEP/M-wave maximum ratio decreased significantly in the HVLA treatment (P = .02; effect size, 0.68). For H-reflex, there was a significant effect of time (F_1,13 = 8.186, P = .01) and treatment and time interaction (F_1,13 = 9.05, P = .01), with post hoc analyses showing that H-reflexes were significantly reduced after the HVLA manipulation (P = .004; effect size, 0.94). There were no significant changes in MEP latency or silent period duration.

Conclusion

An HVLA manipulation applied to the lumbosacral joint produced a significant decrease in corticospinal and spinal reflex excitability, and no significant change occurred after the control intervention. The changes in H-reflexes were larger than those in MEPs, suggesting a greater degree of inhibition at the level of the spinal cord.

38 Ways Yoga Keeps You Fit

2011-12-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

Count on Yoga: 38 Ways Yoga Keeps You Fit

From Yogajournal.com

Are you looking for reasons to start practicing? Here are ways yoga improves your health—reasons enough to roll out the mat and get started.

By Timothy McCall, M.D.

If you're a passionate yoga practitioner, you've probably noticed the ways yoga works—maybe you're sleeping better or getting fewer colds or just feeling more relaxed and at ease. But if you've ever tried telling a newbie how it works, you might find that explanations like "It increases the flow of prana" or "It brings energy up your spine" fall on deaf or skeptical ears.
As it happens, Western science is starting to provide some concrete clues as to how yoga works to improve health, heal aches and pains, and keep sickness at bay. Once you understand them, you'll have even more motivation to step onto your mat, and you probably won't feel so tongue-tied the next time someone wants Western proof.
I myself have experienced yoga's healing power in a very real way. Weeks before a trip to India in 2002 to investigate yoga therapy, I developed numbness and tingling in my right hand. After first considering scary things like a brain tumor and multiple sclerosis, I figured out that the cause of the symptoms was thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve blockage in my neck and chest.
Despite the uncomfortable symptoms, I realized how useful my condition could be during my trip. While visiting various yoga therapy centers, I would submit myself for evaluation and treatment by the various experts I'd arranged to observe. I could try their suggestions and see what worked for me. While this wasn't exactly a controlled scientific experiment, I knew that such hands-on learning could teach me things I might not otherwise understand.

My experiment proved illuminating. At the Vivekananda ashram just outside of Bangalore, S. Nagarathna, M.D., recommended breathing exercises in which I imagined bringing prana (vital energy) into my right upper chest. Other therapy included asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting, lectures on philosophy, and various kriya (internal cleansing practices). At the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai and from A.G. Mohan and his wife, Indra, who practice just outside of Chennai, I was told to stop practicing Headstand and Shoulderstand in favor of gentle asana coordinated with the breath. In Pune, S.V. Karandikar, a medical doctor, recommended practices with ropes and belts to put traction on my spine and exercises that taught me to use my shoulder blades to open my upper back.
Thanks to the techniques I learned in India, advice from teachers in the United States, and my own exploration, my chest is more flexible than it was, my posture has improved, and for more than a year, I've been free of symptoms.

My experience inspired me to pore over the scientific studies I'd collected in India as well as the West to identify and explain how yoga can both prevent disease and help you recover from it. Here is what I found.

Flex Time

1 Improved flexibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. During your first class, you probably won't be able to touch your toes, never mind do a backbend. But if you stick with it, you'll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. You'll also probably notice that aches and pains start to disappear. That's no coincidence. Tight hips can strain the knee joint due to improper alignment of the thigh and shinbones. Tight hamstrings can lead to a flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause back pain. And inflexibility in muscles and connective tissue, such as fascia and ligaments, can cause poor posture.

Strength Test
2 Strong muscles do more than look good. They also protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls in elderly people. And when you build strength through yoga, you balance it with flexibility. If you just went to the gym and lifted weights, you might build strength at the expense of flexibility.

Standing Orders

3 Your head is like a bowling ball—big, round, and heavy. When it's balanced directly over an erect spine, it takes much less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. Move it several inches forward, however, and you start to strain those muscles. Hold up that forward-leaning bowling ball for eight or 12 hours a day and it's no wonder you're tired. And fatigue might not be your only problem. Poor posture can cause back, neck, and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

Joint Account
4 Each time you practice yoga, you take your joints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis or mitigate disability by "squeezing and soaking" areas of cartilage that normally aren't used. Joint cartilage is like a sponge; it receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without proper sustenance, neglected areas of cartilage can eventually wear out, exposing the underlying bone like worn-out brake pads.

Spinal Rap
5 Spinal disks—the shock absorbers between the vertebrae that can herniate and compress nerves—crave movement. That's the only way they get their nutrients. If you've got a well-balanced asana practice with plenty of backbends, forward bends, and twists, you'll help keep your disks supple.

Bone Zone
6 It's well documented that weight-bearing exercise strengthens bones and helps ward off osteoporosis. Many postures in yoga require that you lift your own weight. And some, like Downward- and Upward-Facing Dog, help strengthen the arm bones, which are particularly vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures. In an unpublished study conducted at California State University, Los Angeles, yoga practice increased bone density in the vertebrae. Yoga's ability to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol (see Number 11) may help keep calcium in the bones.

Flow Chart
7 Yoga gets your blood flowing. More specifically, the relaxation exercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in your hands and feet. Yoga also gets more oxygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are thought to wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. Inverted poses, such as Headstand, Handstand, and Shoulderstand, encourage venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated. This can help if you have swelling in your legs from heart or kidney problems. Yoga also boosts levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues. And it thins the blood by making platelets less sticky and by cutting the level of clot-promoting proteins in the blood. This can lead to a decrease in heart attacks and strokes since blood clots are often the cause of these killers.

Lymph Lesson
8 When you contract and stretch muscles, move organs around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells). This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning.

Heart Start
9 When you regularly get your heart rate into the aerobic range, you lower your risk of heart attack and can relieve depression. While not all yoga is aerobic, if you do it vigorously or take flow or Ashtanga classes, it can boost your heart rate into the aerobic range. But even yoga exercises that don't get your heart rate up that high can improve cardiovascular conditioning. Studies have found that yoga practice lowers the resting heart rate, increases endurance, and can improve your maximum uptake of oxygen during exercise—all reflections of improved aerobic conditioning. One study found that subjects who were taught only pranayama could do more exercise with less oxygen.

Pressure Drop
10 If you've got high blood pressure, you might benefit from yoga. Two studies of people with hypertension, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, compared the effects of Savasana (Corpse Pose) with simply lying on a couch. After three months, Savasana was associated with a 26-point drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 15-point drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number—and the higher the initial blood pressure, the bigger the drop.

Worry Thwarts
11 Yoga lowers cortisol levels. If that doesn't sound like much, consider this. Normally, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol in response to an acute crisis, which temporarily boosts immune function. If your cortisol levels stay high even after the crisis, they can compromise the immune system. Temporary boosts of cortisol help with long-term memory, but chronically high levels undermine memory and may lead to permanent changes in the brain. Additionally, excessive cortisol has been linked with major depression, osteoporosis (it extracts calcium and other minerals from bones and interferes with the laying down of new bone), high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. In rats, high cortisol levels lead to what researchers call "food-seeking behavior" (the kind that drives you to eat when you're upset, angry, or stressed). The body takes those extra calories and distributes them as fat in the abdomen, contributing to weight gain and the risk of diabetes and heart attack.

Happy Hour

12 Feeling sad? Sit in Lotus. Better yet, rise up into a backbend or soar royally into King Dancer Pose. While it's not as simple as that, one study found that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol. At the University of Wisconsin, Richard Davidson, Ph.D., found that the left prefrontal cortex showed heightened activity in meditators, a finding that has been correlated with greater levels of happiness and better immune function. More dramatic left-sided activation was found in dedicated, long-term practitioners.

Weighty Matters
13 Move more, eat less—that's the adage of many a dieter. Yoga can help on both fronts. A regular practice gets you moving and burns calories, and the spiritual and emotional dimensions of your practice may encourage you to address any eating and weight problems on a deeper level. Yoga may also inspire you to become a more conscious eater.

Low Show
14 Yoga lowers blood sugar and LDL ("bad") cholesterol and boosts HDL ("good") cholesterol. In people with diabetes, yoga has been found to lower blood sugar in several ways: by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, encouraging weight loss, and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin. Get your blood sugar levels down, and you decrease your risk of diabetic complications such as heart attack, kidney failure, and blindness.

Brain Waves

15 An important component of yoga is focusing on the present. Studies have found that regular yoga practice improves coordination, reaction time, memory, and even IQ scores. People who practice Transcendental Meditation demonstrate the ability to solve problems and acquire and recall information better—probably because they're less distracted by their thoughts, which can play over and over like an endless tape loop.

Nerve Center
16 Yoga encourages you to relax, slow your breath, and focus on the present, shifting the balance from the sympathetic nervous system (or the fight-or-flight response) to the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter is calming and restorative; it lowers breathing and heart rates, decreases blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the intestines and reproductive organs—comprising what Herbert Benson, M.D., calls the relaxation response.

Space Place
17 Regularly practicing yoga increases proprioception (the ability to feel what your body is doing and where it is in space) and improves balance. People with bad posture or dysfunctional movement patterns usually have poor proprioception, which has been linked to knee problems and back pain. Better balance could mean fewer falls. For the elderly, this translates into more independence and delayed admission to a nursing home or never entering one at all. For the rest of us, postures like Tree Pose can make us feel less wobbly on and off the mat.

Control Center
18 Some advanced yogis can control their bodies in extraordinary ways, many of which are mediated by the nervous system. Scientists have monitored yogis who could induce unusual heart rhythms, generate specific brain-wave patterns, and, using a meditation technique, raise the temperature of their hands by 15 degrees Fahrenheit. If they can use yoga to do that, perhaps you could learn to improve blood flow to your pelvis if you're trying to get pregnant or induce relaxation when you're having trouble falling asleep.

Loose Limbs
19 Do you ever notice yourself holding the telephone or a steering wheel with a death grip or scrunching your face when staring at a computer screen? These unconscious habits can lead to chronic tension, muscle fatigue, and soreness in the wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, and face, which can increase stress and worsen your mood. As you practice yoga, you begin to notice where you hold tension: It might be in your tongue, your eyes, or the muscles of your face and neck. If you simply tune in, you may be able to release some tension in the tongue and eyes. With bigger muscles like the quadriceps, trapezius, and buttocks, it may take years of practice to learn how to relax them.

Chill Pill
20 Stimulation is good, but too much of it taxes the nervous system. Yoga can provide relief from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Restorative asana, yoga nidra (a form of guided relaxation), Savasana, pranayama, and meditation encourage pratyahara, a turning inward of the senses, which provides downtime for the nervous system. Another by-product of a regular yoga practice, studies suggest, is better sleep—which means you'll be less tired and stressed and less likely to have accidents.

Immune Boon
21 Asana and pranayama probably improve immune function, but, so far, meditation has the strongest scientific support in this area. It appears to have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the immune system, boosting it when needed (for example, raising antibody levels in response to a vaccine) and lowering it when needed (for instance, mitigating an inappropriately aggressive immune function in an autoimmune disease like psoriasis).

Breathing Room
22 Yogis tend to take fewer breaths of greater volume, which is both calming and more efficient. A 1998 study published in The Lancet taught a yogic technique known as "complete breathing" to people with lung problems due to congestive heart failure. After one month, their average respiratory rate decreased from 13.4 breaths per minute to 7.6. Meanwhile, their exercise capacity increased significantly, as did the oxygen saturation of their blood. In addition, yoga has been shown to improve various measures of lung function, including the maximum volume of the breath and the efficiency of the exhalation. Yoga also promotes breathing through the nose, which filters the air, warms it (cold, dry air is more likely to trigger an asthma attack in people who are sensitive), and humidifies it, removing pollen and dirt and other things you'd rather not take into your lungs.

Poop Scoop
23 Ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation—all of these can be exacerbated by stress. So if you stress less, you'll suffer less. Yoga, like any physical exercise, can ease constipation—and theoretically lower the risk of colon cancer—because moving the body facilitates more rapid transport of food and waste products through the bowels. And, although it has not been studied scientifically, yogis suspect that twisting poses may be beneficial in getting waste to move through the system.

Peace of Mind
24 Yoga quells the fluctuations of the mind, according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. In other words, it slows down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause stress. And since stress is implicated in so many health problems—from migraines and insomnia to lupus, MS, eczema, high blood pressure, and heart attacks—if you learn to quiet your mind, you'll be likely to live longer and healthier.

Divine Sign
25 Many of us suffer from chronic low self-esteem. If you handle this negatively—take drugs, overeat, work too hard, sleep around—you may pay the price in poorer health physically, mentally, and spiritually. If you take a positive approach and practice yoga, you'll sense, initially in brief glimpses and later in more sustained views, that you're worthwhile or, as yogic philosophy teaches, that you are a manifestation of the Divine. If you practice regularly with an intention of self-examination and betterment—not just as a substitute for an aerobics class—you can access a different side of yourself. You'll experience feelings of gratitude, empathy, and forgiveness, as well as a sense that you're part of something bigger. While better health is not the goal of spirituality, it's often a by-product, as documented by repeated scientific studies.

Pain Drain
26 Yoga can ease your pain. According to several studies, asana, meditation, or a combination of the two, reduced pain in people with arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other chronic conditions. When you relieve your pain, your mood improves, you're more inclined to be active, and you don't need as much medication.

Heat Treatment
27 Yoga can help you make changes in your life. In fact, that might be its greatest strength. Tapas, the Sanskrit word for "heat," is the fire, the discipline that fuels yoga practice and that regular practice builds. The tapas you develop can be extended to the rest of your life to overcome inertia and change dysfunctional habits. You may find that without making a particular effort to change things, you start to eat better, exercise more, or finally quit smoking after years of failed attempts.

Guru Gifts
28 Good yoga teachers can do wonders for your health. Exceptional ones do more than guide you through the postures. They can adjust your posture, gauge when you should go deeper in poses or back off, deliver hard truths with compassion, help you relax, and enhance and personalize your practice. A respectful relationship with a teacher goes a long way toward promoting your health.

Drug Free
29 If your medicine cabinet looks like a pharmacy, maybe it's time to try yoga. Studies of people with asthma, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes (formerly called adult-onset diabetes), and obsessive-compulsive disorder have shown that yoga helped them lower their dosage of medications and sometimes get off them entirely. The benefits of taking fewer drugs? You'll spend less money, and you're less likely to suffer side effects and risk dangerous drug interactions.

Hostile Makeover
30 Yoga and meditation build awareness. And the more aware you are, the easier it is to break free of destructive emotions like anger. Studies suggest that chronic anger and hostility are as strongly linked to heart attacks as are smoking, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. Yoga appears to reduce anger by increasing feelings of compassion and interconnection and by calming the nervous system and the mind. It also increases your ability to step back from the drama of your own life, to remain steady in the face of bad news or unsettling events. You can still react quickly when you need to—and there's evidence that yoga speeds reaction time—but you can take that split second to choose a more thoughtful approach, reducing suffering for yourself and others.

Good Relations
31 Love may not conquer all, but it certainly can aid in healing. Cultivating the emotional support of friends, family, and community has been demonstrated repeatedly to improve health and healing. A regular yoga practice helps develop friendliness, compassion, and greater equanimity. Along with yogic philosophy's emphasis on avoiding harm to others, telling the truth, and taking only what you need, this may improve many of your relationships.

Sound System
32 The basics of yoga—asana, pranayama, and meditation—all work to improve your health, but there's more in the yoga toolbox. Consider chanting. It tends to prolong exhalation, which shifts the balance toward the parasympathetic nervous system. When done in a group, chanting can be a particularly powerful physical and emotional experience. A recent study from Sweden's Karolinska Institute suggests that humming sounds—like those made while chanting Om—open the sinuses and facilitate drainage.

Vision Quest
33 If you contemplate an image in your mind's eye, as you do in yoga nidra and other practices, you can effect change in your body. Several studies have found that guided imagery reduced postoperative pain, decreased the frequency of headaches, and improved the quality of life for people with cancer and HIV.

Clean Machine
34 Kriyas, or cleansing practices, are another element of yoga. They include everything from rapid breathing exercises to elaborate internal cleansings of the intestines. Jala neti, which entails a gentle lavage of the nasal passages with salt water, removes pollen and viruses from the nose, keeps mucus from building up, and helps drains the sinuses.

Karma Concept
35 Karma yoga (service to others) is integral to yogic philosophy. And while you may not be inclined to serve others, your health might improve if you do. A study at the University of Michigan found that older people who volunteered a little less than an hour per week were three times as likely to be alive seven years later. Serving others can give meaning to your life, and your problems may not seem so daunting when you see what other people are dealing with.

Healing Hope
36 In much of conventional medicine, most patients are passive recipients of care. In yoga, it's what you do for yourself that matters. Yoga gives you the tools to help you change, and you might start to feel better the first time you try practicing. You may also notice that the more you commit to practice, the more you benefit. This results in three things: You get involved in your own care, you discover that your involvement gives you the power to effect change, and seeing that you can effect change gives you hope. And hope itself can be healing.

Connective Tissue
37 As you read all the ways yoga improves your health, you probably noticed a lot of overlap. That's because they're intensely interwoven. Change your posture and you change the way you breathe. Change your breathing and you change your nervous system. This is one of the great lessons of yoga: Everything is connected—your hipbone to your anklebone, you to your community, your community to the world. This interconnection is vital to understanding yoga. This holistic system simultaneously taps into many mechanisms that have additive and even multiplicative effects. This synergy may be the most important way of all that yoga heals.

Placebo Power
38 Just believing you will get better can make you better. Unfortunately, many conventional scientists believe that if something works by eliciting the placebo effect, it doesn't count. But most patients just want to get better, so if chanting a mantra—like you might do at the beginning or end of yoga class or throughout a meditation or in the course of your day—facilitates healing, even if it's just a placebo effect, why not do it?

Timothy McCall, M.D., is Yoga Journal's medical editor and a board-certified specialist in internal medicine. His book Yoga as Medicine will be released in fall 2005. Check with your health care provider before following any of the recommendations given in this article.

Yoga Poses for a Cold - Exercise Helps!

2011-12-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

From Yogajournal.com

Before you begin, wrap your forehead to relieve tension in the head. Take a wide ace bandage (about 4 inches) and wrap it snugly around the head, tucking the free end in. You can also wrap it over the eyes, taking care not to wrap the eyes too tightly. The bandage will comfort your congested sinuses while you do the poses that follow.

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Brings energy to the head and respiratory area; helps clear the sinuses. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and rest your forearms on a chair seat. You can also place a blanket on the chair seat for extra padding. Hold two to five minutes.

Supported Bridge Pose (Salamba Setu Bandhasana)

Opens up the chest and increases circulation to the upper torso. Align two bolsters or two to four blankets on the floor running the entire length of your body (the height of the support can vary from 6 to 12 inches). Sit on the middle of the support and lie back. Slide towards your head until your shoulders lightly touch the floor. Open your arms out to the sides, palms turned up. Rest with your legs stretched out on the bolster or with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Relax for a minimum of five minutes.

Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Brings energy to the groin and opens the chest area to facilitate breathing. With the back of the pelvis on a bolster placed 4 to 6 inches from the wall, swing the legs up the wall. Drop your sitting bones into the space between the blanket and the wall and open your arms out to the sides. If your hamstrings feel tight, try turning the legs slightly in, or move the bolster further away from the wall. Hold for a minimum of five minutes.

Supported Bound Angle Pose (Salamba Baddha Konasana)

Opens the chest, abdomen, and groins; relaxes the nervous system. Sit on the floor, knees bent towards the chest. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees open towards the floor. Support the outer thighs with folded blankets at a comfortable height. You can also place sandbags on each inner thigh to deepen relaxation. Release the arms out to the sides and let go of any tension. Relax in the pose for a minimum of five minutes.

Reclining Twist (Modified Jathara Parivartanasana)

Releases physical and stress-based tension. Lie on your back and with an exhalation bend your knees and draw your thighs to your torso. Shift your pelvis slightly to the left and, with another exhalation, swing your legs to the right and down to the floor (if they don't rest comfortably on the floor, support them on a bolster or folded blanket). Turn your upper torso to the left. Rest your right hand on the outer left knee and stretch your left arm to the side, in line with your shoulders. Look straight up or close your eyes. Relax for three minutes. Repeat on the other side.

Widespread Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)

Quiets the internal organs; relaxes the mind. Sit on the floor with your sitting bones on the edge of a folded blanket. Straighten your legs out in front of you and then separate them as far as you comfortably can. Rest your upper torso on a bolster or (if you're more stiff) a chair seat. If you are using a chair, you can fold your forearms on the seat for more height and padding. Hold the pose for three to five minutes.

How Chiropractic Can Help With Your Pregnancy and Birth

2011-12-07T16:16:00.001-08:00

How Chiropractic Can Help With Your Pregnancy and Birth

by Birth Without Fear on August 24, 2011

Editor’s Note: This is a Guest Blog Post by Brandon Harshe, D.C with The Atlas of Life Chiropractic!
Morning sickness. Vomiting. Nausea. Back pain. Pelvic pain. Shortness of breath. Hormones gone wild. High blood pressure. Swollen ankles.
These symptoms are seen as normal during pregnancy, something you better get used to for the next 38-42 weeks. You wanted a baby, now deal with it. Right?
Wrong. Sure these examples are common among pregnant women, but the intensity or even the presence of these symptoms will greatly diminish if under Chiropractic care.
Why?
As we established in previous posts, the nervous system controls all in your body. Under the direction of your body’s Innate Intelligence, the nervous system will adapt to the changes brought on by a growing new life inside of you. This new life you carry has its own Innate Intelligence that will do whatever it must to preserve the health and well being of itself. This will come at your expense, causing a number of deficiencies that your Innate Intelligence will have no choice but to adapt to.
The presence of a vertebral subluxation will interfere with the nervous system’s ability to communicate back and forth with the body. The subluxation will result in three things:
1.) Body Imbalance – a subluxation at your atlas will tilt your head to one side. Your brain has a reflex called the righting reflex which keeps your eyes level with the horizon. This will cause your lower cervical spine to bend the opposite way of your head tilt. To compensate, your thoracic spine will bend the opposite way, then the opposite way in the lumbar spine, resulting in one side of your pelvis being drawn up and causing one leg to appear shorter than the other, as well as an uneven distribution of weight putting undue stress on the joints. An unevenly aligned pelvis during pregnancy can be incredibly painful, as well as problematic for the baby trying to get into a proper birthing position.

2.) Nerve Tension or Pressure – Because of these compensations traveling down your spine, the muscles on one or both sides of your spine will become very tight, and inflammatory effects will take place and escalate in places of spinal misalignment. These changes will add stress to the nerves exiting your spinal column at some level, be it the nerve root or further along the distribution of the nerve. The nerves exiting your spine all lead to various parts of your body, including muscles, organs, glands, and blood vessels. Left alone and, over time, this nerve stress will lead to degeneration in these various body systems.

3.) Brain Stem Tension or Pressure – A subluxation of your atlas (C1) vertebra will not only narrow the spinal canal in which the spinal cord travels down, but this narrowed space will result in an increase of pressure within this spinal canal. This added pressure will cause undue stress to the brain stem located just above the atlas.
If you remember Christopher Reeve, he shattered his atlas and nearly severed his spinal cord at the level of his axis (C2) vertebra. The brain stem is the Houston Control of your body, coordinating any and all communication from the brain to the body and vice versa. Because of an injury to this area near the brain stem, Christopher Reeve could not breathe on his own without a respirator and he eventually died of heart failure due to decreased brain stem function.
As you can see, the results of a vertebral subluxation do not equate to healthy changes in your body. Your Innate Intelligence can only do so much when given a limitation of matter. Add in a growing baby using up much of your body’s resources to survive and grow within you, and you can begin to see where a subluxation can wreak havoc on the health of a pregnant woman.
How?
The spinal compensations resulting from the subluxation may result in distorted pelvic positioning, causing the baby to get into an unfavorable position for birth, possibly breech. This unfavorable position could be adding increased pressure to your pelvic veins and vena cava (the large vein on the right side of your body carrying blood from the legs back up to the heart). This pressure could slow down the flow of blood back up to the heart, causing the blood to pool in your legs. This will only add to the swelling you might be experiencing in your ankles, as well as contributing to the increased risk of preeclampsia in your last trimester.
The nerve pressure and tension caused by the spinal compensations in the spine may lead to improper signals to be sent to various organs and tissues. Pressure and tension on the nerves in your mid to upper thoracic spine may lead to decreased function of the heart and/or lungs. This may result in an added shortness of breath. Or maybe high blood pressure, adding to that risk of preeclampsia.
Maybe pressure in the lower thoracic, lumbar, and sacral nerves results in decreased blood flow to organs such as your kidney and liver. This could result in decreased organ function, which may cause protein to leak into the urine, another sign of preeclampsia. Nerve tension in these lower spinal areas may result in a tight uterus, making you unable to relax during labor due to the pain you feel with each contraction. This might keep you from dilating properly, only adding to the stress a possible cesarean section can create.
A subluxation of your atlas will cause tension or pressure to the area of your brain stem. This tension or pressure will interfere with the brain stem’s ability to coordinate the messages being sent to the body by the brain. This could interfere with proper distribution of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Since the placenta is being developed with the help of estrogen and progesterone, a lessened amount of both these hormones may result in complications with the placenta, and therefore the growing baby inside that placenta.
As you can see, a vertebral subluxation is not a minor thing to ignore. Even the most seemingly insignificant of subluxations will always run some kind of interference to the brain-body communication. This is never a good thing, and especially not when you are pregnant and your body needs the most help and the least interference.
You deserve to have the best chance at a successful pregnancy and childbirth, and you can only do that with a nervous system that is running free and clear of interference.

FDA Cracks down on OTC Hcg Products (Over the Counter)

2011-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

FDA Cracks down on OTC Hcg Products (Over the Counter)
Taken from their website http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm281333.htm

FYI - This crack down is not from professional homeopathics from a licensed FDA regulated Lab. HCG is not and will not (I believe anytime soon) be approved for weightloss, even those we do know it has an effect with fat metabolism while you are on a 500 cal diet. Main reason why it is not FDA approved is because no one wants to spend the millions of dollars on a 10 year research study to document the changes...

Thank for reading,
Dr. Jon Wise

Here is the story!

Anyone who has ever been on a diet—and there are many of us—knows that there are sensible ways to lose weight. These include balanced diets, exercising and realistic goals.
And then there are reckless ways to shed pounds—fads and diet aids that promise rapid weight loss, but often recommend potentially dangerous practices. These include HCG weight-loss products marketed over-the-counter (OTC) that are identified as "homeopathic" and direct users to follow a severely restrictive diet.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers to steer clear of these "homeopathic" human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) weight-loss products. They are sold in the form of oral drops, pellets and sprays and can be found online and in some retail stores.
FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued seven letters to companies warning them that they are selling illegal homeopathic HCG weight-loss drugs that have not been approved by FDA, and that make unsupported claims.
(For the list of manufacturers, distributors and products—and more information about FDA’s concerns about HCG—visit www.fda.gov/hcgdiet.)
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HCG Makes Big Claims

HCG is a hormone that is produced by the human placenta during pregnancy.
Products that claim to contain HCG are typically marketed in connection with a very low calorie diet, usually one that limits calories to 500 per day. Many of these popular HCG products claim to “reset your metabolism,” change “abnormal eating patterns,” and shave 20-30 pounds in 30-40 days.
“These products are marketed with incredible claims and people think that if they're losing weight, HCG must be working,” says Elizabeth Miller, acting director of FDA’s Division of Non-Prescription Drugs and Health Fraud. “But the data simply does not support this; any loss is from severe calorie restriction. Not from the HCG.”
HCG is approved by FDA as a prescription drug for the treatment of female infertility, and other medical conditions. It is not approved for weight loss. In fact, the prescription drug label notes there “is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”
HCG is not approved for OTC sale for any purpose.
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A Potentially Dangerous Diet

Living on 500 calories a day is not only unhealthy—it’s hazardous, according to FDA experts. Consumers on such restrictive diets are at increased risk for side effects that include gallstone formation, an imbalance of the electrolytes that keep the body’s muscles and nerves functioning properly, and an irregular heartbeat.
Shirley Blakely, a nutritionist at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, echoes concerns about such restrictive diets. They can be dangerous, she says, and potentially fatal.
Very low calorie diets are sometimes prescribed by health care professionals for people who are moderately to extremely obese as part of medical treatment to lessen health conditions caused by obesity, like high blood pressure. But even then, strict—and constant—medical supervision is needed to ensure that side effects are not life threatening, says Blakely.
Without medical oversight, consumers on very low calorie diets may not be getting enough vitamins, minerals and—most critically—protein.
“In general, the reference (average) calorie level is 2,000,” says Blakely. “If you want to lose weight, reduce your daily intake by 500 calories. Over the course of a week, that equals 3500 calories, which is the loss of a pound. Gradual weight loss is the way to do it.”
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Story Started Decades Ago

Miller explains that HCG was first promoted for weight loss in the 1950s. “It faded in the 1970s, especially when it became apparent that there was a lack of evidence to support the use of HCG for weight loss,” she says.
The diet has become popular again and FDA and FTC are taking action on illegal HCG products. “You cannot sell products claiming to contain HCG as an OTC drug product. It’s illegal,” says Brad Pace, team leader and regulatory counsel at FDA’s Health Fraud and Consumer Outreach Branch. “If these companies don’t heed our warnings, they could face enforcement actions, legal penalties or criminal prosecution.”
Elisabeth Walther, a pharmacist at FDA, explains that the agency does not evaluate homeopathic drug products for safety or effectiveness, and is not aware of any scientific evidence that supports homeopathy as effective. However, those that meet certain conditions set by FDA can be marketed. A reference document called the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States lists active ingredients that may be legally included in homeopathic drug products.

Positive & Negative Energy Effects on Water Crystals

2011-12-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

Positive & Negative Energy Effects on Water Crystals

Research From Dr. Masaru Emoto, says human thoughts are directed at water before it is frozen, the images reflect the beautiful or ugly thought. Since1999 Emoto has published several volumes of a work titled Messages from Water.

Vertebral Subluxation Complex

2011-11-28T09:18:00.001-08:00

Your spinal column or ‘backbone’ is made up of 24 vertebrae: seven in your neck (cervical spine), 12 in your midback (thoracic spine) and 5 in your lower back (lumbar spine). Your spinal cord, made up of billions of nerves, lies inside your spinal column, protected on all sides by bone. Your spinal cordís nerves branch out through openings between your vertebrae and connect to your internal organs, muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and other body parts. This connection is vital for your well-being.

The vertebral subluxation complex, an often painless spinal distortion, can irritate or damage your spinal nerves, interfere with your brain-body connection and affect your spine, nerves, discs, muscles, organs and overall health. Doctors of chiropractic specialize in the detection and correction of the vertebral subluxation complex - restoring the lines of communication within your body and improving your overall body function, healing potential and well-being.

C1: To blood supply to the head, pituitary gland, scalp, bones of the face, brain inner and middle ear, sympathetic nervous system, eyes, ears
C2: To eyes, optic nerves, auditory nerves, sinuses, mastoid bones, tongue, forehead, heart
C3: To cheeks, outer ear, face, bones, teeth, trifacial nerve, lungs
C4: To nose, lips, mouth, Eustachian tube, mucus membranes, lungs
C5: To vocal cords, neck glands, pharynx
C6: To neck muscles, shoulders, tonsils
C7: Tothyroid gland, bursa in the shoulders, elbows
T1: To arms from the elbows down, including hands, arms, wrists and fingers; esophagus and trachea, heart
T2: To heart, including its valves and covering coronary arteries; lungs bronchial tubes
T3: To lungs, bronchial tubes, pleura, chest, breast, heart
T4: To gallbladder, common duct, heart, lungs, bronchial tubes
T5: To liver, solar plexus, circulation (general), heart, esophagus, stomach
T6: To stomach, esophagus, peritoneum, liver, duodenum
T7: To kidneys, appendix, testes, ovaries, uterus, adrenal cortex, spleen, pancreas, large intestine
T8: To spleen, stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, adrenal cortex, small intestine, pyloric valve
T9: To adrenal cortex, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, ovaries, uterus, small intestine
T10: To kidneys, appendix, testes, ovaries, uterus, adrenal cortex, spleen, pancreas, large intestine
T11: To kidneys, ureters, large intestine, urinary bladder, adrenal medulla, adrenal cortex, uterus, ovaries, ileocecal valve
T12: To small intestine, lymph circulation, large intestine, urinary bladder, uterus, kdneys, ileocecal valve
L1: To large intesine, inguinal rings, uterus
L2: To appendix, abdomen, upper leg, urinary bladder
L3: To sex organs, uterus, bladder, knee, prostate, large intestine
L4: To prostate gland, muscles of the lower back, sciatic nerve
L5: To lower legs, ankles, feet, prostate
Sacrum: To hip bones, buttocks, rectum, sex organs, genitalia, urinary bladder, ureter, prostate
Sacral Plexus: Forms the sciatic as well as other nerves that go to muscles, joints and other structures of the legs, knees, ankles, feet and toes
Coccyx: To rectum, anus

Autoimmune Diseases

2011-11-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

Autoimmune Diseases
A Key to Solving Auto-Immune Diseases Like Rheumatoid Arthritis
From the http://www.theherbprof.com

A Thomsonian Naturopathic Doctor's View of a Common Sense Way Out of the Autoimmune Disease Mess

I am a Thomsonian Naturopathic doctor and follower of Dr Samuel Thomson (the founder 1822). He believed as I have learned from his teachings and my experience that all diseases are actually simple to explain. That the more you complicate disease and medical techniques the more that people are removed from the healing process. One of the results is what you see today in these auto-immune disease epidemic nightmares.

When I was looking at autoimmune diseases in 2004, there were at that time 65 and everyone was shocked at the high number. Sadly these diseases have nearly tripled in that short period of time and today I believe the number is close to 150. But this is not the true number as anyone of those autoimmune diseases can have any number of sub-diseases with their own symptoms. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) for example, has about 100 sub-diseases.

Autoimmune diseases like RA are a disease where your immune system does not recognize you and attacks you as though you were something foreign. Here is a comparison that shows just how crazy this really is. Imagine, that in your city one day for no apparent reason the police department starts shooting at the employees of the water department, crazy huh?

Modern medicine’s answer seems like a good idea, suppress or control the immune system. But wait a minute that is like answering your city’s problem by taking away the policemen’s guns. This is unrealistic; because like your immune system the police have a vital service to perform. Shouldn’t the realistic solution be to find out why your immune system is attacking you in the first place, why the confusion?

Let me see if I can make something clear for everyone so it is easier to understand. When each cell is created by your body it gets an identifying signature, a code that says it is part of you and do not attack me. You might say it is like the license plate on your car. Well, when your immune system senses this code it automatically knows that this is you and do not attack. Modern medical science calls this code a major histocompatibility complex (MHC).

As long as you have been alive your immune system has checked each of the trillions of cells in your body two times a day. The question is why, after checking the identification of your cells successfully all your life, does your immune system suddenly attack as in RA? What has happened to these cells of your body such as those in your joints that it once protected and now attacks?

Naturopaths like myself, believe that RA and all other autoimmune diseases are a symptom of a modern lifestyle and genetic weaknesses. Making the pain or symptoms go away without addressing the underlying root of the immune confusion will give your body cause and effect to bring you another autoimmune disease. And so it is, someone with an auto-immune disease tends to get another auto-immune disease and possibly more. It is like the child's game where you knock the peg down with a hammer and another one pops up.

What is needed to prevent the immune system from making these errors? Simply eliminate from the body those things that are causing the immunity confusion. These are things that never have and never will be naturally accepted or beneficial to the human body or mind.

Objective Autoimmune Disease Causes

There are combinations of toxins in everyone’s bodies today that have never been there in all of human history. Our bodies were never designed to carry them nor do we have any use for them. Some of them are objectively toxic in nature like the heavy metals aluminum, cadmium, lead, mercury and thallium. Then you have the industrial chemicals that include hydrazine, herbicides, preservatives, dyes, plastics, bisphenol A and rubber products that are released in the environment and they number somewhere close to 85,000 thanks to the EPA and the FDA.

Note (In 2005, researchers from the Environmental Working Group found something very frightening: a cocktail of 287 pollutants – PFOA’s, pesticides, dioxins, flame retardants -- in the fetal-cord blood of newborn infants from around the country).

Medical Drugs That Can Cause Autoimmune Diseases

It has been known for some time that medical drugs can trigger an autoimmune disease. Now it has been found that many medical drugs are the direct cause of various autoimmune diseases.

The Prescription Drugs

Alferon N, Allopurinol, Atenolol, Atorvastatin, captopril, Carbamazepine, chlorpromazine, Chlorthalidone, cimetidine, Ethosuximide, gold salts, griseofulvin, Hydralazine, Hydrochlorothiazide, Infergen, Inerferon Alfa, Interferons, Interleukins, Intron A, Isoniazid, Levodopa, Lithium, Lovastatin, Mesantoin, Methimazole, Methyldopa, Methylsergide, Metoprolol, Minocycline, Minoxidil, Nitrofurantoin, Ophthalmic timolol, Oral contraceptives, P-aminobenzoic, PegIntron, Penicillamine, Penicillin, Perphenazine, Phenylbutazone, Phenytoin, Pravostatin, Primidone, Procainamide, Propylthiouracil, Quinidine, Simvastatin, sulfasalazine, sulfonamides, streptomycin, Sulfonamide antimicrobials, Tetracyclines, Tiotropium Bromide inhaler, Trimethadione, Tumor Necrosis factor, Valproic acid.

Why would a medical drug that you take for your health cause you to become sick? Basically medicine is not made to help you to become healthier. Medical drugs are developed to suppress your symptoms. You would never take a pharmaceutical drug to feel healthier as you would a vitamin or herbal supplement.

Mercury in Medicine

Of course everyone knows the dangers of mercury, but modern medicine insists on putting mercury in just about everything they give us and the FDA allows them to, why? Because mercury is cheap and it works to suppress your symptoms even though over the long haul it poisons us all. How dangerous is mercury? It is the second most dangerous element on the planet next to plutonium.

Yet mercury is even found in over the counter medical drugs (OCMD) such as topical antiseptics, stimulant laxatives, diaper rash ointments (yes for babies), eye drops, nose sprays, Preparation H, Calomel body powders and talc, Mercurochrome, Merthiolate, Laxatives containing Calomel, Psoriasis ointments, Calamine lotions, Contact lens solutions and Vaginal gels – especially those that are contraceptives. And of course mercury is highly suspect as a cause in all these new autoimmune diseases and the alteration of our children’s behavior such as ADD, ADHD and Autism. Easy to see why we have health problems, isn’t it?

Why is the FDA afraid to do what is right and pull mercury out of all of these products? Because the use of mercury is so cheap and the pressure is high in the drug industry to leave it that way.

“Lawsuit to Force FDA to Comply With Law and Ban Mercury” (News of the Day 11/13/2006)

The lawsuit, originally filed in August 2006, asks the court to force the FDA to comply with existing law and regulations and provide proof of the safety and efficacy of mercury in drugs. The suit was filed because the FDA failed to answer issues raised.

Mercury is found in at least 45 different prescribed or over-the-counter drugs, including eye ointments, nasal sprays, and vaccines, most importantly, flu vaccines administered to children and pregnant women.

In a 1999 internal email, obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request, an FDA official wrote that the agency’s failure to evaluate the cumulative amount of mercury in medicine “…will raise questions about FDA being ‘asleep at the switch’ for decades by allowing a potentially hazardous compound to remain…and not forcing manufacturers to exclude it from new products….

In a second email, the same official wrote: “…the greatest point of vulnerability on this issue is that the systematic review…by the FDA could have been done years ago and on an ongoing basis.”

Citizen Filed Petition, Aug 4, 2004, by CoMeD representatives

FDA Sued Over Mercury in Medicines, News of the Day, 11/13/2006

Subjective Autoimmune Disease Causes

Would you be surprised to learn that something subjective like losing a loved one or getting a divorce can trigger an autoimmune disease just like mercury can. To eliminate these and others you need to address the whole person which takes work and willingness on the part of the patient.

Your Genetic Weaknesses and Autoimmune Diseases

The genetic connections to autoimmune diseases are well established but very few people are aware of the Naturopathic Medical view of genetics and disease. A chain is the perfect object to use as an example of genetic weaknesses. There is a very old saying that goes like this, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”. So, there is no chain that does not have a weak link and that link can be found by exerting enough stress on the chain to break that link.

Now imagine each organ in your body alphabetically beginning with your adrenals down to your veins is a link in a chain. This chain of organs has a weak genetic link somewhere you just need to apply enough stress (through diet, toxicity and lifestyle) on the organ chain to find the weak link. Knowing you have a weak link how would you protect yourself from getting a disease in that organ? The answer is as simple as the cure for all disease. Simply do not put stress on your genetic chain with your lifestyle.

Those people whose genetic chain is already broken need to reverse what they have been doing all their life. This will take the stress off of the weak organ and give it a chance to recover. By doing the opposite I mean cleansing, detoxing, no refined foods, lots of produce, live juices and lifestyle adjustments.

One of the miracles of the human body is the replacement of each and every cell and organ over an 8 year period. To take advantage of this process you give your body everything it needs to do this to the optimum level. In other words, treating your body just as I said above with the best cleansing, detoxing and the most nutritious foods, herbs, supplements and lifestyle adjustments to get the most from this building process.

Specifically What Can You Do?

Naturopaths believe disease and ill health attack you from five different areas of your life. One, what you bring into your body via food, water, air. Two, what is not eliminated; the toxins that build up encouraging the disease to start. Three, a lack of movement and exercise causing poor blood flow, encouraging toxic buildup, low oxygen and poor nutrition to cells. Four, the stressful people and situations in the work place and at home. Five, a poor spiritual foundation, no belief in a higher power. To reverse auto-immune diseases like RA and bring good health, the above five areas are addressed at the same time with rigorous cleansing, detoxing and lifestyle changes

Few people today realize how intensively healing and powerful Naturopathic medical treatments really are. They think of using a few herbs for this and that disease, drinking an herb tea, do a few yoga stretches etc. Which is as weak as it sounds and is also very far from the truth.

The truth is that Naturopathic Medical therapies are intense, invasive and rigorous. Juice fasting, colon, liver and kidney cleansing and detoxing, cold sheet treatments, hydro therapy, castor oil packs and blood cleansing using substantial doses of herbs, etc. All of these treatments plus making permanent changes in your lifestyle and more are part of Naturopathic Medicine's treatments to undo RA and all auto-immune diseases. Anyone who gives these techniques their complete attention and focus will see RA and any disease including cancer disappear into their past.

I know, I used the above techniques on myself against a life threatening disease twenty years ago and they wiped my health slate clean as when I was a boy. I am 65 now; healthy and strong as a horse with zero diseases and zero medications.

To get started go to the Programs section and read “Where Do I Start” and “Cleansing and Detoxing” to learn the importance of alkalizing and cleansing and detoxing your body. Also, go to the “Supplements” section and read “The Truth About Vitamins”.

To find the herbal combinations called for in Cleansing and Detoxing go to the Products section, then to Herbal Combinations, then to the specific combination you are looking for. Such as: The Cleanse and Detox Kit, Kidney Bladder Detox Kit, Liver Gall Bladder Detox Kit (all the herbs are certified wild crafted or organic. I would use nothing else because I know your life depends on it).

Below are some suggestions for you if you have an autoimmune disease. They will help you cleanse your body and create a healthy acting strong immune system.

Detoxing Super Foods

Research in the United States and Europe indicate that chlorella and other types of green algae and grasses assist the body to breakdown toxic metals while enhancing the strength of the immune system. This detoxing process can take from 3 to 6 months depending on the amount of these green foods used and the life style of the person (diet, exercise, cleansing, etc.). The green product I used to fight cancer is called Earth’s Nutrition (see Products section on Herbal Combinations). Earth’s Nutrition contains 15 different green foods and herbs to cleanse and strengthen your immune system (all the ingredients are certified wild crafted or organic).

To learn how and why these green products and herbs in the combinations work go to the Herbs section of this site and look up the greens and herbs in the formula.

A Simple Powerful Cleansing Technique

One, of first things I was given to do for myself which gave me a lot of energy and jump started the whole cleansing process was The Morning Drink. It is easy to make all you need in a blender, some produce that you can find at any store and the instructions (go to website menu to Programs and you will see it listed there). I still make this drink every day I will never give it up.

A Word About Healing Choices

Just because you have been told the same thing over and over again, does not make it true. Just because there is only one mechanic in town with a very fancy garage, does not mean he knows what he is doing. When I had cancer, I looked very deeply into my healing choices. I heard the truth and when I followed that truth, I cured my cancer. You are the boss not the doctor, it is your choice.

____________________________________________________________________________

My Take:

I have know about this website for years, The author offers really good advise and has pretty decent information about health and well-being. I can recommend this site, but realize that he is in the market for selling his own products. You can get high quaility products from most holistic health care doctors, including myself...

Take care,
Dr. Jon Wise

A Simple Adjustment Could Mean No More Tears

2011-11-10T09:53:00.001-08:00

Study Shows Chiropractic Care Quiets Crybabies

A Simple Adjustment Could Mean No More Tears

09/06/2011, Carlsbad). Research out of Great Britain offers hope to parents across the globe whose weary morning appearance is caused by a crying infant at home. Baby’s tears not only concern mom and dad about his/her health, they often disrupt the entire family – and in worst case scenarios may impact postnatal depression and lead to Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Where should parents turn? Well, research authored by Joyce Miller of the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic at the University of Bournemouth details that an excessively crying baby drives 21% of families in the UK to seek care. She found that pharmaceutical, dietary and behavioral interventions most often provide no comfort to the infants – or anyone in the family.

But, a trip to the chiropractor offers relief to crying babies and those living under the same roof.

Miller’s work, entitled Cry Babies: A Framework for Chiropractic Care, notes that persistently crying infants are traditionally diagnosed with colic – defined in 1954 by Dr. M.A. Wessel as “bouts of crying amounting to more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks.” A useful description for research, but not very consoling to distressed parents. Furthermore, the diagnosis of colic implies gastro-intestinal disorder. Yet, out of the approximately 5,000 infants brought to the University’s teaching clinic in one year’s time, only 7% presented with digestive issues. 63% of these infants were brought to the clinic due to excessive, unexplained crying.

“Perhaps the term ‘colic’ should be abandoned,” writes Miller.

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Why did chiropractic succeed where other options failed to sooth the seemingly inconsolable child?

Chiropractic care is primarily aimed at correcting biomechanical and neurological fault. Miller's writings offer ever-increasing evidence that antenatal and natal factors contribute to irritability in infants.

Chiropractic Eases Babies’ Tears

"Pre-natal constraint – pressure in the womb, trauma during birth, the use of forceps or other extraction devices – may be the underlying cause for the discomfort of the crying infant,” according to Dr. Michael D. Berry, a Carlsbad-based chiropractor whose has seen a sharp increase in his pediatric patients in recent months.

Miller’s research established protocols that many doctors, including Berry, are following.

“After ruling out other diseases and clinical conditions that could cause gastro-intestinal disorders – and after interpreting the baby’s growth chart for consistent development – I have found that manual spinal adjustments bring about a significant reduction in an infant’s crying, followed by better sleeping patterns and an improvement in posture,” continued Berry.

And, while tranquility leads to a happy household, pediatric chiropractic care offers long-term benefits as well.

“Chiropractic provides a maintenance program for one’s nervous system that allows the human body to operate at peak efficiently,” states Berry. “If the body is free of nerve interference, it promotes health. Providing chiropractic to an infant and continuing through adulthood is the true definition of health care – taking steps to ensure health instead of waiting for pain or illness,” added Berry.

“I guess it’s fair to say that if you’re not bringing your baby to a chiropractor, it’s a crying shame,” concluded a smiling Berry.

Reference:

Joyce Miller, “Cry Babies: A Framework for Chiropractic Care,” The Clinical Chiropractic (2007) 10, 139-146.

Doctor - the meaning and history of the word by Marcella Piper-Terry

2011-11-07T14:55:00.001-08:00

Doctor - the meaning and history of the word
by Marcella Piper-Terry on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 10:57am

This morning I read the following comment, left by a facebook friend who read my note "Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism"

I would like to ask a question....I have a 2 year old son and 10-month old daughter. I'll admit to being uniformed about the vaccine debate. I vaccinated my son according to what I thought was a "mandated" schedule; however, I had heard about the MMR/autism link and I postponed that until the dr. told me I had nothing to worry about, so I believed and proceeded with vaccination. I have vaccinated my 10-month old through her 6-month shots. She has been sick it seems constantly for the last 4 months. Cold-like symptons turning into ear infections...here we go...another round of antibiotics and now talk of tubes. So, here is my question: do you believe the immunizations could be causing the sickness? If so, do doctors know this and just aren't telling us???

Here is my response:

Your experience is identical to many of our own. Physicians have been educated in medical schools that are funded by pharmaceutical companies. During medical school, doctors-in-training are put through grueling "study sessions" that are nothing more than memorization of large amounts of material being fed to them. They are discouraged and ridiculed for asking questions that even suggest anything different from the information provided and force fed. They are sleep-deprived and stripped of their individuality (everyone wears the same uniform), even make-up, nail-polish, and jewelry are disallowed or frowned upon. The goal is to make everyone the same. Talk about the herd mentality! This goes on for four years of medical school and is followed by another lengthy indoctrination during residency with young doctors often being exposed to multiple simultaneous traumas and losses, frequently while "functioning" on only a few hours sleep during any particular week in question. They learn quickly to function as a team - or even as a single organism, to survive the process. By the time they actually receive their licenses and are released into the general population what emerges is a brain-washed clone of the pharmaceutical industry. This is why the very idea that vaccines or antibiotics could be contributing to our children's health crisis is so strongly resisted. To even consider such a thing would rock the very core of what it means to them to be a "doctor" - and that's all they have left. That is their identity. Every cell of individuality is long gone. They can no longer think for themselves or act in ways that go against the machine.

Think about the word: "Doctor"

Now think about the word: "Indoctrination"

From Word-Origins.com:

"Doctor, doctrine, and document all go back ultimately to the Latin verb docēre ‘teach’. This in turn was a descendant of an Indo-European base *dok-, *dek- which also produced Greek dokein ‘seem, think’ (source of English dogma (17th c.), orthodox, and paradox) and didáskein ‘learn’ (source of English didactic (17th c.)) and Latin decere ‘be fitting or suitable’ (source of English decent, decorate, and dignity) and dexter (source of English dextrous). Latin doctor was derived from doctus, the past participle of docēre, and came into English via Old French doctour. It originally meant ‘teacher’, and the main modern sense of ‘medical practitioner’, although sporadically recorded in Middle English, did not become firmly established until the late 16th century."

Translation: A Doctor is a teacher or someone who espouses a particular "Doctrine" and goes forth to "teach" it to others. Being a "Doctor" means you have spent many years studying a particular "Doctrine" and have demonstrated to a certain degree that you have internalized and BELIEVE what you have been taught. How you get there is through "Indoctrination."

From MilitaryDictionary.com:

Indoctrinate: (verb) To teach political, religious or nationalist ideas in such a way that a person accepts them without question

WITHOUT QUESTION

Sadly, if you have ever been bold enough to express concerns about the safety of vaccines, you are most likely familiar with the response of someone who has been indoctrinated to believe what he or she is taught "Without Question." Doctors are Indoctrinated with the belief that vaccines are the life-saving, manna-from-heaven, sacred Holy Grail that delivers a life free from disease and death from unseen bacteria and viruses lurking in every shadowy corner waiting to pounce. Doctors are indoctrinated to the point where their personal image is no different than that of the Priest holding the vessel and delivering the blessing that will save your soul. It's not about medicine, or health. It's about believing completely in a system of information that has been fed to them and to challenge that belief system often results in nothing less than the kind of response you would expect if you challenge a Priest about the existence of the Holy Trinity.

The difference is, what the Priest is handing you at communion won't kill you.

If you have a physician who listens to you and takes your concerns seriously, you are one of the fortunate few. You have something more valuable than gold and diamonds. Nurture that relationship and guard it. If you lose what you have, you may not be able to find another.

Should You Get A Flu Shot? Take This Quiz and Find Out

2011-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Should You Get A Flu Shot? Take This Quiz and Find Out
By Kevin Donka, D.C.

Please answer each of the following questions, then check your answers below.

1.What is the desired effect of a Flu shot?
2.How does a Flu shot supposedly work?
3.What system does your Life Energy use to control your immune and all other systems?
4.If your immune system is functioning properly, should your body be able to resist a Flu virus?
5.Knowing that your nerve system is your master control system, what could make your immune system weak?
6.What causes the subluxation process (i.e., decreased expression of Life Energy in your body)?
7.What are the 3 categories of stress?
8.Are there chemicals in a Flu shot other than a Flu virus?
9.Are some or all of these “extra” chemicals harmful to your body if injected into your blood stream?
10.Might the chemical stress from a Flu shot be difficult for your body to adapt to?
11.Might it cause you to subluxate (i.e., might it initiate the subluxation process)?
12.What would the effect be on your immune response?
13.What helps restore the normal flow of Life Energy in your body?
14.Knowing that a chiropractic adjustment will help allow the free flow of Life Energy through your nerve system and your body, how does an adjustment affect your immune response?
15.Do flies cause garbage?
16.What can you do you keep your immune response high?
17.Should you get a Flu shot?

Please check your answers on the answer sheet.

ANSWERS:

1. Q: What is the desired effect of a Flu shot?

A: Prevent the Flu.

2. Q: How does a Flu shot supposedly work?

A: By “boosting” your immune system.

3. Q: What system does your Life Energy use to control your immune and all other systems?

A: Your Nerve System.

4. Q: If your immune system is functioning properly, should your body be able to resist a Flu

virus?

A: YES!

5. Q: Knowing that your nerve system is your master control system, what could make your

immune system weak?

A: The subluxation process.

6. Q: What causes the subluxation process (decreased expression of Life Energy in your body)?
A: Stress beyond your body’s internal resistance (i.e., beyond your ability to adapt).

7. Q: What are the 3 categories of stress?
A: Physical stress, chemical stress and mental stress.

8. Q: Are there chemicals in a Flu shot other than a Flu virus?

A: YES.

9. Q: Are some or all of these “extra” chemicals harmful to your body if injected into your blood

stream?

A: YES.

10. Q: Might the chemical stress from a Flu shot be difficult for your body to adapt to?

A: YES.

11. Q: Might it cause you to subluxate (i.e., might it initiate the subluxation process)?

A: YES.

12. Q: What would the effect of subluxation be on your immune response?

A: Your immune response would be decreased.

13. Q: What helps restore the normal flow of Life Energy in your body?

A: A Chiropractic Adjustment.

14. Q: Knowing that a chiropractic adjustment will help allow the free flow of Life Energy through

your nerve system and your body, how does an adjustment affect your immune response?

A: An adjustment helps normalize (strengthen) your immune response. **A study

published in 1994 showed that specific upper cervical adjustments increased the

CD4 (white blood cell) counts in HIV positive patients by 48% over the six-month

duration of the study.

15.Q: Do flies cause garbage?

A: NO! Flies are attracted to and can only live where the environment is favorable for

them to do so as scavengers. Similarly, if you have an infection, a process has

occurred over time that has allowed your body to break from its normally healthy

and resistant condition into a state that allows bacteria and viruses to live and grow.

16.Q: What can you do you keep your immune response high?

A: Keep your Life Energy flowing by keeping a positive focus and attitude, by living a

healthy lifestyle and by making regular visits to your Chiropractor!

17.Q: should you get a Flu shot?

A: I will not answer this last question for you, only you can do that. Instead, I will give

you a quote from Dr. B. J. Palmer, the developer of chiropractic.

The Truth

We chiropractors work with the subtle substance of the soul. We release the prisoned impulse, the tiny rivulet of force, that emanates from the mind and flows over the nerves to the cells, and stirs them into life. We deal with the magic power that transforms common food into living, loving, thinking clay; that robes the Earth with beauty, and hues the scents of the flowers with the glory of the air.

In the dim, distant long ago, when the sun first bowed to the morning star, this power spoke and there was life; it quickened the slime of the seas and the dust of the Earth and drove the cell into union with its fellows in countless living forms.

Through eons of time it finned the fish and winged the bird and fanged the beast. Endlessly it worked, evolving its form until it produced the crowning glory of them all. With tireless energy it blows the bubble of each individual life and then silently, relentlessly it dissolves the form, and absorbs the spirit back into itself again.

And yet you ask, “Can chiropractic cure appendicitis or the flu?” Have you more faith in a knife or spoonful of medicine than the power that animates the living world?
B. J. Palmer, D.C., Ph.C.

Research for Chiropractic and Holistic Approaches to Health Care

2011-10-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Research for Chiropractic and Holistic Approaches to Health Care

Please know that as a Chiropractor, I do NOT specifically treat any of these diseases, conditions, or symptoms.

My role as a Chiropractor is to balance the body and remove interferences from the nervous system, which in return should allow the body to heal.

Ear Infections

Holistic Approach to Ear Infections
by Lawrence P. Palvesky, M.D., F.A.A.P., A.B.H.M.

Jan-Feb 2003

It is 3am and your child wakes up complaining of ear pain. What can you do?

Ear pain is one of the most common complaints in the pediatric population. Parents exchange frequent stories about the number of times their child has taken a banana or cherry flavored antibiotic for one or more ear infections. It is the rare parent who sits by, not wanting to add to the anxiety of other parents, with the knowledge that their child has never taken an antibiotic for an ear ache. What's more, the child has never had a serious problem resulting from not using antibiotics.

When I went through my medical school and residency training, we were warned about the serious complications of allowing an ear infection to progress without antibiotic treatment-mastoiditis, an inflammation and infection of the bony area behind the ear at the base of the skull, and meningitis, an inflammation and infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord which could lead to permanent brain damage, not to mention, the possibility of permanent hearing loss.

Over the last 13 years, evidence from the European medical literature and observation of the medical practice of some of our own pioneering primary care providers and ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) physicians, has taught us that the majority of cases of ear pain can and will resolve on their own. Without antibiotics. Without serious outcomes. With good clinical follow-up. Yet, many children receive antibiotics, and sometimes multiple antibiotics, for ear aches. And their ear aches continue to recur.

Are Ear Aches Really Ear Infections?

Inflammation occurs in the body as characterized by the following five observations--redness, swelling, heat, pain and loss of function. When a young child has an ear ache, the ear drum is usually found to be red (redness) with clear fluid or mucus buildup in the middle ear (swelling) causing pain, often accompanied by fever (heat) and occasionally accompanied by an acute loss of hearing; clearly a description of inflammation. Even if there were an infection, most studies confirm that viruses are the main organisms responsible for causing the development of these symptoms, not bacteria. Neither a viral infection, nor an inflammation in the ears responds to treatment with antibiotics. Only bacteria respond to antibiotic treatment. Therefore, in the majority of cases, antibiotics do not help. And, in many cases, antibiotics may cause more harm than good when they are used inappropriately.

A child is found on exam to have a red ear and no complaint of ear pain even though a fever is present. A pre-verbal infant or toddler with a red ear drum or fluid behind the ear appears well and is smiling. Another child presents with ear fluid and is no longer in pain. Most often these children are not suffering from ear infections and do not warrant antibiotic treatment. By definition, these children simply have inflamed ears which often respond better to other types of treatment.

Children who have infections, on the other hand, also present with these five signs of inflammation but, for the most part, do not look clinically well and often have an illness that is more serious than a simple ear infection. A child in pain who appears not to look well should be re-evaluated after the pain is relieved.

Early in my pediatric practice, I often gave a child a ten day course of an antibiotic for what I believed was a classic ear infection using the criteria I described for inflammation. More often than not, 2-3 days after completing the antibiotic, the child returned with the same symptoms. I would subsequently write another antibiotic prescription. Frequently, the same pattern would recur. Conventional training taught me that the child had an infection caused by a bacterium that was resistant to the antibiotic. Therefore, a different and stronger antibiotic was needed. Eventually it occurred to me that perhaps the child never needed the antibiotic in the first place. Perhaps there was a different process going on that required a different set of treatments and understanding.

Why do infants & children get ear aches? How do the ears become inflamed?

Conventional pediatric practice focuses on prescribing treatment interventions once a child's symptoms have already appeared. Non-conventional approaches concentrate on preventing the development of inflammation and infection and attempt to evaluate the causes that contribute to their presentation. In addition, non-conventional approaches use remedies and interventions that facilitate the body's natural healing abilities in a nourishing way in an attempt to avoid suppressing the inherent healing mechanisms that are present in the body. Often, elimination of the factors that are known to contribute to the development of the underlying symptoms is sufficient to treat the problem(s) without introducing additional remedies. This is especially true when it comes to ear pain and ear inflammation.

Infants and children have a natural tendency to generate a lot of mucus. The production and the amount of mucus lessen as the child grows older and the developing immune system strengthens. When a child has a build up of excess mucus (one of the primary indicators of inflammation), his/her body attempts to "burn off" this mucus in order to return to a balanced state, also known as homeostasis. This is accomplished by the onset of an illness accompanied by a fever.

Children, even without the presence of a fever, tend to run on the hot side. Most of their heat rises towards the head. Heat generated by a fever (another of the primary indicators of inflammation), further raises the energy towards the head. With an abundance of mucus already present in the nose and throat during an upper respiratory infection it is no coincidence that the ears repeatedly become inflamed.

Many clinicians and parents report that after a child has recovered from an illness with a fever without the use of suppressive pharmaceuticals, he/she experiences a growth spurt in neurological, developmental and behavioral milestones. Clearly, the immune system is now stronger. Children, who develop excess mucus and need to burn it off through an array of normal childhood febrile illnesses, and are blocked from accomplishing this through the use of inappropriate, suppressive pharmaceutical treatments, often remain in a state of chronic mucus production, i.e., chronic inflammation. This can be seen today in many of our children who live with excess mucus, are often sick and never quite fully recover and have a life of chronic illnesses and delays in reaching their milestones.

Prevention & Treatment

Ultimately, the goal is to reduce the production of excess mucus, support the process of acute illnesses with good clinical follow-up and safe and effective, non-suppressive, supportive interventions and offer information for families that will both prevent and treat serious acute and chronic illnesses. In the case of ear inflammation, the two approaches that I have seen work most effectively to reduce ear fluid, ear pain and chronic ear problems is a change in the child's and family's diet and the incorporation of manipulative modalities into the treatment plan, i.e., chiropractic, osteopathic and/or cranial sacral therapy.

Children have undeveloped digestive systems. Spitting up, vomiting, frequent burping, excess gas and loose stools are frequent pediatric complaints indicative of poor digestive function. Often, children are given a food or a combination of foods that serve to further weaken and stress their digestive systems. Invariably, food is incompletely digested and, as a result, children are confronted with having to deal with nourishment that does not serve them. Consequently, the body's response is to produce additional mucus

As described in immunology, Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and nutritional medicine, mucus in the nose, throat, sinuses, airways, ears and other parts of the body can arise merely from the failure of the digestive system to accomplish its task successfully. Adults may suffer from the same process as well. Those foods most likely to increase mucus production and further stress a child's already weak digestive system are: dairy, soy (especially overly processed soy products), commercial formulas, a heavy diet of raw fruits and vegetables, iced or cold foods and beverages, wheat and most flour products, baby cereals and commercial cereals, thick, creamy and heavy foods, processed grains, juice, soda, soft drinks, refined sugars, processed and refined foods, fried foods and oils, multiple food choices at a time and overfeeding.

Reducing and/or eliminating these foods from a child's diet will often quiet the inflammation and prevent the development of further problems in acute flare-ups and, more specifically, in chronic inflammation of the ears. On the other hand, offering a child warm, cooked, simple, smooth, easy to digest, whole, non-processed foods, accompanied by small amounts of food herbs and spices, will strengthen and support a weak digestive system and keep mucus production and inflammation at a minimum.

Immediate Management

So, it is still 3am and your child's body is doing its best to purge the excess mucus. Yet, the fluid is not draining and the pain is the main focus. Ultimately, the goal is to rid the body of the mucus. The following is a list of suggestions for parents to help them get through this difficult situation:

1) Hold and comfort your child.

2) Try to raise the head of the bed. For smaller children, place blankets or pillows under the mattress.

3) Keep your child hydrated with room temperature water, clear soup and/or tea. Herbs that help to break up the mucus and comfort your child include thyme, ginger, licorice, eyebright, elder flowers and chamomile. Keep the diet simple. Keep solid foods to a minimum. Offer small doses of vitamin C throughout the day with fluids. Start children's Echinacea within the first 24 hours of illness.

4) Diffuse lavender essential oil in the room to help calm any anxiety you may have.

5) Place several drops of mullein oil in a container and warm inside a pot of water on the stove. Take several drops of the mullein oil and place them in the affected ear canal. Gently pull and massage the ear lobe away from your child's head and in a slightly downward direction. Use extra virgin olive oil in the same manner if no mullein oil is available or,

6) Take 1-2 drops of organic tea tree essential oil and mix in a base of 20 drops of olive oil and place several warmed drops of this mixture into the affected ear canal. Use any one of the ear drop remedies several times a day to relieve the discomforts of the inflammation. Please be sure to use essential oils that are organic and top grade quality whenever possible.

7) Use the tea tree oil combination and massage it into the front of your child's chest below the collarbones in a horizontal fashion. Then rub the oil behind the affected ear(s) and massage down the side of the neck towards the collarbones. This will help open the drainage of lymph fluid into the chest cavity and allow the congestion to drain from the head. This can be done 2-3 times per day until the congestion has resolved.

8) See your chiropractor, osteopath or cranial sacral worker the next day. Repeat visits as discussed with your provider.

9) Contact your medical health care provider if your child does not improve within 48 hours, develops drainage from the ear or appears to be getting worse.

Dr. Lawrence B. Palevsky, MD is a board certified pediatrician who received his medical degree from the NYU School of Medicine. He completed a pediatric residency at the Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC and a one year fellowship at Bellevue Hospital-NYU School of Medicine in the outpatient department and emergency room. Dr. Palevsky's clinical experience includes pediatric emergency room and pediatric acute care medicine, in-patient and out-patient pediatric medicine, neonatal intensive care, newborn and delivery room medicine and private practice. Most recently he was in practice as the holistic and integrative pediatrician at the Center for Health & Healing, a complementary medical facility affiliated with the Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC. Dr. Palevsky is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Diplomate of the American Board of Holistic Medicine.

Chiropractic Approach to Ear Infections

Ear problems can be excruciatingly painful, especially in children. With 10 million new cases every year, ear infections (otitis media) are the most common illness affecting babies and young children and the number one reason for visits to the pediatrician—accounting for more than 35 percent of all pediatric visits.

Almost half of all children will have at least one middle ear infection before they're a year old, and two-thirds of them will have had at least one such infection by age 3. The symptoms can include ear pain, fever, and irritability. Otitis media can be either bacterial or viral in origin, and frequently results from another illness such as a cold. For many children, it can become a chronic problem, requiring treatment year after year, and putting the child at risk of permanent hearing damage and associated speech and developmental problems.

Standard treatment for most cases of otitis media is with antibiotics, which can be effectiveif the culprit is bacterial (antibiotics, of course, do nothing to fight off viruses). But, according to many research studies, antibiotics are often not much more effective than the body's own immune system. And repeated doses of antibiotics can lead to drug-resistant bacteria that scoff at the drugs, while leaving the child screaming in pain.

Frequent ear infections are also the second most common reason for surgery in children under 2 (with circumcision being the first). In severe cases—for example, when fluids from an ear infection haven't cleared from the ear after several months, and hearing is affected—specialists sometimes prescribe myringotomy and tympanostomy, more commonly known as "ear tubes." During the surgical procedure, a small opening is made in the eardrum to place a tube inside. The tube relieves pressure in the ear and prevents repeated fluid buildup with the continuous venting of fresh air. In most cases, the membrane pushes the tube out after a couple of months and the hole in the eardrum closes. Although the treatment is effective, it has to be repeated in some 20 to 30 percent of cases. And this kind of surgery requires general anesthesia, never a minor thing in a small child. If the infection persists even after tube placement and removal, children sometimes undergo adenoidectomy (surgical removal of the adenoids)—an option that is effective mostly through the first year after surgery.

Before yet another round of "maybe-they'll-work-and-maybe-they-won't" antibiotics or the drastic step of surgery, more parents are considering chiropractic to help children with chronic ear infections. Dr. Joan Fallon, a chiropractor who practices in Yonkers, New York, has published research showing that, after receiving a series of chiropractic adjustments, nearly 80 percent of the children treated were free of ear infections for at least the six-month period following their initial visits (a period that also included maintenance treatments every four to six weeks).

"Chiropractic mobilizes drainage of the ear in children, and if they can continue to drain without a buildup of fluid and subsequent infection, they build up their own antibodies and recover more quickly," explains Dr. Fallon. She'd like to see her pilot study used as a basis for larger-scale trials of chiropractic as a therapeutic modality for otitis media.

Dr. Fallon uses primarily upper-cervical manipulation on children with otitis media, focusing particularly on the occiput, or back of the skull, and atlas, or the first vertebra in the neck. "Adjusting the occiput, in particular, will get the middle ear to drain. Depending on how chronic it's been and on where they are in their cycle of antibiotics, children generally need to get through one bout of fluid and fight it off themselves." That means, for the average child, between six and eight treatments. If a child's case is acute, Dr. Fallon will check the ear every day, using a tympanogram to measure the ear and track the movement of the eardrum to make sure that it's draining. "I'll do adjustments every day or every other day for a couple of days if they're acute, and then decrease frequency over time."

Dr. Fallon, whose research garnered her the acclaim of childrearing magazines like Parenting and Baby Talk, often sees great success when she treats a child for otitis media. "Once they fight it themselves, my kids tend to do very well and stay away from ear infections completely. Unless there are environmental factors like smoking in the house, an abnormally shaped Eustachian tube, or something like that, they do very well," she says.

"I have two large pediatric groups that refer to me on a regular basis. In the winter, when otitis is most prevalent, I see five or six new children each week from each group," says Dr. Fallon. "It's safe and effective and something that parents should try, certainly before inserting tubes in their children's ears."

Reference:
2004, American Chiropractic Association

Allergies

"In a person with allergies or asthma, the immune system reacts to harmless substances such as plant pollen or animal dander. This creates allergy symptoms (stuffy nose, watery eyes, skin rash, etc.) or asthma symptoms (wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath). An asthma attack can result from an allergic reaction. Asthma sufferers are more susceptible to having colds develop into bronchitis, which can trigger an asthma attack."

Dr. Erin Elster, DC

Upper Cervical Specialist - July 2003

Early Warning Signs Of Asthma and Allergies:

Breathing changes
Sneezing
Moodiness
Headache
Runny/stuffy nose
Coughing
Chin or throat itches
Feeling tired
Dark circles under eyes
Trouble sleeping
Poor tolerance for exercise

The cost of asthma is estimated at more than $12 billion annually, with direct costs exceeding $8 billion and lost earnings due to illness and death adding up tonearly $5 billion.

If drugs were the answer and medical treatment was effective, why are more people getting asthma and why are more people dying every year because of it? There has to be a better way!

Dr. Len Schwartz," Introduction to Chiropractic" September 2003

New research indicates chiropractic could be beneficial for some individuals suffering from either allergies or Crohn’s Disease. According to Japanese researcher Dr. Yasuhiko Takeda, president of the Information and Blood Circulation Research Institute in Osaka, disorders of the mid-to-lower back could have a significant effect on the immune function of certain allergy and Crohn’s disease patients. While additional research is needed, the preliminary results are both promising and exciting.

SOURCE: JVSR. March 2003, Vol 4, No.4

Arthritis

The September 21, 1999 issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that chiropractic is the most popular and by far the most effective of the wellness disciplines for patients suffering from rheumatologic diseases such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Arthritis is the name given to more than 100 different diseases that cause pain, swelling, and limited movement in joints and connective tissue. One out of every six Americans suffers from some form of arthritis, and unfortunately, the condition can last a lifetime.

In 1997, Americans made an estimated 629 million visits to practitioners of "complementary and alternative medicine" (CAM), compared with just 388 million visits to primary care physicians that same year. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that many arthritis patients used CAM, and that chiropractic was the most frequently used type of care.

Even more significantly, chiropractic was also near the top of the list in terms of the number of patients who regularly used CAM, and the number of patients who found CAM helpful for their condition.

Source: Rao JK, Mihaliak K, Kroenke K, et al. Use of complementary therapies for arthritis among patients of rheumatologists. Annals of Internal Medicine,

Sept. 1999: Vol. 131, No. 6, pp409-16.

The Annals of Internal Medicine (of all places) published the results of a survey of 232 people who had arthritis and were under a rheumatologists care. Of those 63% responded to the survey by saying they were using some form of "complementary care" as named by the study. Of those people 31% were using chiropractic. These number may themselves be grossly under reported as only 45% of the patients told their doctor about using the other forms of care.

These reported numbers translate to over 19% of the public who is seeing a rheumatologists is also seeing a chiropractor. And if less that half of the patients are telling their doctor about it the actual number may be twice as high.

Possibly the most impressive statistic was that 73% of those trying chiropractic found it helpful. The reasons given why people said they tried the non-medical care was to control pain, because they heard it helps, because it is safe, because it helped someone they know, and because their prescription medication wasn't working.

In a study of geriatrics by the Rand Corporation it was found that 96% of the population studied who use chiropractic had not used nursing home services in the three years before the study.

81% of those who had received chiropractic care didn't need the use of a nursing home, a 15% less nursing home usage by the chiropractic patients.

74% of the people under chiropractic care did not need the use of a hospital in the three years prior to the study versus 53% of the study group not under chiropractic care; a 21% difference.
Source: RAND, 1991

Should Arthritis Patients Exercise?

Exercise is critical in successful arthritis management. It helps maintain healthy and strong muscles, joint mobility, flexibility, endurance, and helps control weight. Rest, on the other hand, helps to decrease active joint inflammation, pain, and fatigue. For best results, arthritis patients need a good balance between the two: more rest during the active phase of arthritis, and more exercise during remission. During acute systematic flares or local joint flares, patients should put joints gently through their full range of motion once a day, with periods of rest. To see how much rest is best during flares, patients should talk to their health care providers.

Source: Handout on Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Jan. 1998, revised Nov. 1999. Available from http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/rahandout.htm. Questions and Answers about Arthritis and Exercise. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and

Skin Diseases. May 2001.

Available from http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/arthexfs.htm.

ADD and ADHD

What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

ADHD is a disorder characterized by three behaviors:

HYPERACTIVITY
DISTRACTIBILITY
IMPULSIVITY

You may see one or more of these behaviors. It is not necessary to have all three to have ADHD: e.g., one does not have to be hyperactive.

http://www.kidsource.com/LDA/adhd.html

EVERYONE HAS ADD

Getting your body to function at its maximum potential, is the best way to express your true health and function.

Children with ADHD and coordination problems were more than twice as likely to have a mother who smoked during gestation, compared with children who did not have ADHD. Many subjects with ADHD also experienced language problems (65% compared to 16% of children without the disorder). The study evaluated 113 6-year olds, including 62 who had been diagnosed with ADHD plus deficits in motor control and perception.

Source: Landgren M, Kjellman B, Gillberg C. Attention deficit disorder with developmental coordination disorders. Arch Dis Child 1998; 79(3):207-12

/ Medline ID: 99092173

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological and Therapeutics
1989; 12:353-363. In a study done by J. Martin Giesen PHD., David B
Center, PHD., and Robert A. Leach, DC., it was stated that,"…the
majority of the children in this study did, in fact, improve under specific chiropractic care. The results… suggest that chiropractic manipulation has the potential to become an important non-drug intervention for children with hyperactivity.

Long-Term Ritalin Use May Change Brain

The December 2003 issue of Biological Psychiatry reports on three animal studies that show long-term use of Ritalin may cause negative changes in brain response and behavior.

Ritalin is the drug of choice for the treatment of the dubious condition known as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

The first of the three studies found that low doses of Ritalin in rats caused changes in brain cells that made them more sensitive to the effects of cocaine (Ritalin and cocaine are similar in structure and action). The second study found that pre-adolescent rats given Ritalin increased behaviors that could indicate depression once they reached adulthood.

The final study found that adult rats given Ritalin as pre-adolescents were more sensitive to stressful situations and less responsive to natural rewards, such as those derived from sugar and sex. They also showed increased anxiety behaviors and elevated blood levels of stress hormones.

Dr. Daniel L. Coury of Columbus Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio says that children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher risk for serious injury. The researchers reviewed 8 years of injury data on more than 61,000 children ages 3 to 17 and found that those with ADHD were nearly 80% more likely to be involved in a serious accident resulting in hospitalization for trauma.

While the debate over the disorder`s epidemic status rages, some long-term data on whether the drugs are actually helping ADHD children, however, have begun to trickle in. A study by William Fankenberger and Christine Cannon at the Human Development Center at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire published in 1999 found that 13 ADHD children on medication performed progressively worse over 4 years on standardized tests when compared with a group of 13 normal children with similar IQs and other characteristics.

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher risk for serious injury. The researchers reviewed 8 years of injury data on more than 61,000 children ages 3 to 17 and found that those with ADHD were nearly 80% more likely to be involved in a serious accident resulting in hospitalization for trauma.

Source: Dr. Daniel L. Coury of Columbus Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

RITALIN RESEARCH

Did you know that if Thomas Edison were alive today he would have most likely been labeled as having ADD? At age eleven he was taken out of school because his teachers considered him difficult and he "could not be taught." If that did happen today in our "treat the symptom" world, doctors would have prescribed Ritalin for him. Ritalin is a drug used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder. Doctors prescribe it to adults and children alike. Studies find that Ritalin causes a high in the brain similar to cocaine. Under the

Federal Controlled Substance Act, Ritalin is listed as a "Schedule II " controlled substance along with cocaine, methadone, opium, morphine and amphetamines.

Ritalin has many side effects including: stunting of growth, depression, insomnia, nervousness, skin rash, anorexia, nausea, dizziness, headaches, abdominal pain, blood pressure and pulse changes and Tourette's Syndrome (a permanent irreversible condition characterized by body tics, spasms, screaming, saying Obscenities and barking sounds). If Thomas Edison were treated with Ritalin, do you think he would have been able to invent anything?

Source: Today's Chiropractic, March/April 1997, by Eric H. Plasker, D.C.

Researchers Locate Key Area of the Brain Impacted by ADHD; Use New MRI Technique to Measure Ritalin's Effect

The McLean study involved six healthy boys with no history of ADHD or psychiatric disorders, and 11 boys diagnosed with ADHD according to the standard DSM-IV criteria. All 17 boys also were given a computer test that uses an infrared motion analysis system to objectively measure activity, movement and attention. Six of the 11 boys…were also confirmed to be hyperactive by the objective computer test.

Martin Teicher, MD, PhD. said, "It (this study) also shows that Ritalin may not be effective for all children diagnosed with ADHD using only DSM-IV criteria."

According to Peter R. Breggin, M.D., director of ht eInternational Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology and associate faculty at The Johns Hopkins University Department of Counseling, "Ritalin does not correct biochemical imbalances - it causes them."

Source: The Chiropractic Journal - February 2000

Controversy surrounds the medical treatment, indeed the very existence, of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Psychiatrist Peter Breggin wrote, "Hyperactivity is the most frequent justification for drugging children. The difficult-to-control male child is certainly not a new phenomenon, but attempts to give him a medical diagnosis are the product of modern psychology and psychiatry. At first psychiatrists called hyperactivity a brain disease. When no brain disease could be found, they changed it to 'minimal brain disease' (MBD). When no minimal brain disease could be found the profession transformed the concept into 'minimal brain dysfunction.' When no minimal brain dysfunction could be demonstrated, the label became attention deficit disorder. Now it's just assumed to be a real disease, regardless of the failure to prove it so. Biochemical imbalance is the code word, but there's no more evidence for that than there is for actual brain disease."[1]

The use of psychotropic drugs in children has exploded in recent years [2].

The number of prescriptions written for methylphenidate (Ritalin) has increased by a factor of five since 1991. The production of Adderall and Dexedrine, also used to treat ADHD, has risen 2,000% in nine years. The increased use of these drugs in the U.S. is at variance with the rest of the world. According to the U.N., the U.S. produces and consumes 85% of the world's production of methylphenidate. [3]

The use of Class II controlled substances to alter the behavior of children is disconcerting to many parents and chiropractors, as is the issue of whether ADD/ADHD can be properly considered a disease.

While chiropractors do not "treat" ADD/ADHD, the effects of chiropractic care on children diagnosed with learning disorders and hyperactivity have been described in a growing body of scholarly publications.

A study published in 1975, compared chiropractic care with drug treatment in children with learning and behavioral impairments due to neurological dysfunction. It was reported that chiropractic care "was more effective for the wide range of symptoms common in the neurological dysfunction syndrome in which thirteen symptom or problem areas were considered." The author also reported that chiropractic care was 24% more effective than commonly used medications. [4]

Giesen at al conducted a study involving seven subjects. All subjects were of school age and had clinical findings evidencing vertebral subluxation complex. Following chiropractic care, 57% showed an improvement in chiropractic radiographic findings; 71.4% showed a reduction in overt behavior activity; 57% showed improvement in level of autonomic activity, and 57% showed improvement in parental ratings of hyperactivity. [5]

In addition to these small studies, case reports have been published which describe improvement of objective and subjective findings in children with ADD/ADHD and related disorders. [6-14]

More research exploring the relationship of subluxation correction to brain function is needed. Yet, the dramatic changes that have been reported in children medically diagnosed with ADD/ADHD following chiropractic care must not be ignored.

Every child with a vertebral subluxation needs chiropractic care, regardless of whether or not symptoms are present. By correcting nerve interference, function is improved, with greater expression of human potential. Many report terminating drug therapy, and seeing the personality, will, and soul of the child unfolding.

As Maria Montessori wrote, "It is easy to substitute our will for that of the child by means of suggestion or coercion; but when we have done this we have robbed him of his greatest right, the right to construct his own personality." [1]

REFERENCES

1. Breggin PR: "Toxic Psychiatry." St. Martin's Press. New York. 1991.
Chapters 12 and 13.

2. Zito JM, Safer DJ, dosReis S, et al: "Trends in the prescribing of
psychotropic medications to preschoolers." JAMA 2000;283:1025.

3. Statistics confirm rise in childhood ADHD and medication use. http://www.education-world.com

4. Walton EV: "The effects of chiropractic treatment on students with
learning and behavioral impairments due to neurological dysfunction."
International Review of Chiropractic 1975;29:4-5:24-26.

5. Giesen JM, Center DB, Leach RA: "An evaluation of chiropractic
manipulation as a treatment for hyperactivity in children." JMPT 1989;
12:353-363.

6. Arme J: "Effects of biomechanical insult correction on attention deficit disorder." Journal of Chiropractic Case Reports, 1993:1(1).

7. Hospers LA: "EEG and CEEG studies before and after upper cervical or
SOT category 2 adjustment in children after head trauma, in epilepsy, and in 'hyperactivity.'" Proceedings of the National Conference on Chiropractic and Pediatrics (ICA) 1992;84-139.

8. Barnes TA: "A multifaceted approach to attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder: a case report." International Review of Chiropractic Jan/Feb
1995; pp. 41-43.

9. Phillips CJ: "Case study: the effect of utilizing spinal manipulation and craniosacral therapy as the treatment approach for attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder." Proceedings of the National Conference on
Chiropractic and Pediatrics (ICA), 1991:57-74.

10. Langley C: "Epileptic seizures, Nocturnal enuresis, ADD." Chiropractic
Pediatrics April 1995, Vol. 1, No. 1.

11. Thomas MD, Wood J: "Upper cervical adjustments may improve mental function." J Man Med 1992;6:215.

12. Araghi HG: "Oral apraxia: a case study in chiropractic in chiropractic management." Proceedings of the National Conference on Chiropractic and Pediatrics (ICA), 1994, beginning p. 34.

13. Manuelle JD, Fysch PA: "Acquired verbal aphasia in a seven-year-old
female: case report." J Clin Chiropr Ped 1996;1:89-.

14. Peet JB: "Adjusting the hyperactive/ADD pediatric patient." Chiro Pediatr 1997;2(4):12

Asthma

The Effect of Combining Manual Therapy with Exercise on the Respiratory Function of Normal Individuals:

A Randomized Control Trial

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the effect of combining manual therapy with exercise on respiratory function in normal individuals.

Methods: The study design was a randomized control trial. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) were measured in 20 healthy, nonsmoking individuals before and after 3 interventions: exercise only, chiropractic manual therapy only, and manual therapy followed by exercise. The participants, 18 to 28 years of age, were randomly allocated to a control and 3 intervention groups. Each participant underwent 6 sessions of interventions over a 4-week period.

Results: The exercise only group showed a significant decrease in FVC (P = .002, generalized linear model [GLM]) and FEV1 readings (P = .0002, GLM). The manual therapy only group showed a significant increase in FVC (P = .000, GLM) and FEV1 (P = .001, GLM). The group that received both manual therapy and exercise showed increases in FVC and FEV1 immediately after manual therapy followed by an additional increase after exercise. The overall increase in this group was not statistically significant. Participants in the control group showed no change in FVC or FEV1.

Conclusions: Manual therapy appears to increase the respiratory function of normal individuals. The potential for this intervention administered before exercise to permit additional tolerance within the respiratory system that could allow an extended exercise program than was previously possible is discussed.

Source: Engel RM, Vemulpad S. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. September 2007; Vol. 30, Iss. 7

A study published in the November / December 2000 issue of Today's
Chiropractic gives some insight into the use of chiropractic in combating
asthma.

Forty seven patients were observed for a two year period. They had been medically diagnosed with persistent asthma ranging from mild persistent in 11 cases, moderate persistent in 28 cases, to severe persistent in 8 cases. The care rendered consisted of specific chiropractic adjustments. The range of visits was from 14 to 44, with the average being 26 during the study period.

All 47 of the study patients showed "a marked improvement ranging from 87 to 100 percent." Their symptoms improved as well as a decrease in their usage of acute asthma attack medication. Even more impressive was the fact that all of the patients in the study reported maintaining their improvement after a two-year follow up.

Childhood Asthma and Chiropractic

It is estimated that up to 15 million people suffer from asthma. Of those, 14.8 million are children under the age of 18. In 1993 alone, there were 198,000 hospitalizations for asthma. In that same sample year, 342 people under the age of 25 died due to this problem. In money terms, the direct cost of managing a patient with severe asthma has been estimated at more than $18,000 per year.

ASTHMA DRUGS AND SIDE EFFECTS

"The traditional medical treatment for asthma is anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator drugs. In some cases, treatment included syrups such as Preventils, which is usually prescribed on a "taken as needed" basis.

The combination of the drugs above promotes drowsiness and may be habit forming. A patient denied of medication feels they can not breathe properly without it, thus becoming irritable. In some cases they become so irritable that they bring on an asthma attack."

Source: www.drmikekrantz.com/asthma.htm

From the abstract Case review of a 6-year-old boy who has had asthma
since 1991 and his condition since chiropractic intervention.

Child was prescribed aerosol inhalers (Beclovert and Vertolin) using them every day, up to three times a day. Adjustments were delivered to the cervical, thoracic and lumbar areas. Significant progress. Could run during soccer games and almost never used his inhaler. Slept more soundly. Hardly ever had bouts with mucous clogged nasal passages. Nasal inhalant use stopped.

Source: Asthma and chiropractic. Garde R. Chiropractic Pediatrics.

Vol 1 No.3 Dec, 1994.

ASTHMA SPRAYS DON'T WORK / ASTHMA SHOTS INEFFECTIVE

Allergy shots used as treatment of asthma in children appears to be ineffective. Studies have proven there were no significant benefits with the shots given to children with moderate to severe asthma.

Dr. N. Franklin Adkinson Jr., John Hopkins University

Nearly 40 million Americans -- 25% of the total population -- suffer from asthma and other allergy diseases.

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine in February of 1992

FROM: Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER)

October 24, 2002 Des Moines, Iowa— Patients afflicted with asthma may benefit from spinal manipulation in terms of symptoms, immunological capacity, and endocrine effects, an audience was told on October 5 at the 9th International Conference on Spinal Manipulation in Toronto. The investigative team, headed by Ray Hayek, Ph.D., has been conducting a trial at 16 treatment centers in Australia involving 420 patients with an average age of 46 in an effort to find out what effects spinal manipulation has on symptoms, depression and anxiety, general health status, and the levels of immunity as reflected by the concentrations of both an immunoglobulin (IgA) and an immunosuppressant (cortisol). This investigation draws from several references in the scientific literature which suggest that different forms of manual therapy (including massage) improve the symptomatology and lower cortisol levels in asthma patients.

Dr. Hayek reported that only the patient group which underwent spinal adjustments (by any of four commonly used manipulative treatment protocols) displayed significant improvement in asthma symptoms and depression and anxiety scores.

Simply experiencing structured interviews at the treatment centers or being monitored at home did not yield these improvements. In addition, patients actually undergoing spinal adjustments displayed dramatic increases of IgA and decreases of cortisol through the posttreatment period, suggesting that there were physiological consequences to their manipulative treatments reflecting increased immunological capacities which would be expected to ward off subsequent asthmatic attacks.

These biochemical changes not only suggest that the effects of spinal adjustments are more far-reaching than commonly believed, but that they may be more long-term as well. The gain in immunological capacity achieved with the simultaneous loss of the immunosuppressant cortisol and the increase of the immunoglobulin IgA following spinal manipulation would be expected to reduce the incidence and severity of pathogenic invasion of the airways. There would be less of a risk under these circumstances of

compounding the symptoms of asthma.

The immunosuppressing mechanism of glucocorticoids is believed to occur by their reducing the permeability of capillaries, decreasing the migration of white blood cells in inflamed areas, suppressing the release of interleukins, and inhibiting the production of proteolytic enzymes by stabilizing the lysosomal membranes which release them.

This followed contacts that the Director of Research at FCER was able to make with the Australian research community in 1995, taking into consideration the expertise of the investigative team as well as the fact that Australia's 2 million asthma sufferers have given the Island Continent the dubious distinction of being the asthma capital of the world.

It has been carried out with the support of research grants exceeding a quarter of a million dollars from both the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) and the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company (NCMIC). This research, which may be highly influential on the future of the chiropractic profession, is still in need of funding. To contribute to this important project, please call FCER at

800-637-6244,or donate via the Foundation's secure website at: https://www.fcer.org:448/html/asthma_donate.asp

This research represents one of approximately 50 projects administered by FCER since 1990 in the effort to document both the theory and practice of chiropractic to increase its effective integration into healthcare systems worldwide. The conference at which these results were presented is an international forum which FCER has sponsored at different locations worldwide for the past 14 years.

Autism

The role of chiropractic in the care of a four-year-old boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Abstract

Background:

Autism is a complex, behaviorally defined disorder of the immature brain. Autism is not a disease but a syndrome with multiple non-genetic and genetic causes. Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a wide spectrum of developmental disorders characterized by impairments in 3 behavioral domains: 1) social interaction; 2) language, communication, and imaginative play; and 3) range of interests and activities. There are two basic types of autism: autism from birth (classic autism once known as Kanner’s Syndrome) and regressive autism, which generally occurs between 12 and 24 months of age after a period of normal development and behavior. The incidence of autism from birth is low, approximately one or two out of 10,000 births. However, the incidence of regressive autism and associated ASDs has soared. A recent study indicates that as many as 1 out of 150 California children may have regressive ASD. A similar figure was reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in a study of a township on the East Coast of the United States. ASD is of great concern to all healthcare practitioners because of an astonishing 556% reported increase in pediatric prevalence between 1991 and 1997. The clinical management of ASD requires a multidisciplinary approach, consisting primarily of speech, language, behavioral, and educational interventions although, “ there is a lack of clinically based evidence on which to universally recommend a rational clinical algorithm for treatment.” The rising incidence of ASD and the lack of well-documented treatment options should be a “matter of urgent public concern.” The role of chiropractic in the treatment of children with ASD has not been well documented in the scientific literature. This case study will address this deficit and examine the role of chiropractic care in the treatment algorithm for a patient with ASD.

Objective: To describe the role of chiropractic care in the management of a patient with autistic spectrum disorder.

Clinical features: A four-year-old boy was diagnosed with autism at 23 months. His mother presented him for chiropractic evaluation and possible care with the hope that chiropractic care might help his frequent ear infections. The mother also reported that the child was very active but his speech and communication skills were a challenge.

Intervention and Outcome: The patient was cared for using the Webster toggle headpiece and Logan Basic technique to the cervical spine and sacrum. According to the patient’s mother, her little boy’s speech and ability to communicate improved dramatically following adjustments.

Conclusion: This case report provides supporting evidence that patients with ASD may benefit from chiropractic care characterized as Toggle Recoil and Logan Technique. This case report encourages further investigation into the role of chiropractic care in the integrative management of patients with autism.

Joel Alcantara, DC (1) and Kim McCann-Swanson, DC, DACCP (2)

Presented at Pangea: a Conference for the Wellness of Children.

Improvement in a 3½-year-old Autistic Child Following Chiropractic Intervention to Reduce Vertebral Subluxation

Abstract

Objective: To describe, discuss and track the subjective and objective changes of a 3½ year old autistic girl following chiropractic adjustments over a 10 week period.

Clinical Features: A 3½ year old female child with reduced social interaction and language skills and learning difficulties presented for chiropractic care. The child had been diagnosed with autism 1 year earlier.

Intervention and Outcome: The child received full spine adjustments where indicated to reduce vertebral subluxation, using the Torque Release Technique protocol and Integrator™ instrument. Strong verbal and physical apprehension to initial care was observed, however no signs of this were present after 5 visits, along with further improvements in social interactions, language skills and increased symmetry in surface EMG and thermal scanning over the 10 weeks of care.

Conclusion: The subjective and objective improvements observed by both practitioner and parents following chiropractic care indicate a link between subluxation and autistic behavioral patterns. Comparable studies have been undertaken previously with similar findings, however further study needs to be conducted to determine the exact relationship between chiropractic care and behavioral changes in autistic children.

https://www.jvsr.com/abstracts/index.asp?id=345

Colic

What is colic?

Colic is a term used to describe a seemingly healthy baby who cries persistently and often violently for no apparent reason. This distressed behavior is believed to be a reaction to pain.

Medical studies have proven that chiropractic treatment on infants with colic has proven to be a more effective treatment for the condition than using drug therapy. Avoiding dairy products, like cows' milk, has been shown to be effective, but chiropractic may be a better solution.

Source: For the Love of Children, Dr. Louis R. Briegel, II & Stacey A. Stefanski

Infantile Colic responds well to Chiropractic Care

Infantile colic is commonly described as persistent and often violent crying for no apparent reason in seemingly healthy and thriving infants.

The August, 1989 issue of the Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics reports that 94% of a group of 316 children with infantile colic responded very favorably to Chiropractic care.

The study involved infants with an average age of 5.7 weeks at the beginning of the study and included reassessments at 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks.

The infant's mothers were provided a diary and kept track of the babies symptoms, intensity and length of the colicky crying as well as how comfortable the infant seemed.

94% of the children in the study showed a satisfactory response to Chiropractic care within 14 days from the beginning of care.

"The results occur shortly after the treatment has been initiated and show both a reduction of the daily length of the colic periods and a reduction of the number of colic periods per day."

Colic and Chiropractic Treatment

If you have a colicky baby, and other forms of treatment don't seem to be helping very much, you may want to investigate taking your baby to a chiropractor.

As your child is being born, the neck and back vertebrae can go out of alignment due to the stretching and compressing of the body as it emerges into the world. If your delivery included a prolonged pushing stage, forceps or vacuum extraction, or other form of assisted delivery, the chances of a misalignment are great.

If the misalignments, called vertebral subluxations, are big enough, the functioning of major systems in the body can be compromised. The digestive system can be affected and ineffective digestion of breastmilk and formula can cause major discomfort in your baby, leading to colic episodes.

The adjustments that a chiropractor will do on your baby is basically applying gently pressure with the finger to areas on the neck and back. You may see your baby totally relax before your eyes as the misalignments are corrected.

As with selecting any health care provider, you need to ask questions first. In this case, "Have you adjusted other infants?" would be most important. Ask for referrals that you can contact if you are unsure.

Chiropractic care can be very valuable in helping to calm the colic tendencies.

Reference: 2000 - 2004 ColicHelp.com

Carpal Tunnel

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most expensive of all work- related injuries. Over his or her lifetime, a carpal tunnel patient loses about $30,000 in medical bills and time absent from work. In 1998, an estimated 3 of every 10,000 workers took time off from work because of CTS. Half of them missed more than IO workdays.

CTS typically occurs in adults, with women 3 times more likely to develop it than men.The dominant hand is usually affected first, and the pain is typically severe. CTS is especially common in assembly- line workers in manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, meatpacking, and similar industries. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, according to recent research, people who perform data entry at a computer (up to 7 hours a day) are not at increased risk of developing CTS.

What Is CTS?

CTS is a problem of the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand. The median nerve provides sensation to the palm side of the thumb, index, and middle fingers and regulates the function of some small muscles in the hand that move the fingers and thumb. CTS occurs when the median nerve gets compressed in the carpal tunnel-a narrow tunnel at the wrist-made up of bones and soft tissues, such as nerves, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. The compression may result in pain, weakness, and/or numbness in the hand and wrist, which radiates up into the forearm. CTS is the most common of the "entrapment neuropathies"-compression or trauma of the body's nerves in the hands or feet. A similar condition in the foot is called tarsal tunnel syndrome.

What Are the Symptoms?

Symptoms usually begin gradually. Burning, tingling, itching, and/ or numbness in the palm of the hand and thumb, index, and middle fingers are most common. Some people with CTS say that their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is apparent. Since many people sleep with flexed wrists, the symptoms often first appear while sleeping. When this happens, some people feel the need to "shake off the numbness." As symptoms worsen, they may feel tingling during the day. In addition, weakened grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. Some people develop wasting of the muscles at the base of the thumb. Some are unable to distinguish hot from cold by touch.

Why Does CTS Develop?

Some people have smaller carpal tunnels than others, which makes the median nerve compression more likely. In others, CTS can develop because of an injury to the wrist that causes swelling, over- activity of the pituitary gland, hypothyroidism, diabetes, inflammatory arthritis, mechanical problems in the wrist joint, poor work ergonomics, repeated use of vibrating hand tools, and fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause. In some cases, no cause can be identified.

How Is It Diagnosed?

To avoid permanent damage to the median nerve, CTS should be diagnosed and treated early. A standard physical examination of the hands, arms, shoulders, and neck can help determine if your symptoms are related to daily activities or to an underlying disorder. Your doctor of chiropractic can use other specific tests to try to produce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The most common are:

* Pressure-provocative test. A cuff placed at the front of the carpal tunnel is inflated, followed by direct pressure on the median nerve.

* Carpal compression test. Moderate pressure is applied with both thumbs directly on the carpal tunnel and underlying median nerve at the transverse carpal ligament. The test is relatively new.

Laboratory tests and x-rays can reveal diabetes, arthritis, fractures, and other common causes of wrist and hand pain. Sometimes electrodiagnostic tests, such as nerveconduction velocity testing, are used to help confirm the diagnosis. With these tests, small electrodes, placed on your skin, measure the speed at which electrical impulses travel across your wrist. CTS will slow the speed of the impulses and will

point your doctor of chiropractic to this diagnosis. These tests can also help determine if some other condition is causing your complaints.

What Is the CTS Treatment?

CTS treatment should begin as early as possible under a doctor's supervision. Initial therapy includes:

* Resting the affected hand and wrist

* Avoiding activities that may worsen symptoms

* Immobilizing the wrist in a splint to avoid further damage from twisting or bending

* Applying cool packs to help reduce swelling from inflammations.

Some medications can help with pain control and inflammation. Studies have shown that vitamin Ek supplements may relieve CTS symptoms.

Chiropractic joint manipulation and mobilization of the wrist and hand, stretching and strengthening exercises, soft-tissue mobilization techniques, and even yoga can be helpful. Scientists are also investigating other therapies, such as acupuncture, that may help prevent and treat this disorder. Your doctor of chiropractic can discuss those therapies with you and help you prevent the return of CTS.

Occasionally, patients whose symptoms fail to respond to conservative care may require surgery. The surgeon releases the ligament covering the carpal tunnel.Today, this outpatient procedure is typically done with an endoscope-a camera that the surgeon uses to see inside the carpal tunnel.The majority of patients recover completely after treatment, and the recurrence rate is low. Proper posture and movement as instructed by your doctor of chiropractic can help prevent CTS recurrences.

How Can CTS Be Prevented?

The American Chiropractic Association recommends the following tips:

* Perform on-the-job conditioning, such as stretching and light exercises.

* Take frequent rest breaks.

* Wear splints to help keep the wrists straight.

* Use fingerless gloves to help keep the hands warm and flexible.

* Use correct posture and wrist position. If needed, your doctor of chiropractic can assess your work situation and advise you on restructuring your workstation, job tasks, and handling tools or tool handles, to help you position your wrists naturally during work.

* Your doctor of chiropractic can help educate your employer about CTS. To minimize workplace injuries, jobs can be rotated among workers. Employers can also develop programs in ergonomics-the process of adapting workplace conditions and job demands to workers' physical capabilities.

Your doctor of chiropractic has the knowledge, training, and expertise to help you understand what your problem is and, in many cases, manage it successfully. Remember, however, that the treatment program can be successful only with your active participation. If your doctor of chiropractic feels that he or she cannot help you, he or she will direct you to another health care provider.

Reference:

2002-2004 RedNova.com

It is not uncommon for pregnant women to suffer the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome. This is due to the hormonal changes and increased edema (fluid) in the extremities. Subluxation plays a major role in the formation of carpal tunnel in pregnant women.

ICA International Review of Chiropractic, Jan./Feb. 1993

Since 1985, when the U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) accepted that there were "traumatogens" in the workplace and demanded that repetitive motion disorders be reported, the recorded incidence of cumulative trauma disorders has skyrocketed (Figure 3). About 277,000 cases were reported in 1997, compared with fewer than 50,000 in 1985. CTS has been the fastest growing category, recently accounting for more than 40% of all work-related disabilities. An estimated 26,000 CTS patients in the United States undergo surgical decompression each year. Median time lost from work is about 32 days per patient, more than for any other cause, including back pain.

Source: US Department of Labor

Headaches

Can You Make Them Go Away?

There are many types and causes of headaches. Regardless of the cause, if you have a headache, you want it to end. Fast! This has produced a huge market for medications that cover up the symptoms of headaches. Powerful drugs can numb your nervous system so the pain doesn't register. While these approaches may be convenient, they can cause adverse effects and kidney or liver damage. Worse, they don't correct the underlying cause of the headache.

A cause of headaches can be from an imbalance of your nervous system. Chiropractic doctors locate areas in the body where there is an imbalance and help balance your body so it can stop screaming at you. While we can't guarantee results, our office has a high success rate with patients who get headaches.

Chronic Migraine Patient Improves With Chiropractic Care

The August 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research reports that a patient suffering from chronic migraine headaches for a number of years responded very favorably to chiropractic care.

The case study involved a professional ice skater who experienced a concussion after falling and hitting her head on the ice. Before the fall, the patient reported no health problems. After the concussion, she began to have tension and migraine headaches that continued for 12 years.

After deciding to visit a chiropractor, examination revealed that she had a subluxation in the upper part of her neck and a program of adjustments was begun. Within threevmonths of beginning chiropractic adjustments, the patient had no more headaches. One year after the initial adjustment, she still remained symptom free.

The authors concluded that there was a link between the patient's concussion, the subluxation and the headaches.

Commentary: We would agree. The fact that the symptoms appeared so soon after the all and resulting concussion and the fact that the symptoms cleared up after beginning chiropractic care certainly suggests that the resulting subluxation was a contributing factor to the migraine headaches.

However, many times after an injury such as the one this skater had, pain or other symptoms do not show up for some time, often years later. Like your teeth, it's not a good idea to wait for symptoms of spinal problems to show up before getting your spine checked. A program of regular chiropractic wellness care will find and correct spinal problems before they have been there long enough to cause symptoms.A February, 2001 report from the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research finds that chiropractic patients experience improvement in the frequency and severity of their headaches.

The study, a literature review performed at Duke University in Durham, NC, collected information from more than 2500 sources.

According to the report, Chiropractic adjustments "appeared to result in immediate improvement in headache severity" in patients experiencing cervicogenic headache.

Source: Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research, February, 2001

How Common Are Headaches?

If you have a headache, you're not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. Headaches may be common, but they should NOT be considered to be normal.

Headaches have many causes, or "triggers." These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems.

Source: American Chiropractic Association Website (www.amerchiro.org)

Types of Foods Which May Cause Headaches

Foods such as chocolate, coffee, sodas and cocoa contain high levels of caffeine.

Foods with a high salt or sugar content may cause migraines, resulting in sensitivity

to light, noise, or abrupt movements.

Alcoholic beverages can dehydrate you and cause headache pain.

Other headache sufferers may want to avoid not only caffeine, but also high-protein foods, dairy products, red meat and salty foods.

Source: American Chiropractic Association Website (www.amerchiro.org

Headache Triggers

But to get to the bottom of the problem, you first need to find out what is causing your pain. Headaches have many causes, or "triggers." These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems.

Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease. The headache itself is the primary concern.

"The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck," says Dr. George B. McClelland, a doctor of chiropractic from Christiansburg, VA, and chairman of the American Chiropractic Association's (ACA) Board of Governors. "Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache."

What Can You Do?

The ACA suggests the following:

If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.

Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise.

Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.

Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) - the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull - leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.

Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

In addition, the ACA and its Council on Nutrition suggest you avoid the following food "triggers":

Avoid caffeine. Foods such as chocolate, coffee, sodas and cocoa contain high levels of the stimulant.

Avoid foods with a high salt or sugar content. These foods may cause migraines, resulting in sensitivity to light, noise, or abrupt movements.

Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. These drinks can dehydrate you and cause headache pain.

Other headache sufferers may want to avoid not only caffeine, but also high-protein foods, dairy products, red meat and salty foods.

Back Pain

Will I Have To Live With It?

Pain is a warning sign. Like the piercing sound from a smoke alarm, the alarm isn't the problem. The alarm has a cause, just like EVERY ache or pain has a cause. Some people choose to cover up the pain instead of correcting the cause. What's your approach? It makes sense to correct the cause instead of treating the symptom.

The nerve-rich facet joints on the back side of each spinal bone are a common cause of back pain. If these pairs of interlocking "fingers" aren't moving right, they can cause painful symptoms. The discs between spinal bones can be a source of back pain, too. These rings of fibrous tissues act as spacers, connectors and "shock absorbers" for the spine. Trauma can cause the soft, pulpy material in the middle to bulge or herniate, putting pressure on delicate nearby nerves.

Once you know the cause, you have several choices. One approach is bed rest. But research shows that prolonged bed rest can actually delay recovery and make the problem worse!

Physical therapy is another option. But exercising spinal joints that aren't working right is like continuing to drive your car with misaligned tires! Another choice is to numb or cover up the pain with drugs. While drugs can offer temporary relief, they can't correct functional problems of affected spinal joints.

The most drastic measure is surgery. A laminectomy cuts off the offending facet joints, leaving the spinal cord exposed! A spinal fusion cuts out the disc tissue and immobilizes the joint. While there may be times when surgery makes sense, it's expensive, risky and more than half of all back surgeries fail.

More and more people are choosing chiropractic care first due to its safety and outstanding success rate.

Back Pain and Chiropractic:

"...patients suffering from back and/or neck complaints experience chiropractic care as an effective means of resolving or ameliorating pain and functional impairments, thus reinforcing previous results showing the benefits of chiropractic treatment for back and neck pain."

Source: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Verhoef et al. (1997)

"...for the management of low-back pain, chiropractic care is the most effective treatment, and it should be fully integrated into the government's health care system."

Source: The Manga Report (1993)

In the past year over 75% of Americans had back problems. Almost two thirds of those patients were more satisfied with chiropractic therapies than the care given by a medical doctor. Seventy percent of Americans feel it is important to include chiropractic in their health care plan.

ACA's Booklet, American Perception of Practitioners & Treatments for Back Problems

A team of researchers has identified a catch-22 of lower back pain. Those with lower back injuries can worsen their pain by avoiding using hurt muscles. Other muscles, including those in the abdomen or on the sides of the torso, contort to compensate, leading to greater pressure on the spine and damaging discs.

Source: 2004 Dr. Joseph Mercola.

Back Pain Is The Leading Cause Of Limitation!

According to the National Institutes of Health (Harris et al. 1999), lower back pain is one of the most significant health problems in the United States, with back pain being the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years of age: 65-80% of all people have back pain at some time in their life.

Source: 1995-2004 Life Extension Foundation .

Researchers state of the 300,000+ spinal disc surgeries as many as 90% are unnecessary and ineffective

Source: Finneson BF. A lumbar disc surgery predictive score card: a retrospective evaluation," Spine (1979): 141-144

Annual costs of back pain in the U.S. range from $20 to $75 billion, and as much as $100 billion worldwide.

Source: Bigos S, et al. Acute Low Back Problems in Adults, Clinical Practice

Guideline No. 14. Rockville, MD: U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Dept. of

Health and Human Services, AHCPR Pub. No. 95-0642, Dec. 1994

It is estimated that more people see chiropractors for back problems than for all other ailments combined. Chiropractic spinal adjustments has been recognized by the U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research as an effective therapy for acute low-back pain. Chiropractic adjustments has been found to be more beneficial to patients with persistent back and neck complaints than other forms of manipulation. Research in Great Britain found chiropractic to provide "worthwhile, long-term benefits" for patients with low back pain in comparison to hospital outpatient management. This study also found chiropractic benefits to persist for a three-year period, indicating long-term benefits. For patients with uncomplicated, acute low back pain, chiropractic has also been found to be effective. A cost comparison study of back-related injuries showed the number of work days lost for patients treated with chiropractic to be nearly ten times less than that of patients treated under medical care. Also, average compensation costs for chiropractic care were $68.38, compared to $668.39 for patients treated with standard, non-surgical treatments.

Source: 1998-2004 ICBS, Inc.

Low Back Pain Facts

80-90% of all adults will suffer with low back pain some time in their life.

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability for people under 45 years of age.

Low back pain is the second leading cause of visits to doctors' offices.

Low back pain is the third leading reason for hospital admissions.

Annual costs of back pain in the U.S. range from $20-$75 billion, and as much as $100 billion worldwide.

Statistics indicate a yearly prevalence rate of 15-20% -- approximately 32 million cases.

Source: Bigos S, et al. Acute Low Back Problems in Adults, Clinical Practice

Guideline No. 14. Rockville, MD: U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Dept. of

Health and Human Services, AHCPR Pub. No. 95-0642, Dec. 1994.

In August 1999, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas, presented a study aimed at determining the cost and effectiveness of treating back pain with chiropractic compared with other techniques.

The results showed that 38 percent of the patients chose to seek chiropractic care rather than medical care.

Source: 1998-2004 ICBS, Inc.

Does Back Pain Go Away on Its Own?

Eighty percent of people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor's office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic, i.e., not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture, or cancer.

What Causes Back Pain?

The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements-for example, picking up a pencil from the floor-can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.

Back injuries are a part of everyday life, and the spine is quite good at dealing with these often "pulled" muscles. These very minor injuries usually heal within 1 or 2 days. Some pain, however, continues. What makes some pain last longer is not entirely understood, but researchers suspect that the reasons may include stress, mood changes, and the fear of further injury that may prevent patients from being active. In addition, sometimes a painful injury or disease changes the way the pain signals are sent through the body, and, even after the problem has gone away or is inactive, the pain signals still reach the brain. It is as if the pain develops a memory that keeps being replayed.

Will Back Pain Go Away on Its Own?

Until recently, researchers believed that back pain will "heal" on its own. We have learned, however, that this is not true. A recent study showed that when back pain is not treated, it may go away temporarily but will most likely return. The study demonstrated that in more than 33% of the people who experience low-back pain, the pain lasts for more than 30 days. Only 9% of the people who had low-back pain for more than 30 days were pain free 5 years later.1

Another study looked at all of the available research on the natural history of low-back pain. The results showed that when it is ignored, back pain does not go away on its own.2 Those studies demonstrate that low-back pain continues to affect people for long periods after it first begins.

What Can I Do to Prevent Long-Term Back Pain?

If your back pain is not resolving quickly, visit your doctor of chiropractic. Your pain will often result from mechanical problems that your doctor of chiropractic can address. Many chiropractic patients with relatively long-lasting or recurring back pain feel improvement shortly after starting chiropractic treatment.3 The relief they feel after a month of treatment is often greater than after seeing a family physician.4

Chiropractic spinal adjustments are a safe and effective spine pain treatment. It reduces pain, decreases medication, rapidly advances physical therapy, and requires very few passive forms of treatment, such as bed rest.5

How Can I Prevent Back Pain?

Don't lift by bending over. Instead, bend your hips and knees and then squat to pick up the object. Keep your back straight, and hold the object close to your body.

Don't twist your body while lifting.

Push, rather than pull, when you must move heavy objects.

If you must sit for long periods, take frequent breaks and stretch.

Wear flat shoes or shoes with low heels.

Exercise regularly. An inactive lifestyle contributes to lower-back pain.

What Should I Tell My Doctor of Chiropractic?

Before any treatment session, tell your doctor of chiropractic if you experience any of the following:

Pain goes down your leg below your knee.

Your leg, foot, groin, or rectal area feels numb.

You have fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, weakness, or sweating.

You lose bowel control.

Your pain is caused by an injury.

Your pain is so intense you can't move around.

Your pain doesn't seem to be getting better quickly.

References

Hestbaek L, Leboeuf-Yde C, Engberg M, Lauritzen T, Bruun NH, Manniche C.

The course of low-back pain in a general population. Results from a 5-year

prospective study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2003 May;26(4):213-9.

Hestbaek L, Leboeuf-Yde C, Manniche C. Low-back pain: what is the

long-term course? A review of studies of general patient populations.

Eur Spine J 2003 Apr;12(2):149-65.

Stig LC, Nilsson O, Leboeuf-Yde C. Recovery pattern of patients treated

with chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for long-lasting or recurrent low

back pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2001 May;24(4):288-91.

Nyiendo J, Haas M, Goodwin P. Patient characteristics, practice activities,

and one-month outcomes for chronic, recurrent low-back pain treated by

chiropractors and family medicine physicians: a practice-based feasibility study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000 May;23(4):239-45.

Time to recognize value of chiropractic care? Science and patient satisfaction

surveys cite usefulness of spinal manipulation. Orthopedics Today February

2003;23(2):14-15.

Immune System

Over the years, chiropractic physicians have reported success in treating a variety of conditions associated with bacterial and viral infection. Chiropractic adjustments of the vertebrae has an influence on neurologic function, lymphatic drainage, blood flow and muscle tension. Recent research by Patricia C Brennan, Ph.D., suggests that chiropractic adjustments may also have a great effect on certain aspects of immune function. Her group showed that when the thoracic spine (mid-back) was adjusted, the respiratory burst cycle of white blood cells was enhanced. Chiropractic adjustments is thought to stimulate immune function, in part by promoting the release of endorphins long associated with improving immunity.

Source: Gregory R. Salmond, D.C.

http://www.gmrcreations.com/Salmond/chiropra.htm

Understanding the Link Between Chiropractic and Your Immune System

by Dr. Paul Newton

It’s usually about this time of the year when I start hearing comments like "Gee, I haven’t been sick yet this year!" or "Our family hasn’t had any colds this winter!" People are quite surprised by how much better their immune system is working since they’ve been under chiropractic care. These people understood that the nervous system controlled and coordinated every other system in the body but they didn’t believe it

until they experienced it first hand.

When a new person begins chiropractic care, we spend a great deal of time and effort to educate him/her about the body’s capabilities when the nervous system is free of stress. We explain how every system in your body requires non-stop direction and feedback from the brain and spinal cord to make sure it is doing its job perfectly. This includes the immune system.

Most grasp this concept rather enthusiastically because they realize that their body wants to be healthy and it just needs a chance to do it on its own. The problem we encounter occurs when this new person comes down with something, runs to the doctor and gets put on antibiotics. The old belief system overrides all concepts of self-healing because an infection made them sick.

Oddly enough, many people do get sick shortly after beginning chiropractic care. As discouraging as this is to most, this is a very positive healing response. Have you ever, in a moment of inspiration, decided to clean up your desk, your office, your basement etc. because you felt it would have a positive impact on your life? You didn’t like the way you were operating and decided that things needed to change. Your body does the same thing.

When you get adjusted and your body releases stress that has been preoccupying most of its systems, your body gets inspired and decides to change the state of affairs. It doesn’t like all the critters that have taken up residence so it mounts an immune response to kill them all. This makes us feel discomfort and we have been taught through experience that this means we are sick. Most of us just want the

discomfort to stop so we ask our doctor for something to make it go away. We take some medicine and demotivate the body, forcing it to return to its original state.

Chiropractors have been telling people this for years and it is very exciting for us to finally see some scientific proof. New research in the area of neuroimmunobiology has shown that there are nerve endings in the body’s immune tissues. Scientists now believe that the nervous system and the immune system may be connected. It’s always nice to have some scientific validation!

So do I think all medicine is bad? No. Sometimes when we let our bodies get so run down that many of our immune responses are ineffective, life-threatening infections can take hold in places where bacteria can never get in a healthy person. Take pneumonia for example. This disease that used to affect and kill only very sick people is showing up routinely in the public. Antibiotics may be necessary to remove the immediate threat but once the infection is under control, is that person really healthy?

If you’re sick of your yearly bout of bronchitis or afraid of what your kids bring home from school, it’s time to build up your defenses. Regular chiropractic care is an integral step towards perfect health. You andyour family need regular adjustments to keep your systems in perfect working order.

Source: 2002-2001 Filosofi Health Management Corporation

Chiropractic works on the body's immune system and its cells through the nervous system, because the CD4 (T4) cells of the immune system have tiny nerves going to them. Chiropractic adjustments correct for interference to our main nervous system (brain and spinal cord), which then has a positive effect on the rest of our nervous system and body.

Source: Life College, Atlanta, GA, USAResearch on Upper Cervical

Adjustments and CD4 Cell Count

Did you know that the nervous system directly and indirectly controls the immune system. It's called - psychoneuroimmunology.

Source: Dr. Christopher Kent ICA Convention Atlanta Georgia, 1999

There is an increasing body of evidence that the nervous system is capable of modulating the immune response. It is theorized that spinal fixations may adversely affect the immune response through somatosympathetic reflexes.

Spinal adjustments can correct the spinal fixations and may eliminate the adverse affects of somatosympathetic reflexes.

Source: Fidelibus JC. An overview of neuroimmunomodulation and a possible

correlation with musculoskeletal system function.J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1989;12(4):289-292 / Medline ID: 89361050

Psychological stress can produce physiological changes that suppress the immune system making us prone to illness. Positive feelings and states of expectancy, can work not only to enhance our health but to eliminate disease.

Source: David S. Sobel, MD, MPH, The Healing Brain, A Scientific Reader,

Edited by Robert Ornstewin, PhD and Charles Swencionis, PhD The Gilford

Press, New York, 1990

SIDS

The peak incidence of SIDS occurs between the ages of 2 and 4 months in the US; precisely when the first two routine immunizations are given.

Source: Today's Chiropractic: March/April 2002

Besides the possible link between subluxation and SIDS, the lifelong health benefits which may follow adjustment shortly after birth should be the subject of additional research. Changing the world begins by adjusting one child.

Source: http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2002/jul/jul2002kent.htm

For years, the tragedy of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has baffled the medical community. Now, a new book offers compelling theories that connect many unexplained infant deaths to brain stem malfunction caused by vertebral subluxation, or spinal misalignment.

SIDS claims the lives of approximately 3,000 infants in the United States each year. Today, more children die of SIDS in one year than all children who die of cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined.

The brain stem is the control center for respiration and cardiac function.

There are in excess of 100 medical research papers pointing to brain stem abnormalities as the cause of SIDS.

Through atlas subluxations, the brain stem malfunctions, causing the infant to stop breathing and die.

The authors suggest that chiropractors should examine and correct the spines of infants to increase their health potential and decrease their risk of SIDS.

Reference: "The Best-Kept Secret to Raising a Healthy Child...and The Possible

Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)" is based on 10 years of

research and more than 100 medical research papers that suggest a brain stem-spinal connection.

Leg Pain

The American Chiropractic Association sponsored a study to try and determine what people were doing about their back pains. 800 adults were surveyed, all of whom were suffering from chronic low back pain at the time of the survey. To properly frame this study it’s important to realize that 80% of people will have at least one incident of lower back pain sometime in their lives. The second most common reason to visit a doctor is back pain, and the cost of this so-called benign condition is over $90 billion dollars in the US alone; which is, evidently, about 1% of the gross domestic product. According to the article, lower back pain is the most common cause of disability in people under 45. With all these facts in mind, knowing what people do to try and help their pains and where chiropractic fits in is very relevant.

Some of the survey’s findings were surprising. 85% of people surveyed had suffered from lower back pain for 3 years, 71% for 5 years or more, so you can readily see that we are not dealing with the general population here. The causes of pain listed by those surveyed ranged from an injury or accident (18%), degenerative disc disease (12.5%), herniated disc (10.3%), arthritis (10%) to “nothing” (2.6%).

For 65% of these people when their pain first began, their first treatment choice was medicine, their GP or family doctor. 18.8% chose to see a chiropractor. Of course, the most common form of treatment was drugs: 27% analgesics or narcotics, 25% OTC meds such as Tylenol or Advil, 19.6% used muscle relaxants and 18% took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. Many people actually took a combination of these drugs. 10.8% the 800 people surveyed used chiropractic to control their pain.

So, in spite of all these drugs, it would appear that most people found their treatments to be largely ineffective because 40% reported their back pains as “severe” or “very severe”, while less than 31% felt that their pains were “under control” or “completely under control”. Over 40% of those questioned said that their pains were “not under control” or “not under control at all”. Sad isn’t it? All those drugs, with their inherent and potentially lethal side-effects and such poor results; drugs for chronic lower back

pain simply don’t work that well.

Here’s an interesting thing: 64.4% of people said that they would consider seeing a chiropractor and over 80% answered that they would prefer to avoid medications. So you need to ask yourself, “If the drugs they are taking are mostly ineffective, if they would prefer not to take drugs at all, and 2/3’s would consider going to a chiropractor, why aren’t more going?” That’s a great question, and I wish I had an answer. Perhaps it’s the cost. In some circles, chiropractic care is seen as expensive and elitist. Maybe

it’s our image, we are often perceived to be somewhat “kooky”, and a few chiropractors admittedly do go “over the top” with their claims. We have had a pile of bad press in the past couple of years, but that’s not really new. Our critics in medicine seem to go to great lengths to discredit us in the media. But perhaps we, as a profession, need to do more public education. Chiropractic is a wonderful and effective alternative. We offer people a choice as a safe, natural and drug-free method of pain control. Not just lower back pain, but neck, shoulder, arm, hip and leg pain as well. Why not give us a try?

Source: This study was written up in the October 7th, 2004 edition of Dynamic

Chiropractic, our profession’s largest periodical.

Growing Pains a.k.a. non-specific leg pain. As many as 10-20% of children may complain of vague leg pain on a recurrent basis. The diagnosis commonly provided is, "growing pains" The pain is usually unilateral and is located deep in the leg most commonly in the thigh, knee or calf. This type of leg pain typically occurs at night when the child is in bed and lasts 30 minutes to one hour. Systemic signs and symptoms are absent and x-ray findings and blood tests are normal.

The problem is most likely caused by sacroiliac subluxation on the side of leg pain and usually responds immediately to adjustments of the associated area.

Source: By: Peter N. Fysh, D.C., B.App.Science - International Review of

Chiropractic - January/February 1993

As a chiropractor who has been in practice for 28 years, I have seen hundreds of cases of sciatica. Most times these conditions clear up relatively quickly with spinal adjustments to the lower lumbar vertebrae and sacroiliac joints. But occasionally, a case of sciatica will prove to be chronic and difficult to respond. A sciatic sufferer sometimes needs to be what he is known as …”patient” while I continue to do what I do…”practice”.

Sciatic neuralgia is mostly caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve as it exits the lower spine from between the lumbar vertebrae. These vertebrae can irritate or “pinch” the nerve due to one or more physical scenarios. A loss of normal motion between these bones can result in an irritation of the sciatic nerve. A degenerative process in the intervertebral disc can cause mechanical pressure to the nerve. A misplacement of one of the vertebrae can mechanically pinch the nerve. A swelling, protrusion or herniation of the disc can also pinch the nerve.

All of these conditions respond well to chiropractic care, some quicker than others. An actual herniation of an intervertebral disc, however, is an extremely tough clinical condition for a chiropractor to deal with alone. These patients are generally in very acute difficulty, often completely disabled, barely able to arise from bed and in excruciating pain. These patients require strong analgesics and even narcotics often times do not give them adequate relief. Acute sciatica is said to be the worst pain that a human has to endure next to stones in the renal ureter.

The sciatic nerve arises from the spine in the lower 3 lumbar vertebrae and is the longest and largest nerve in the body. As it passes through the upper gluteal region, it is frequently as thick as your thumb. When it becomes inflamed it creates a condition which we call sciatica. Not all leg pain is sciatica, but virtually all sciatica involves leg pain. Usually felt in the back of the thigh, calf, ankle and top or bottom of the foot, sciatica often causes sensations of burning, cramping, tingling, numbness and depending on the level of acuteness, degrees of pain ranging from an aching nuisance to throbbing to extreme and overt pain. In severe cases, absent or diminished reflexes and wasting or atrophy of muscles can occur. In rare instances, a patient can even lose bladder and bowel control.

Causes of sciatica are varied. It can result from a sudden trauma, a strenuous attempt to lift, pull or push something, a false or sudden rotational motion, or even the jolt of a violent sneeze or cough. Most times, however, sciatica is the result of cumulative or repetitive small traumas. Sciatica may appear suddenly or gradually and may first be noticed while walking or slouching in a chair. It is often the result of some trauma that occurred months or even years before. Generally, I have noticed, the sciatic sufferer has had a history of minor low back occurrences, which they have chosen to ignore. And because that soreness that they felt upon arising each morning always went away after a bit, the person assumed that AM pain was “normal”.

Sciatica can also be related to various non-spinal conditions, such as constipation, advanced diabetes, tumours and even some vitamin deficiencies. Other musculoskeletal conditions can result in a bout of sciatica. Spasms, hypertonicities, and bursitic conditions in and around the hip and gluteal region can also irritate the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica is ultimately about inflammation of the nerve. Therefore, rest, ice when acute and care not to cause further irritation, will cause the pain to eventually resolve by itself. However, if the original cause is not identified and corrected, further episodes are a very real possibility. This process of spontaneous resolution may take weeks and often is not complete; often leaving the individual with residual leg or hip pain, numbness, muscle weakness, and reduced stamina, especially with walking.

It is best with these conditions to get some professional advice as early attention can often mean much earlier resolution. As chiropractors, we have been recognized as experts in the area of low back problems and sciatica for decades. Consequently, it would behoove someone suffering from sciatica to seek the help of a reliable and experienced chiropractor.

Author: Dr. David L. Phillips

Published on: June 12, 2001

Neck Pain

What Causes Neck Pain?

Your neck is the most vulnerable part of your spine. Not only does it support your 10-12 pound head, maintain a gentle forward curve, and permit head rotation, but it must also allow the free flow of nerve impulses to the head, face, hands and the rest of your body. Besides discomfort and annoyance, chronic neck pain is a sign that something is wrong.

Many everday things can cause neck pain, such as watching TV, using your computer, reading a book or falling asleep in a chair or on an airplane. The temporary pain that results can resolve on its own, especially when the offending activity is discontinued. When it doesn't, a more serious underlying problem may be indicated.

A thorough examination can determine if you're a good candidate for chiropractic care. The most common cause of neck pain is functional distortions in the spine resulting in an imbalance of the nervous system. Chiropractic care should be able to help. Our response to stress is another common cause of neck pain. Deadlines. Rush-hour traffic. Overcommitments. Work pressures. Family obligations.... Ever meet someone who was a "pain in the neck"? Each of us is susceptible to people and circumstances. These perceptions can show up as episodes of neck pain. If the weakest and most vunerable area in our bodies is our neck, stress shows up there. While chiropractic care cannot reduce the stress of your busy life, it can help improve your ability to handle and adapt in a positive way. Without drugs or surgery!

Research on Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common neuromusculoskeletal disorder in the United States, with an estimated prevalence rate of 13 to 18 % within the general population. Doctors of chiropractic commonly treat patients with neck pain. In fact, a study involving 7,527 patients revealed that 12.7% presented to DCs complaining of neck pain and a study by Wolsko, et al. found that chiropractic was used by 20% of 644 patients with back or neck pain.

Source: Michael Haneline, DC - American Chiropractic Association - October 2004

183 adults were randomly selected to receive manual therapy, physiotherapy (PT) or care from a general practitioner (GP) for six weeks. All of the patients suffered neck pain for a minimum of two weeks; 66 percent had received some form of treatment for the condition prior to enrolling in the study.

Manual therapy consisted of a variety of interventions, including hands-on techniques such as low-velocity spinal mobilization, a technique the authors noted is utilized frequently by doctors of chiropractic. Spinal manipulation was not provided, however. Treatment sessions lasted 45 minutes once per week, for a maximum of six sessions.

Physiotherapy consisted of postural relaxation exercises, stretching and functional exercises, but the mobilization techniques offered in the manual therapy group were discouraged from use. PT treatments were offered twice a week (30 minutes per session) for a maximum of 12 sessions.

Source: Dynamic Chiropractic, 2003.

Risk Factors for Neck Pain

More and more people are now making their living sitting at a desk. The use of computers have risen astronomically and many of us spend eight to ten hours a day slumped over the keyboard and staring at the monitor. When we sit with our head in a forward bent position, the posture that most desk workers assume, the ligaments that hold the facets together and the muscles in the neck are put under tremendous strain. In addition the normal forward curve of the neck becomes reversed causing more stress upon all the surrounding tissues of the neck. All of this can lead to spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the main causes of spinal nerve irritation. Besides pain, spinal nerve irritation in the neck can cause symptoms including headaches, eye problems, giddiness, arm and hand pain and paraesthesia, as well as shoulder pain.

Source: Chiropractic Care Pte Ltd

GP care consisted mainly of a "wait and see" approach that included advice offered by a general practitioner, along with an educational booklet. Drugs were prescribed if necessary, but patients were encouraged to await "spontaneous recovery." Patients had the option of 10-minute follow-up visits with the doctor every two weeks.

Outcomes of care were measured at the start of the study and at 3-, 7-, 13- and 52-week intervals. At 26 weeks' follow-up, patients received a mail-in questionnaire. Among the outcomes measured, patients rated their perceived recovery from neck pain; intensity of pain, functional disability and utility with questionnaires.

Manual therapy was considered "the most effective treatment" in the study. After seven weeks, recovery rates in the manual-therapy group were 68 percent, compared to 51 percent and 36 percent in the PT and GP groups, respectively. Differences in recovery rates remained statistically significant at the 26-week mark, and were still superior for manual therapy at 52 weeks.

The association of psychosocial factors and chronic neck pain is well established. The UCLA Neck Pain Study offers an opportunity to address these concerns. Three-hundred-thirty-six neck pain patients presenting to a large managed-care facility between February, 1998 and June, 2000 were randomized to 8 treatment groups in a balanced 2x2x2 factorial design: spinal manipulation with and without heat therapy and with and without electrical muscle stimulation; and spinal mobilization with and without heat therapy and with and with out electrical muscle stimulation.

Two-hundred-sixty-nine patients (80%) were followed over six months. Primary outcome measures are average and most severe neck pain intensity over the past week, and neck-pain related disability. Psychosocial factors (perceived occupational stressors, locus of control, sense of personal responsibility for one's health, perceived social support, and seeing oneself as sickly) varied considerably among the study participants, but were not related to clinical outcomes. The results were consistent across all treatment groups. Chiropractic care appears to be equally effective for patients regardless of their psychosocial situation.

Source: Michael S. Goldstein, PhD1, Hal Morgenstern, PhD2, Eric Hurwitz, DC, PhD3, and Fei Yu, PhD3. (1) Department of Community Health Sciences, Universtiy of

California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los

Angeles, CA 90095, 310-825-5116, msgoldst@ucla.edu, (2) Department of

Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health,

10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095, (3) Department of Epidemiology,

UCLA, School of Public Health, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095

Infant Trauma

During the birthing process, there is a relatively small area to pass through considering the size of the infant. During the delivery process, in order to minimize discomfort of the mother and baby, abnormally excessive and unnatural forces are commonly used. This can and commonly does result in injuries to the infant's spine - especially the cervical spine. As the months and years go by, the spine grows and develops at a very rapid pace. When the baby begins to crawl and then walk, a number of seemingly minor falls and collisions will occur as balance and the knowledge of physics is still developing. As the youngster proceeds through childhood, the minor collisions become severe and more frequent. The physical traumas will continue into adolescence especially in the active and athletic youngsters.

Source: ProfessionalPlanets.com™ 1999

More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even so called 'natural' birthing methods can stress an infant's spine and developing nerve system. The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal and cranial misalignment can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, breathing problems, nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions and chronic infections can often be traced to nerve system stress.

Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked right away. As the infant grows, learning to hold up the head, sit, crawl and walk are all activities that affect spinal alignment and are important times to have a child checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic.

As the child begins to participate in regular childhood activities like skating or riding a bike, small yet significant spinal misalignments (subluxations) may occur. If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead to more serious problems later in life. Subtle trauma throughout childhood will affect the future development of the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. Any interference to the vital nerve system will adversely affect the body’s ability to function at its best.

One of the most common reason parents seek care for their child is trauma from an injury of some sort. These misalignments may or may not result in immediate pain or symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify potential spinal injury from these traumas, make the correction early in life and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults. Proper spinal hygiene is an important key to better health.

Another sought out reason for care is the resolution of a particular symptom or condition. Parents seek care for conditions such as colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies and headaches (to name a few) because they have heard from other parents that chiropractic care can help.

It is important to understand that the doctor of chiropractic does not treat conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor is in checking the child’s spine for misalignments that impair nervous system function therefore affecting overall body function. The bones of the spine, the vertebrae, house and protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and carries information from the brain to the body parts and back to the brain again. Subluxations interfere with the nerves’ ability to transmit this vital information.

The nerve system controls and coordinates the function of all the systems in the body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, eliminative and immune system. Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference. The chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function allowing the body the ability to express a greater state of health and well-being.

The doctor of chiropractic will take a case history and perform a chiropractic exam to determine if spinal subluxations exist. Chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to fit a child's size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care.

Reference: ICPA - International Chiropractic Pediatric Association - website: http://www.icpa4kids.org/why/whychiro.htm

Muscle Pain

Call it what you will. Muscle stiffness? Muscle spasms? Muscle fatigue? Or choose one of the more ominous and scientific names like fibrositis, fibromyalgia, muscular rheumatism, myofascial syndrome, or myositis. Whatever the name, there's still pain and pain is not normal!

Maybe the problem is something a little harder to pin down.

For example, do you or anyone you know experience:

* Constant pain between the shoulder blades?

* Incessant neck, shoulder or hip pains?

* Occasional numbness or tingling in the arms or legs?

There is really only one course of action (after a more serious medical diagnosis has been ruled out): a visit to your chiropractor. Don't settle for what we have seen so many others in constant pain settle for--a lifetime commitment to Advil for pain relief. Why? Because in time whatever pain-relieving pill you're popping is going to begin to work less and less, ultimately requiring larger doses or stronger medications. It's expensive. It's inconvenient, it doesn't work (it only masks the pain for a short time) and it's no way to live!

If you think about it, all a drug does is treat the symptom or effect of the problem. Do you really expect your health problem to go away by only treating the effect?

Sports Performance

"Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better. When I walk out of the clinic, I feel like I'm about three inches taller and everything's in place. And as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I'm one step ahead of the game."

Tom Brady 3 Super Bowl Championship Rings MVP award winner Quarterback - New England Patriots

"Being a chiropractor patient has really helped me immensely." "...lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I've been going to Chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It's as important to my training as practicing my swing."

Tiger Woods - PGA Professional

"Dr. Andrew Klein, the official chiropractor for the 2000 U.S. Olympic medical staff, identified a key reason why athletes have taken to chiropractic: it keeps them in top shape—without the use of drugs. “Athletes have come to rely on manual therapy because the list of banned substances [for the Olympics] is so long, and also because they feel it enhances their performance."

Source: ACA Journal, September 21, 2000. CHIROPRACTIC CARE:

BACKING UP OLYMPIC ATHLETES

90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by movement of the spine.

Source: Dr. Roger Sperry, Noble Prize recipient for brain research

In one study of fifty athletes, 25 received Chiropractic care and 25 athletes served as controls. They used 11 separate tests to measure different aspects of athletic ability. After 6 weeks, the chiropractic group had shown an 18% improvement in eye-hand coordination, while the control group had only shown

a 1% response. After 12 weeks, the Chiropractic group had exhibited more than 30% improvement.

Source: Lauro A. Mouch B. Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic

Research and Clinical Investigation. 1991; 6:84-87

More and more professional sports teams are utilizing chiropractic care for their team members.

45% of the trainers themselves had been to a chiropractor.

71% of the trainers had worked professionally with a chiropractor.

77% of the trainers have referred players to a chiropractor.

100% of the trainers revealed that some players use a chiropractor without being referred by the team doctor.

81% of the trainers agree that there is a role for chiropractors in the NFL.

An additional 12% of teams that do not have chiropractors on staff refer players to chiropractors.

Source: 2003-2004 Connecticut Chiropractic Association

Dennis Hall, Olympic silver medalist in wrestling, says, "Chiropractic speeds my recovery time, improves my flexibility, helps my breathing and allows me to wrestle without pain and perform better."

Source: Today's Chiropractic, Nov./Dec. 1996, Muscle and Fitness Magazine - Nov. 1995

The Brain is protected by the skull, and the spinal cord is surrounded by 24 moveable vertebrae - these are like the "circuit breakers" of the nervous system.

Your brain monitors every cell, muscle, gland, organ, and system in your body by sending and receiving information via the spine.

One would deduce that if you want your entire body to function at its maximum potential, you need a nervous system that is CLEAR of any and all interference.

Chiropractors are the only doctors in the world that are specifically trained to locate, analyze, and correct vertebral subluxations.

Vertebral Subluxations are vertebrae that have misaligned and cause nervous system interference

When the spine and nervous system are clear of interference, your body can function at its maximum performance!

And that's why Chiropractic has become an essential part of every major sports team.

It's the NEW drug-free secret weapon!

Source: Dr. Len Schwartz, Sports Performance and Chiropractic, March

2000 - Philadelphia, PA 19115

A recent study published in the March/April 2002 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, (JMPT) examined the usage of chiropractic care by National Football League teams throughout the US. The Journal article reported on the results of a survey of NFL trainers on their usage and referral to chiropractic care. Participants of the survey were head athletic trainers of the 36 National Football League teams. They were all men, and all had at least 17 years of experience and had served with their present team in their current position for a minimum of 1 year.

The results of the survey showed that 45% percent of the trainers themselves have been treated by a chiropractor. Presently 31% of NFL teams use chiropractors in an official capacity as part of their staffs. However, even though not necessarily on the staff of the NFL team a full 77% of the trainers

have referred to a chiropractor for evaluation or treatment. Probably the most telling result of the survey is that 100% of trainers agree that some players use chiropractic care without referral from team medical staff.

In addition to NFL players, many athletes from many sports depend on chiropractic care. One such athlete is John Stockton, a professional basketball player and future hall of famer. In an April 2, 2002 article that appeared in the Toronto Star, writer Doug Smith asks and answers the question concerning John Stockton's longevity, "What is the secret to John Stockton's continued success on the NBA basketball court at age 40? A Good Chiropractor." When asked to explain his usage of chiropractic John's response was, "I'm not a good enough expert on what that (chiropractic) entails, but it's not just adjustments, it's balancing muscles and overall health." John then added, "it's been great for me, and for my family."

Athletes and Chiropractic make a perfect team. Chiropractors are showing more and more athletes how

to increase and improve their athletic performance by keeping their spine and nervous system free of

interference.

TMJ

Over 2,500 out of approximately 3,000 newborn infants, ranging in age from one hour to 21 days old, have been treated for breastfeeding difficulties over a seven-year period with chiropractic spinal adjustments and cranial and TMJ procedures. The newborns were all delivered without drugs by a midwife either at the Gentle Birth Center (a free-standing birth center) or at home. The babies were all very healthy at birth, and the majority were seen by the pediatrician within a 24-hour period following birth. Birth trauma seems to occur in all babies, especially to the cranium. All the babies were unable to breastfeed with ease utilizing proper technique. All babies treated exhibited a unilateral or bilateral TMJ syndrome as the primary cause. In all cases, AK cranial and TMJ procedures, and/or Upledger cranial procedures, eliminated or greatly improved infant breastfeeding performance after only one adjustment, in 90 percent of newborns seen within 21 days after birth. The newborn is usually seen once a week for 2-4 visits. From clinical experience, the most dramatic and powerful single adjustment with a 99.9 percent success rate in eliminating and/or preventing breastfeeding difficulties occurs when the newborn is adjusted several minutes to 48 hours after birth.

Source: Victoria Arcadia, DC --, Dynamic Chiropractic, 2003.

DISC

Do I Have a Slippled Disc?

The intervetebral disc is a special type of cartilage that connects and cushions the 24 bones of your spinal column. Each disc attaches to the vertebra above and below it. This provides the proper spacing for pairs of nerve roots to exit the spine from between each joint. A disc can thin, wedge, bulge, protrude, tear or herniate, but it doesn't slip! Safe and natural chiropractic care can help. Trauma produces the most common form of disc injury. Spinal misalignments can cause disc tissue to adapt into a wedge-like shape. This is the earliest stage of disc damage. While this position can encroach upon adjacent nerve tissue, pain or other obvious symptoms may not be present. Even before symptoms appear, chiropractic care can be helpful. Uncorrected, long-standing vertebral subluxations can make discs susceptible to damage. "I didn't do a thing" or "I just bent over to tie my shoes" are comments we often hear.

How does chiropractic care help disc problems?

The purpose of chiropractic care is to locate and correct areas of the spine that interfere with the proper nervous system control of your body. Because the intervertebral discs are so close to the spinal cord and nerve roots, disc involvement is quite common in chiropractic cases. Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper motion and position of malfunctioning spinal bones, reducing nervous system involvement. If caught before permanent damage occurs, disc tissue often returns to a more normal size and shape.

Aren't disc problems simply part of the normal aging process?

No. However, many disc problems are the result of years of neglect. Many spinal problems are nonsymptomatic until the advanced stages of degeneration. Many elderly patients who have maintained their spines throughout their lives continue to enjoy excellent spinal health and function.

Chiropractic First. Risky Drugs Second. Surgery Last.

SIX ESSENTIALS OF HEALTH

2011-10-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

SIX ESSENTIALS OF HEALTH
By Inspired Wellness Chiropractic

1. What you EAT

The pH scale goes from 0 – 14, with 0 being very acidic
and 14 being very alkaline. 7.0 on the pH scale is neutral.
The body is alkaline by design and acid by function.

This means that our body functions best in an alkaline
environment with the exception of the stomach. Different
systems have different alkaline ranges, but overall, the
body wants to be slightly alkaline.

Opportunistic bacteria and diseases can’t live in an
alkaline environment, but are quite comfortable
(and can proliferate profusely) in an acid environment.
Whether we know it or not, we choose our own pH
by the foods we eat. Poor nutrition results in dietary
TOXICITY!

Although there are four food groups, there are only
two kinds of foods that we really need to be concerned with:
acid-ash and alkaline-ash foods.

Our bodies want alkaline-ash foods. This means your
body wants foods, that after being broken down by the
digestive process and the nutrients have been absorbed,
the leftovers (the ash), are neutral or on the slightly alkaline
side. The alkaline-ash foods are good for your health.

We have a storehouse of alkaline-reserve minerals that we’re
born with. If your meal has an acid-ash residual after
digestion, your body must make a withdrawal from your
alkaline reserve to neutralize the acid so the delicate internal
tissues after the digestive process won’t be burned.

Everything you eat either makes a deposit into your “alkaline reserve” savings account, or makes a withdrawal.

Unfortunately, the American diet consists of mostly
high-protein foods; mostly animal products and grains
that have an acid-ash residual. If you want to eat foods
that make a deposit into your alkaline reserve, you need
to eat more fruits and vegetables.

We have a very narrow blood pH range of 7.35 - 7.45.
If your blood pH moves out of that range, you won't survive.

So your body will compensate by robbing the minerals it
needs from other parts of your body to maintain this critical
range. It will survive by robbing what it needs from other
parts of the body! It will take from the gallbladder, the bones, etc. These withdrawals will be detrimental to your long-term health, and the problems you’d like to see some improvement on won’t occur.

Priority system of healing

If your body has an acidic pH, that will have a higher priority for healing than the symptoms you’re probably concerned about. Since most patient complaints are not life-threatening, the body will ignore them so it can concentrate on the toxicity (low pH = acidity) caused by your diet. When you bring your pH back to a normal range, your body will now dedicate the energy needed to heal your less serious symptoms.

Suppose you have back pain that you want to go away, but you also have a heart problem that you don’t know about. Your body will ignore the back problem because it is not life-threatening, and it will focus on healing the heart which is life-threatening. Once the heart is taken care of, the body will concern itself with the next most life-threatening situation.

Your body was designed to SURVIVE; not to be healthy or sick; and what it must survive is the CHOICES you make everyday pertaining to the Six Essentials. But don’t you want more than just survival and all of its pain and symptoms?

Your body was designed to function in an alkaline state so you must eat alkaline-ash foods. What you eat is a CHOICE you can make on your journey back to health and wellness.

If you want to maintain a healthy storehouse of alkalizing minerals, you need to eat about 70% fruits and vegetables, and the other 30% can be the foods you like.

We also have an alkalizing supplement line that can support your efforts to raise you pH and achieve dietary balance.

One of the worst fables commonly told in America today is that you can't eat too much protein. You can, and most Americans do.

The most commonly consumed high-protein foods in America is meat (and animal products in general). Becoming a vegetarian isn't necessary, though. Vegetarians can have a low pH if they eat too many grains (which are acidic), and not enough fruits and vegetables.

Make Dietary Changes Slowly

Your body has adapted to your diet and lifestyle, even if those CHOICES are not healthy ones. So if you change your diet quickly, your body will suffer some effects from that. It takes time to adapt the digestive process/enzyme production capability for the new foods you're eating. So allow your body to adapt to the changes slowly. The fruits and vegetables are necessary.

Your diet change may also cause you to go into a detoxification mode. While this is good, it may result in colds, acne and rashes so that it can flush out toxins that have accumulated in your tissues and cells. Better health will come after some ups and downs.

You may also feel tired. Why? Because your body is not being stimulated by sugar, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, etc. Keep it up. Your body will balance itself out and you will recover your energy levels the right way. You want your body to be internally regulated, not externally stimulated.

Avoid incomplete foods (boxed and processed foods), and stimulatory foods (coffee, cola, candy, sugar, tobacco products, etc.). They lack the necessary enzymes, minerals, cofactors, and fiber to properly digest the food without robbing from the body to do so.

2. What you DRINK

Your body is mostly water and needs water as its primary liquid. Since your body was designed to regulate itself internally, drinking external stimulants puts added stress on your body and interferes with the regulation of blood sugar.

Water and alcohol are the only substances that can go directly into your bloodstream. Other liquids must go through the digestive process. You should drink mostly water (but some fruit and vegetable juices would be okay, too).

You should drink reverse osmosis water. It's the best available. You can purchase your own reverse osmosis system for under $200. Another option is to purchase your reverse osmosis water from a machine at Wal-Mart, your local grocery store or health food store.

How much water should I drink daily?

Drink half your weight in ounces of water every day. Example: If you weigh 200 lbs, drink 100 ounces of water a day. If your diet is 70% fruits and vegetables, just drink water when you feel thirsty. You'll get the rest from the fruits and vegetables which are loaded with water.

3. How you EXERCISE

Your body needs exercise that increases your heart rate, promotes muscle activity and aids neurological integration, so your body works as it was designed.

Excellent exercises that achieve all three are swimming or walking correctly. You should exercise at LEAST three times a week for 30 minute or more.

If you're well enough to be involved in a lifestyle sport, like mountain biking, hiking, or kayaking, you'll receive some additional benefits. It's refreshing to be out in nature, to face the challenges, and to meet new people. It will be a great stress-reliever and you'll have friends to talk with and keep you accountable.

4. How you REST

Adequate, uninterrupted sleep each night is essential for cell repair. If you eat large meals too close to bedtime or drink the wrong liquids throughout the day, your over-stimulate your body. This makes uninterrupted, restful, repairing sleep difficult.

You should get a minimum of 6 hours of sleep per night; 7-8 hours would be best. You'll find you sleep much better and are more rested feeling when you wake up if you have a consistent exercise program.

5. How and what you BREATHE

How - Take DEEP breaths through your nose that expand your
abdomen. Don't be a shallow breather! Correct breathing is important.
It causes the diaphragm to work the way it was designed to, which
augments heart action. Correct breathing helps rebalance the
autonomic nervous system.

What - if you can smell the air you breathe, it's stressful.
While the toxins in your food and liquids are cleaned by the
liver before entering the bloodstream, the toxins you breathe
from smoking or living and working in a smoke and
smog-filled environment, go directly into your bloodstream.

6. What you THINK about

How you think is probably the only thing on earth that you have absolute control over, and if you harness this concept, you’ll see an improvement in your attitude, life, and health.

You can CHOOSE how you respond to life’s situations. Everyone has challenges in their lives and we can’t stop the challenges. But what we can do is determine HOW we go through those challenges.

Your boss, coworkers, family members, neighbors, etc. might do things that annoy you, but you’re the one who decides to get offended. It’s a choice you can make or not make.

No one can make you angry without your permission. YOU GET TO CHOOSE!

STRESS is a similar challenge and it’s not good or bad. It’s your interpretation of that stress that makes it good or bad. Once again, YOU GET TO CHOOSE! Deepak Chopra says that stress is your interpretation of a threat. One person goes ballistic and becomes a madman on a busy freeway. Another person relaxes and enjoys his music. He defines this extra time spent in his car as a form of therapy; an opportunity to listen to some teaching tapes he’s wanted to hear. What the difference? Is it not the INTERPRETATION of the event?

How do I go through life without causing interference?

LEARN THE LESSON! Our purpose here on earth is to observe and interact with everything and everybody in such a way that it never causes interference. There are no neutral thoughts. Every thought is either health enhancing or disease producing. There are no exceptions to this rule.

"In fact, every emotion you have produces chemicals (hormones) that elicit a response from your body. For example, when we feel chronically hostile, norepinephrine is secreted which contributes to our risk of hypertension, arteriosclerosis and heart attack. If we believe our problems are beyond control, cortisol increases which can impair our immune system, making us more vulnerable to infections and some cancer. If we think we cannot cope effectively -dopamine, which is related to our sense of reward and pleasure - diminishes. If we have a sense of control or self-efficacy, our stress hormones - cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine - decline (1)."

The School of Life

People often adopt detrimental victim worldviews;
they have this attitude of, "Oh look what happened to me!"
Oh, poor me, did you see what happened to me!"
But that’s the wrong way to think. Most of the physically
harmful feelings we have come from replaying the past like this.

You must adopt an attitude and belief that nothing happens
TO you, it only happens FOR you so you can learn a lesson.
So if you observe something that is upsetting for you, that’s
a part of your training, a part of your life that you are trying
to correct. You’re learning. Be aware of the journey and where
you are on it. So think about what you “think about” when you
think about it.

Man is the only creature on earth who can injure himself with conscious thought.

So be aware of your thought processes. Adopt a mentality that says "nothing happens to me, it always happens for me, so I can learn a lesson." If you use your conscious mind in that way, you'll never create interference with the power that made you. Learning to use our conscious minds in ways that will never harm us is one of life's major lessons.

Balance

2011-10-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Balance
by Marci Hansen on 10/27/11
Inspired Wellness Chiropractic

When your body is out of balance (sick) do you often wonder "Who gave this to me?" Do you try to trace back where you picked up the dis-ease? Is the next step to do what you can to get rid of symptoms? Over the counter medication, presciption medication, surgery or time? Thinking that if your body became imbalanced from an outside source than it can be re-balanced by an outside source.

When our bodies are out of balance they generally produce symptoms to let us know something requires attention. These symptoms don't come about because you body has a lack of OTC meds, prescription meds, or extra or unecessary body parts to be surgically removed. These symptoms occur to bring your attention back to you.

Our bodies are designed to survive. If we don't get in their way they will get up in the morning and function, and for that matter continue to function even when we are asleep. However the choices we make in life can have an impact on our bodies ability to survive. Hence the symptoms. By taking medication, or having surgery we may deal with the symptom but have we dealt with the cause of the dis-ease? More than likely if we are only practicing symptom care the body will produce another symptom to get our attention to deal with the cause. Taking medication can help temporarily and if you choose to take medication or have surgery we will support you through this.

Chiropractic care can help you on this journey of healing. A chiropractic adjustment can remove interference within your nervous system allowing your body to be the most receptive to the changes you make to address the cause. If you are coming in and receiving symptom relief but not dealing with the cause your subluxation can keep coming back, even if it shows up in different places and ways. That is why you can have pain in your body for no apparent reason, or by doing a simple task that you have done numerous times before, only this time you throw you back out doing it. We believe there are 6 essentials that can have a profound impact on you and your bodies ability to heal. These 6 are what you eat and drink, how you sleep, breathe, exercise and the most important what you think.

When you have a subluxation and require an adjustment it is important to understand that it isn't the chiropractor who is healing you. The adjustment puts your body in an optimal place to heal, once the chiropractor has done their part then it's your turn to take a good look at your life and see where the cause is coming from and if you want to heal then doing something about it is the next step, this is where true healing begins.

Wellness Chiropractors wants to support you in your health and healing by helping you determine the cause of your illness and injuries. We help support your physical body while you make changes to address the cause. We want to help you become whole.

___________________________________________________________________

This is an exellent depiction of what I have been trying to get across for years. - Dr. Jon Wise

Annual Wise Chiropractic Food Drive!

2011-10-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

Annual Wise Chiropractic Food Drive!

Wise Chiropractic Annual Food Drive Nov 1st - Dec 23rd, 201. Please Bring in Non-perishable food items to help out Three Square Las Vegas!

Hello Everyone!

It is that time of the year again. We are hosting our annual food drive (Nov 1st to Dec 23rd). Like previous years in the past, we are partnering with Three Square Las Vegas. Last year, we where able to raise and donate 400 lbs of food. This year I would like to increase it! So, the office goal is 600 lbs!!!

To meet our goals, I want to give an incentive for any patient to clean out their kitchen pantry or purchasing food from the store. This year we will be offering a Killer Raffle! Any patient that brings in 1 bag of food, will get 1 ticket. If you bring in 2 bags, you will get 2 tickets, and so forth...

Any new patient that brings in at least $30 of non-perishable dry foods will receive a FREE EXAM and ADJUSTMENT. X-rays would be extra, but we are giving them out at our cost. So please be sure to tell all of your family, friends and co-workers!

Raffle Prizes:

$100 Gift Certificate to the office for Chiropractic Care

$100 Gift Certificate to be used towards the HCG Weightloss System

Free Month of Chiropractic Care (3 adjustments per week for 4 weeks)

The Drawing will take place Dec 23rd 2010 close to closing hours! Thank you very much for being great patients! Lets make this holiday season one to remember!!!

Dr. Jon Wise

Canned Goods:
• Soups
• Meats (chicken, tuna, spam)
• Fruits and Juices
• Coffee and Tea
• Milk
• Beans, pork & beans
• Vegetables (tomatoes, corn, green beans, mixed vegetables)
• Entrees (chili, raviolis, hash)

Dry Goods:
• Rice
• Cereals
• Meal stretchers (macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper)
• Pasta
• Baking needs (sugar, flour, Bisquik)
• Dried (lentils, peas, pinto)

Other Items:
• Peanut Butter and Jellies
• Baby Food (in boxes, cans, or plastic jars)
• Nutritional drinks (Ensure, Boost)
• Snacks and prepared sandwiches
• Spices
• Single-serve meats and fruits in pop-top cans: Spam, Vienna sausages, fruit snack packs, etc.

Non-Food Items:
• Toilet paper, paper towels, napkins
• Diapers, baby wipes
• Personal hygiene (soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant)
• Feminine hygiene
• Disposable utensils, plates, bowls, cups

Vaccine Awareness Week October 30 - November 5

2011-10-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

NVIC is dedicated to the prevention of vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and to defending the informed consent ethic. As an independent clearinghouse for information on diseases and vaccines, NVIC does not promote the use of vaccines and does not advise against the use of vaccines. We do not offer medical advice and support the availability of all preventive health care options, including vaccination, and the right of consumers to make educated, voluntary health care choices.

Over $2 billion has been awarded by the federal government to children and adults injured by vaccines. NVIC encourages consumers to become fully informed about the risks and complications of diseases and vaccines and speak with one or more trusted health care professionals before making a vaccination decision. Below are links to information and resources to assist consumers in making an educated vaccination decision.

Vaccine Safety Research Priorities: Engaging the Public

Barbara Loe Fisher, Co-founder & President

National Vaccine Information Center

National Vaccine Advisory Committee Vaccine Safety Working Group

Washington, D.C

April 11, 2008

The National Vaccine Information Center is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1982 to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths through public education (www.nvic.org). We represent the vaccine injured as well as families with healthy children and health care professionals united in support of the ethical principle of voluntary, informed consent to vaccination.
I am the mother of three children, including a son who suffered a brain inflammation within hours of his fourth DPT shot in 1980 and was left with multiple learning disabilities. I worked with parents and Congress on the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which created the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and vaccine safety provisions, including mandatory adverse event reporting and recording, as well as the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System and also mandated the Institute of Medicine’s 1991 and 1994 reviews of the scientific literature for evidence that vaccines can cause injury and death.^{1 2 3 4}
During the past three decades that I have served on committees or forums at the FDA, Institute of Medicine, and CDC, including acting as chair of the subcommittee on vaccine adverse events for the National Vaccine Advisory Committee between 1988 and 1991, the greatest challenge has been to convince public health officials and pediatricians to take seriously the concerns parents have about the quality and quantity of scientific information available to them when making informed vaccination decisions for their children. From the parent’s perspective, as Mark Blaxill, of Safe Minds, and I pointed out in the White Paper⁵   we co-authored after the Blue Ribbon Panel on Vaccine Safety in 2004, a comprehensive and transparent scientific examination of vaccine risks is long overdue^{6 7}     because, today, the Number One question for many parents raising young children is:
Why are so many of our highly vaccinated children so sick? Vaccination rates with multiple vaccines in America are at an all-time high⁸   and, with 1 in 6 vaccinated child in America now learning disabled ⁹; 1 in 9 suffering with asthma^{10 11 12}; 1 in 150 developing autism^{13 14}, and 1 in 450 becoming diabetic¹⁵, this is a legitimate question. America spends more than 75 percent of the $2 trillion price tag for health care to treat the chronically ill and disabled¹⁶   and it is estimated that, by 2025, 1 in 2 Americans will be chronically ill or disabled.¹⁷

The scientific, economic, political and moral imperative for addressing the new epidemic of chronic disease and disability, which has developed in the last quarter century and is compromising more children than were ever harmed by any infectious disease epidemic, including polio, makes the vaccine safety research agenda you are developing the most important federal health research funding priority today. It is a funding priority that must not take money from the vaccine injury trust fund created in 1986 to compensate vaccine injured children¹⁸,   but urgently requires independent appropriations by Congress to support a national research program created in collaboration with those most concerned about vaccine safety to generate evidence-based information the people will trust. With more than 2,000 clinical trials worldwide¹⁹   that will bring dozens of new vaccines to market soon, the first step in securing public trust is to add at least two more well informed consumer representatives critical of vaccine safety to this NVAC Working Group and the general National Vaccine Advisory Committee.

In 1995, the Institute of Medicine convened a Vaccine Safety Forum of stakeholders to examine and publish reports on vaccine safety issues. ^{20 21 22}During that four year public engagement initiative, a time when autism was affecting 1 in 1,000 children,²³ I provided statements on behalf of concerned parents outlining vaccine research priorities and methods for detecting and responding to vaccine adverse event reports^{24 25} - which I will make available to the Committee for your consideration - and yet again to the 2001 IOM Immunization Review Committee²⁶    which generated the following statement in their 2002 report on Multiple Immunizations and Immune Dysfunction:

    “The Committee was unable to address the concern that repeated exposure of a susceptible child to multiple immunizations over the developmental period may also produce atypical or non-specific immune or nervous system injury that could lead to severe disability or death (Fisher, 2001). There are no epidemiological studies that address this. Thus, the committee recognizes with some discomfort that this report addresses only part of the overall set of concerns of some of those most wary about the safety of childhood immunizations.” ²⁷

Whether you believe vaccines rarely, if ever, cause injury or death and that government should force everyone to take vaccines without exception, or you believe that vaccines are pharmaceutical products that carry risks which are greater for some than others and that government should allow voluntary, informed consent to taking a vaccine risk that is not equal for all, most reasonable people do agree that individuals genetically or otherwise biologically at high risk should be identified so their lives can be spared.

Parents today are using mass communication and new technology to educate themselves about vaccines. When they evaluate the components of vaccines – from mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde²⁸ – to animal and human cell substrates that can be contaminated with adventitious agents²⁹ – they are finding no credible scientific studies proving safety; when they question pediatricians about the safety of giving their babies 8 vaccines on one day, they are being denied medical care instead of being given proof of safety; when they tell their doctor their child regressed after vaccination into autism, they are often told it is all a “coincidence” and so no report is ever made to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System; when their children suffer vaccine reactions and are re-vaccinated again and again, despite deterioration into chronic poor health, they are losing faith in a mass vaccination system that dismisses individual health as unimportant compared to public health when implementing a one-size-fits-all, no exceptions policy.

We have the technology today to investigate and define the pathology involved in vaccine induced brain and immune system dysfunction at the cellular and molecular level. A 20-year study that prospectively enrolls and compares the health outcomes of two groups of children, one group who will be vaccinated with the CDC recommended 48 doses of 14 vaccines by age six and 60 doses of 16 vaccines by age 12 versus another group, who will remain unvaccinated, will give us preliminary answers in six years about measured pathological changes in immune and brain function in both groups, including information about genetic variability and the development of learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, severe allergies, asthma, juvenile diabetes and other chronic disease and disability.

In considering the question posed to this panel “How Do We Effectively Engage the Public,” I am reminded of a statement drafted a half century ago by a young group of dissidents who founded a participatory democracy movement in America³⁰, a progressive concept that I learned about first-hand during a participatory democracy experiment initiated by the CDC between 2002 and 2005 called the Vaccine Policy Analysis Collaborative. ³¹

In calling for a reform of government institutions to be more inclusive and transparent in their operation, the students referred to the great chasm that has developed between those who govern and those who are governed in America. They described the "felt powerlessness of ordinary people, the resignation before the enormity of events” saying,

“The subjective apathy is encouraged by the objective American situation – the actual structural separation of people from power, from relevant knowledge, from pinnacles of decision-making….the very isolation of the individual – from power and community and the ability to aspire – means the rise of democracy without publics.” ³²

It is the duty of a government of, by and for the people to listen to the people and act when they are suffering, whether they are in a minority or the majority. Respect for the people and a willingness to share decision-making power with them is an approach that will foster trust in government officials and public policy. Threats and coercion will destroy it. ³³

What doctors in positions of power in the Department of Health and Human Services need to know at this critical point in time is this:

Young parents today, who trusted doctors to give them good advice about how to keep their children well, do not understand why their children are never well when they have been given twice as many vaccines as children in previous generations received. They want a full-scale, transparent scientific investigation into all potential environmental causes of autism and other chronic immune and brain disorders conducted by extramural researchers who are not connected to vaccine makers and policymakers with a bias toward existing policy. They want a greater separation of the vaccine risk assessment and safety oversight responsibilities from the vaccine policymaking and promotion activities more in the model of the National Transportation Safety Board. Just as we did a quarter century ago, they are asking you to listen to what happened to their children after vaccination and take immediate steps to modify current vaccine policies to demonstrate a respect for preventing vaccine reactions, biodiversity and the right to informed consent.

If we can agree that individual health and life is to be valued and that the most vulnerable among us should be protected; if we can agree that when one of us is sick or suffering, we are all diminished if we do nothing; if we can agree that the individual biological differences among us must be acknowledged when making vaccine policies because biodiversity is what strengthens the human race and distinguishes our humanity, then there is no reason we cannot find answers to outstanding questions about vaccine risks and develop public health policies that truly protect the biological integrity, the health and well being, of our individual children, our communities, our nation and the world.

¹ Institute of Medicine. Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1991. www.nap.edu
² Institute of Medicine. Adverse Effects Associated with Childhood Vaccines: Evidence Bearing on Causality. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1994. www.nap.edu
³Institute of Medicine. DPT Vaccine and Chronic Nervous System Dysfunction: A New Analysis. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1994. www.nap.edu
⁴Institute of Medicine. Research Stategies for Assessing Adverse Events Associated with Vaccines. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1994. www.nap.edu
⁵Blaxill M, Fisher BL. From Safety Last to Children First: A White Paper on Vaccine Safety. Prepared for the Blue Ribbon Panel on Vaccine Safety, CDC. September 10, 2004. www.ageofautism.com and www.nvic.org
⁶Fisher BL. Statement for Institute of Medicine Committee on National Immunization Program Procedures and Data Sharing Program. August 23, 2004.http://www.nvic.org/Loe_Fisher/blf0804vsd.htm
⁷ Institute of Medicine. Vaccine Safety Research, Data Access and Public Trust. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences. 2005. www.nap.edu
⁸Centers for Disease Control. Press Release: Nation’s Childhood Immunization Rates Remain At or Above Record Levels. August 30, 2007. http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070830.htm
⁹Centers for Disease Control. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report:Percentage of Children Aged 5-17 Years Ever Having Diagnoses of ADHD or Learning Disability by Sex and Diagnosis – U.S., 2003. November 4, 2005.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5443a8.htm
¹⁰Centers for Disease Control. Press Release: State of Childhood Asthma, U.S. 1980-2005. December 12, 2006. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/06facts/asthma1980-2005.htm Full Report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad381.pdf
¹¹Bloom B, Dey AN et al. Vital Health Statistics: Summary health statistics for U.S. children: National Health Interview Survey, 2005.December 2006.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&uid=17201200&cmd=showdetailview&indexed=google
¹²Centers for Disease Control. Press Release: Nine Million US Children Diagnosed with Asthma, New Report Finds. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2002. March 31, 2004.http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/04news/childasthma.htm
¹³ Centers for Disease Control. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report: Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders --- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 14 Sites, United States, 2002. February 9, 2007.http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5601a2.htm
¹⁴Centers for Disease Control. Press Release: New Data on Autism Spectrum Disorders. February 9, 2007 .http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070208.htm
¹⁵ Centers for Disease Control. National Diabetes Fact Sheet, U.S. 2003.http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2003.pdf
¹⁶ U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. National Health Expenditure Data. Also, Chronic Disease Overview.
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/02_NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.asp#TopOfPage and http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm
¹⁷Johns Hopkins University. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Chronic Conditions:Making the Case for Ongoing Care. December 2002. http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/chronicbook2002.pdf
¹⁸National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (PL99-660) http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/statistics_report.htm
¹⁹U.S. National Institutes of Health. Directory of World Clinical Trials. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=vaccines
²⁰Institute of Medicine. Vaccine Safety Forum: Options for Poliomyelitis Vaccination in the United States. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. 1996. www.nap.edu
²¹Institute of Medicine. Vaccine Safety Forum: Summaries of Two Workshops: Detecting and Responding to Adverse Events Following Vaccination and Research to Identify Risks for Adverse Events Following Vaccination: Biological Mechanisms and Possible Means of Prevention. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. 1997. www.nap.edu
²²Institute of Medicine. Vaccine Safety Forum: Risk Communication and Vaccination. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. 1997. www.nap.edu
²³Bertrand J, Mars A et al. Prevalence of Autism in a United States Population: The Brick Township, New Jersey Investigation. Pediatrics 108: 1155-1161. November 5, 2001. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/108/5/1155
²⁴ Fisher BL. Vaccine Research Needs: Perspective From Parents. Institute of Medicine Vaccine Safety Forum. April 1, 1996. http://www.nvic.org/Loe_Fisher/blfiom3.htm
²⁵Fisher BL. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting & Data Collection, Detection and Response Methodologies. Institute of Medicine Vaccine Safety Forum. November 6, 1995. http://www.nvic.org/Issues/Institute_of_Medicine.htm
²⁶Fisher BL. Presentation for Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee. National Academy of Sciences. January 11, 2001. http://www.nvic.org/PressReleases/pr51804iom.htm
²⁷Institute of Medicine. Multiple Immunizations and Immune Dysfunction. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. 2002. www.nap.edu
²⁸Centers for Disease Control. Vaccine Excipient & Media Summary. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf
²⁹Khan AS. FDA Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee: Adventitious Agent Testing of Novel Cell Substrates for Vaccine Manufacture. November 16, 2005. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/AC/05/slides/5-4188S1_3draft.ppt#256,1,Adventitious Agent Testing of Novel Cell Substrates for Vaccine Manufacture Arifa S. Khan, PhD. Division of Viral Products Office of Vaccines Research and Review CBER, FDA November 16, 2005
³⁰ Miller R. Toward Participatory Democracy. Summer 2005. http://www.pathsoflearning.net/articles_Toward_Participatory_Democracy.php
³¹Bernier R. Presentation of Proposal for a Demonstration Project – The Vaccine Policy Analysis Collaborative (VPAC) on behalf of the Wingspread Public Engagement Planning Group. National Vaccine Advisory Committee. June 2003. http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/meetings/jun2003/bernier.ppt#499,1,Proposal for a Demonstration Project-the Vaccine Policy Analysis Collaborative (VPAC)
³²Port Huron Statement of the Students for a Democratic Society, 1962. http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/huron.html
³³Fisher BL. Promoting Vaccination, Fear, Hate and Discrimination. March 25, 2008. http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/search?q=promoting+vaccination%2C+fear%2C+hate+and+discrimination and http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/03/barbara-loe-fis.html#more

Biohazard! Flu Shot Facts...

2011-10-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Biohazard! Flu Shot Facts...

:-)

Patient Questions/Concerns (Educational Purposes)

2011-10-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wise

I'm really hoping you can help shed some light on some things for me. I know that your chiropractic well being has A LOT to do with your overall health, but my question is, why am I not getting better? Every morning I wake up with a headache. Every morning i literally have to peel myself out of bed. I have no energy and no motivation. When I tell my doctor this he just wants to shove more pills down my throat. Remember when I got sick back in February? I haven't felt the same since then. I'm just at a loss. I am begging anyone to please help me get me back to myself. What do I do?? Any thoughts? I'm asking you because I know you actually care about me and my overall health. I know adjustments are necessary, but they're expensive. So are there any alternatives? Or anything I can be doing between adjustments? Unfortunately, I'm a googler and I google everything. I read this morning that spinal subluxations can cause several health issues including headaches and problems with my sinuses. I'm going crazy. I really am.

Patient X

From Dr. Jon Wise Dc

Hey there,

Well there is a lot that we can do... The biggest thing is: Improve neurological health! That is one of the things adjustments will do, but its not the only thing you can work on. Go back to my 3 philosophies of health. Eat Wise Move Wise Think Wise.

The reason why you feel the way to you is because your spinal/neuorlogical hygiene is not functioning 100%. Subluxations is a major cause of impaired neurological functioning. When your joints are out of alignment, it sends constant neurological stress messages into your spinal cord to your brain. This constant on slaught of messages slows down the overall impulse from the brain to the body and the body back to the brain. Think of it like a computer. If you have one computer with a 1,000 windows runing in the background, how would it run compared to a computer with only one window runing. Well we both know that the 2nd computer will run better, faster without any stress and fatigure or overheating.

The same thing happens with your body. Your nervous system is fatigues and stressed out. This is why you have your symptoms... The best way to combact these is to find and address the causes. Which is your lifestyle and everything that happens in it.

So lets look at Eating Wise: If your body does not get the right nutrition to work right and function, it will fatigue and break down. So evaluate your diet. What are you eating, drinking, putting onto your skin, etc... Does your food come out of a box? can? Think of preservatives and harsh chemicals that are added to most food to help preserve them from a nuke holocaust. These are all things that can affect your health and the health of your nervous system. Toxicity is a biggy! Start a major cleanse and detox! I can order the good stuff in the office... Start eating more raw fruits and veggies. Try to choose lean healtheir cuts of meats. Ones that doesnt not have hormones or anti-biotics in them.

Lets now look at Moving Wise: Your body, your nervous system was designed to be in motion. Exercising and Stretching everyday is a must! Yoga is a great way to get your body in motion and stretching... Making sure your joints are moving 100% and if they are not, that's my main job as a chiro. Gotta get the joints moving, it will decrease neurological interference to allow your body to function better. Try to get adjusted as often as you can, I do have packages that can make it affordable in the long run! Just requires payment at the begining of the package.

Lastly is Thinking Wise: We all know that major stress can reek havoc with your lifes and our health. Some stress may not be 100% avoidable at this time, but you need to find and eliminate most negative stresses in your life (friends, family, co-workers, thoughts, feelings, actions, etc...). For those you can not eliminte 100% right now, you need to be more proactive with de-stressing your body. It can be simple stuff like: Reading a book, going to the park, exercising, yoga, hikes, watching kick butt movies/comedies or listening to killer music. Anything that takes your mind away from the harmful emotions to allow a since of balance!
I understand this is a lot all at once, but it is something I feel will help evaluate your life. You can do it!
Start simple: Add nutrition! more fruits and veggies. add supplements (multi-vita, fish oil, probiotics and anti-oxidant complex). Try a simple Yoga routine! Buy a movie or take a class to learn the poses to prevent increase injury. Relax the mind any way you can...

Also might want to look and evaluate how the curves are in your spine, especially your neck! a major source of headaches come from your upper neck out of alignment and a reversal of the curvical curve. We can retake some xrays. I can do nutritional testing, order some blood work, try to eliminate your allergies... lots of stuff.

Hope this helps. I am always willing to help your health improve, it just may take some time to figure everything out.

Dr. Jon

Warning! Chiropractic Adjustments are Beneficial to your Health!!

2011-10-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Warning! Chiropractic Adjustments are Beneficial to your Health!!

By Dr. Eddie at Coconut Grove Chiropractic

Written Statement Claiming Religious Exemption from Vaccination

2011-10-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Written Statement Claiming Religious Exemption from Vaccination

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to Nevada Revised Statutes (circle the one that applies)

392.435/392.437 (Public School)

394.192/394.193 (Private School)

432A.230/432A.240 (Child Care)

422.2932 (Recipients of public assistance)

We/I respectfully submit this written statement that our/my genuine and sincere religious beliefs prohibit us/me from vaccinating/immunizing our/my child, ________________________ (child’s name), born _____________ (child’s birth date).

Sincerely,

______________________________________________________________________

(Parent Signature) (Print Parent Name) (Parent Address)

______________________________________________________________________

(Parent Signature) (Print Parent Name) (Parent Address)

NRS 392.437 Immunization of pupils: Exemption if prohibited by religious belief. A public school shall not refuse to enroll a child as a pupil because the child has not been immunized pursuant to NRS 392.435 if the parents or guardian of the child has submitted to the board of trustees of the school district or the governing body of a charter school in which the child has been accepted for enrollment a written statement indicating that their religious belief prohibits immunization of such child or ward.

NRS 394.193 Immunization of pupils: Exemption if prohibited by religious belief. A private school shall not refuse to enroll a child as a pupil because such child has not been immunized pursuant to NRS 394.192 if the parents or guardian of such child have submitted to the governing body a written statement indicating that their religious belief prohibits immunization of such child or ward.

NRS 432A.240 Exemption from immunization when contrary to religious belief. If the religious belief of a child’s parents or guardian prohibits the immunization of the child as required by NRS 432A.230, a written statement of this fact signed by the parents or guardian and presented to the operator of the facility exempts the child from the provisions of that section for purposes of admission.

NRS 422.2932 Recipients of public assistance: Immunization of dependent children.

Subsection 3. The welfare division shall waive the requirements of subsection 1 if the failure to immunize a dependent child is because of a religious belief or medical condition and the recipient submits to the welfare division a written statement of that fact in the manner specified in NRS 432A.240 or 432A.250 for admission to a child care facility.

Natural childbirth

2011-10-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Childbirth by itself is an exigent test that every woman faces in her life. From the days of primeval woman every woman has been undergoing similar troubles and problems through childbirth before the bundle of joy is delivered. Learn more about natural childbirth and check out its advantages.

Natural childbirth
Giving birth to a baby without any surgery or medications can be termed as natural childbirth. Minimal medical interference while supporting natural process, avoiding use of anesthetics and surgical procedures are vital to natural childbirth. Women feel empowered during the process of natural childbirth and their natural instinct and willpower allows them to perform better while delivering the baby.

Expectant mothers can choose to deliver the natural way with the help of a:
• Doctor in the hospital they choose.
• Midwife in a birthing center.
• Midwife in a hospital.
• Midwife at home.
• Husband and yourself unassisted at home.

How to prepare for natural childbirth
Both expectant mothers and fathers have to be psychologically geared up to face natural childbirth. Following these steps helps mothers prepare themselves for a drug free delivery.

• Choose the right caregiver/midwife to assist you throughout your delivery. Ensure you are comfortable with her.
• Choose the place where you want to deliver, be it your home or birth center or hospital and express your opinion to your caregiver. Speak out and discuss the pros and cons of choosing either of the places.
• Fix up with a childbirth instructor who concentrates on natural childbirth and who is also trained in the Lamaze or Bradley method of natural childbirth. Let them educate you on the various stages and what exactly you will undergo at each stage of labor.
• Be strong and remain so all through you childbirth procedure and remember you have opted for natural birth thus be prepared to stomach the pain and discomfort that come along and all way through the childbirth.
• Visualization and breathing exercises form the major part of any childbirth class, ensure both you and your partner go through these sections thoroughly. Methods such as controlled and progressive relaxation techniques are taught and this helps while you really develop contractions during child birth.
• Ensure you have a person to extend the emotional support you require all through your labor, this person should be trained along with you as you will need this person all through your childbirth progression.
• There are various positions and movements that mothers can familiarize themselves with as this may help them during the pushing stage of the childbirth.
• During the stages of childbirth massages, hot or cold therapy either from the partner or other support person helps a lot in relieving those aching muscles. Hypnosis, acupuncture and hydrotherapy have also found to relieve pain to a great extent.

Advantages of natural childbirth
Every expectant mother eagerly awaits the arrival of her offspring. An energetic contributor with bare minimum external interference, a mother who is ready to accept the pain and discomfort during the period of delivery can choose to have natural delivery. Apart from the wonderful bonding that develops between the mother and the baby during the course of birth and after the delivery, there are many other advantages too.

• The mother has the best of a fulfilling occurrence while delivering the baby. The mother has better command over her body and feels special while delivering sans any drugs.
• Babies who are not drugged before their birth through their mothers are more active and responsive when compared to babies who are drugged.
• Endorphins are said to be released during childbirth. These are found in the placenta and umbilical cord and are likely to help the child during growth.
• Breast feeding, an important aspect of any delivery happens the natural way with the baby remaining active and looking for the breast and the mother feeding the baby immediately after the delivery. In case of drugged deliveries the feeding process takes some time till the mother and the baby recover and this might pose a problem for the baby to pick up the sucking habit naturally.
• Natural childbirth techniques are non-invasive and thus the new born has almost no side effect or impairment.
• Women when not hooked to monitors and IV’s feel more relieved and stress free during delivery. This also gives the mother an opportunity to move around a bit and be by herself till she really begins the delivery progression.
• Learning to relax and practicing breathing exercises help the expectant mothers to deliver with ease. They tend to carry forward the same practice while they feed the baby later during the post-partum days when they face discomfort due to this.

Widely practiced systems in natural childbirth
Natural childbirth includes the participation of the expectant mother, father and the caregiver. The usual and widely practiced systems in preparing for natural childbirth are

Lamaze technique: Developed in 1940 by French obstetrician Dr. Fernand Lamaze, this method teaches the expectant mothers breathing techniques and other methods to reduce pain during labor.

Bradley method: Popularly known as ‘husband-coached childbirth’, this method teaches proper nutrition intake, relaxation techniques and pain management formulae. Also emphasizes on the presence of a loved one during the birth process, this method was developed by Dr. Robert A. Bradley.

Calm birth: Expectant mothers are completely on trained on what to expect and how to handle during the natural childbirth. Mothers are taught relaxation techniques that help them deliver with ease. This system was introduced by Edmond Jacobson in the year 1920.

Waterbirth and Hydrotherapy

Read more: http://birthing-options.suite101.com/article.cfm/waterbirth_and_hydrotherapy#ixzz0MEMpdW4B

Three Reasons to Reconsider Flu Shots

2011-10-13T10:58:00.001-07:00

Dr. Jon Wise, Doctor for Wise Chiropractic Wellness Center

Call (702) 248-6292 or visit www.wisechiropractor.com

Three Reasons to Reconsider Flu Shots

There are three major reasons why this government push to vaccinate 84 percent of the U.S. population with a yearly flu vaccine is so incomprehensible:

1. The majority of flu shots contain 25 micrograms of mercury; an amount considered unsafe for anyone weighing less than 550 pounds! And which groups are most sensitive to the neurological damage that has been associated with mercury? Infants, children, and the elderly.

2. No studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related deaths among the elderly, yet this is one of the key groups to which they’re pushed.

3. If you get a flu shot, you can still get the flu (or flu-like symptoms). This is because it only protects against certain strains, and it’s anyone’s guess which flu viruses will be in your area. There are 1000’s.

So why would you take a flu shot – EVERY YEAR -- that has NEVER been proven to be effective, that can give you the very illness you’re trying to prevent, and has potential long-term side effects that are far worse than the flu itself?

The powers that be have done an excellent job of instilling fear into the population so they believe that they must get a shot to stay healthy, but the simple reality is it’s doing you more harm than good.

And, even if the flu vaccine could effectively prevent the flu, there have been several examples in past years where government health officials have chosen the incorrect influenza strains for that year’s vaccine. In 2004, the National Vaccine Information Center described how CDC officials told everyone to line up for a flu shot that didn't even contain the influenza strain causing most of the flu that year.

Two-Thirds of This Year’s Flu Vaccines Contain a Full-Dose of Mercury

According to Dr. Donald Miller, MD, two-thirds of this year’s flu vaccines contain 25 micrograms of thimerosal. Thimerosal is 49 percent mercury by weight.

Each dose of these flu vaccines contains more than 250 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.

By now, most people are well aware that children and fetuses are most at risk of damage from this neurotoxin, as their brains are still developing. Yet the CDC still recommends that children over 6 months, and pregnant women, receive the flu vaccine each year.

In addition to mercury, flu vaccines also contain other toxic or hazardous ingredients like:

• Formaldehyde -- a known cancer-causing agent

• Aluminum -- a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease

• Triton X-100 -- a detergent

• Phenol (carbolic acid)

• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)

• Various antibiotics: neomycin, streptomycin, gentamicin – which can cause allergic reactions in some people

The Evidence Against Flu Vaccines

For those of you who are still unconvinced, know that there’s plenty of scientific evidence available to back up the recommendation to avoid flu vaccines – if nothing else, then for the simple reason that they don’t work, and don’t offer any real benefit to offset their inherent health risks. For example:

• A brand new study published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons. The researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting" examined.

• A study published in the Lancet just two months ago found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. This supports a study done five years ago, published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

• Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine last month also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.

• Last year, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: “We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.”

• A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

Might Influenza be Little More Than a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” may very well be one of the most beneficial vitamins there is for disease prevention. Unfortunately it’s also one of the vitamins that a vast majority of people across the world are deficient in due to lack of regular exposure to sunshine.

Published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006, the hypothesis presented by Dr. John Cannell and colleagues in the paper Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D actually makes a lot of sense.

They raise the possibility that influenza is a symptom of vitamin D deficiency!

The vitamin D formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight regulates the expression of more than 2,000 genes throughout your body, including ones that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. Hence, being overwhelmed by the “flu bug” could signal that your vitamin D levels are too low, allowing the flu virus to overtake your immune system.

YOUR’E GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR

2011-10-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

YOUR’E GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Supplementation is a fairly new concept to our species. Recently in the last ten years our consumer market has inundated us with all sorts of vitamins and minerals to make us healthier. Nutrients can be broadly grouped into two general classes: artificial and natural. It is important to know the differences between nutrients derived from living plants and animals and those from non-living, inert synthetic chemicals. Plant and animal based nutrients were once part of biological organisms, perfect in form and function. Synthetic chemical nutrients are primarily man-made in a lab from trial and error. Synthetic vitamins are designed for cost purposes and are the cheapest around. On the other hand, growing, harvesting, and processing real plant nutrients is far more costly, but far more bio-available, and able to permeate the cell membrane for use as fuel. Studies repeatedly have shown that synthetic chemical nutrients do not compare to living plant-derived nutrients when it comes to health benefits.1

Most synthetic vitamins contain binders and fillers, such as dibasic calcium phosphate (DCP) and mircrocrystalline cellulose (MCC). These fillers cannot be broken down by the body, so they pass right through along with the beneficial nutrients.2

A key in the bioavailability of living plant-based material is carbon. Carbon is what primarily separates organic from inorganic. Nutrients derived from living material contain a carbon atom; artificial nutrients do not. Not only are plant-based nutrients superior to synthetic chemical nutrients in every way, they also contain all the body needs for homeostasis (keeping the body in a state of optimal balance).

When making the choice for the best nutritional supplements, look for organically complexed (carbon bound) supplements derived from whole food, minimally processed, and made from the highest quality ingredients.

CHIA SEED SMOOTHIE

STEP 1. Grind 1-2 Tablespoons (Or 3-5 Scoops) of Chia Seeds In A Coffee/Nut Grinder For 3-10 Seconds (or until fully ground). This step is important because grinding breaks open the seeds allowing the essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) to be released for consumption. (You can choose not to grind the seeds, if you prefer, but for this recipe we highly recommend grinding them).

STEP 2. Pour 12-16 Ounces Of Pure Water Into Blender (or into a container if you’re using a stick blender or shaking manually). A general rule of thumb is using 8 ounces (1 cup) of water per tablespoon of seeds.

STEP 3. Turn Blender On Low (Or Medium-Low) Speed. Keeping blender on low speeds helps avoid splatter after chia seeds are poured into it (see next step).

STEP 4. Open Blender (i.e., Remove Cover) And Pour In Ground Chia "Flour." Re-Cover Blender And Blend 4-10 Seconds. (Some people recommend using only the loose chia flour and not the "scrapings" from the grinder because the solution can become lumpy. Others enjoy such lumps.)

Now you can add other ingredients, including superfoods, protein powders, banana chunks, berries and/or other fruits (fresh or frozen), ground nuts or nut milks, or fresh fruit juices. Use some imagination...get seriously creative! (Make the smoothie your way...however you like it!!)

STEP 5. Let Mixture Stand 5-10 Minutes. It will absorb water during this time. You may wish to blend it for 2-3 more seconds after 10 minutes in order to ensure a smooth, even texture (i.e., avoids separation). (Some people choose not to let the mixture stand 10 minutes, but will consume it immediately. Others let it stand longer (which creates a thicker gel). You can also refrigerate this gel and keep it for up to 2 weeks. We like it best fresh!

STEP 6. DRINK AND ENJOY!!

REFERENCES

C Kim, D.O.; Lee, 2004, "Comprehensive study on vitamin C-equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) of various polyphenolics in scavenging a free radical and its structural relationship", Critical Reviews in food Science and Nutrition, Vol. 44, PP 253-273

2 1995, "The effects of slugging and recompression on pharmaceutical excipients", International journal of pharmaceutics, Vol. 115, pp. 35-43

October is National Chiropractic Health Month!

2011-10-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

October is National Chiropractic Health Month, and Wise Chiropractic: Holistic Family Wellness thinks it is a great time to heighten awareness about how the chiropractic profession has changed.

When you think of a "chiropractor," you might automatically think of a person who treats back injuries or back pain by special adjustments. That's partly true, but today's chiropractic physician does a whole lot more and has come a long way from being just a "back doctor."

Currently in all states, chiropractic physicians are considered primary care doctors. That means your chiropractic physician is a first point of entry to the health care system for a full range of health conditions and illnesses. In addition, chiropractic medicine is an excellent choice for those interested in maintaining health and wellness and preventing disease.

Today's chiropractic physicians are trained to diagnose, manage and treat a full range of human health concerns and often co-manage cases with other health professionals such as MDs, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists and other specialists. Patients with allergies, digestive problems, chronic respiratory illness, and other diverse conditions are finding relief and health improvement by working with chiropractic physicians. Your chiropractic physician, like Dr. Jon Wise, is also trained to recognize and manage the special health needs of children, expectant mothers, and older individuals.

Chiropractic physicians rely on a wide range of natural and conservative treatments, such as nutritional assessment and counseling, physical rehabilitation, acupuncture, lifestyle modification, botanical medicine and supplements, spinal and joint manipulation, and so much more... Here at Wise Chiropractic, we offer traditional holistic chiropractic care coupled with nutritional response testing, naet ( allergy elimination), hcg weightloss, yoga therapy, therapeutic exercises, graston therapy, cold lazer and nutritional supplements just to name a few.

Did you know that the field of chiropractic medicine also has different specialties? Some chiropractic physicians have earned additional diplomate credentials through extensive education in medical specialties such as internal medicine, sports medicine, acupuncture, diagnostic imaging and more. Others have completed accredited Master of Science degrees in diagnostic imaging or advanced clinical practice. Dr. Jon Wise is a family physician! He is board certified in the state of Nevada and holds several additional certificates in nutrition and naet. He has great knowledge in internal and sports medicine. Dr. Wise has many sport athletes ranging from golf, MMA fighters to NFL and NBA players. He is also currently working of his fellowship in pediatrics! You can check out his bio on his website by clicking here

Today's chiropractic medicine provides an important option for those seeking better health through the use of conservative methods. If you haven't seen improvement in your condition through other medical avenues, a chiropractic physician can give you a unique perspective on natural treatments that can help enhance your current care, or even provide new options that may work better for you.

The benefits of good spine health include:

Makes you feel great
Corrects the cause rather than treating symptoms
Restores normal nerve supply
Improves immunity resistance
Improves overall health
More energy
Improves athletic performance
Allows better sleep
Restores normal mobility
Improves posture
Counteracts the effects of gravity
Encourages more efficient body function
Slows the aging process
Quicker recovery
Often instant relief from pain
Completely safe
Natural - no drugs or needles
Relieves stress and tension

Thank you for reading! If you would like more information on how chiropractic can help improve your health, please feel free to call my office or check out my website.

Dr. Jon Wise
702-248-6292
http://www.wisechiropractor.com/

What’s the Impact of Childhood Falls?

2011-10-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

What’s the Impact of Childhood Falls?

Childhood falls and the effect on our children’s health

The story above is a reminder of just how commonly knocks and falls occur in childhood. Can you recall how many times your child has ‘fallen hard’, intentionally or unintentionally? I can’t but I know it happens time and time again, over and over.

In fact by the age of seven, a child will have fallen around 2500 times, and prior to turning three, they will have had three major falls out of a cot, off a change table, or down a flight of stairs (1). Of course the above story also says something of our children’s resilience, however as a practitioner and mother I am aware that this “bounce-back” resilience may hide subtle damage that leads to poor postural and neurological function across time.
The subtle signs and symptoms that can result from falls can go unnoticed by parents or be put down to other things, and if left unchecked, can lead to entrenched health problems. We need to keep in mind that each seemingly insignificant slip and fall our child has does add up, and that as the branch bends, so grows the tree…

Minor accidents can subluxate your child’s spine

The spine and skull generally take the brunt of knocks, bumps and falls in childhood. It has been estimated that in their first year of life, 47.9% of children will fall and land on their head (2). Researchers have found that birth to two years of age, is a critical period of brain development, and that any disruption from injury can have long-lasting or even permanent effects on the structure and function of the brain (3).

As you know, the spine and skull protect our children’s precious brain and nervous system (or their “communication highway” for thinking, feeling, and behaving). When a child’s body is suddenly jarred in an accident, muscles surrounding the spine protectively contract, including muscles that directly attach to the delicate nerve coverings themselves (4). This causes the spine to tension and misalign (subluxate) and negatively affects nervous system function (5). With a subluxated spine, our child’s communication highway is no longer working at 100%, altering the way they are able to think, feel and behave.(6)

When do childhood accidents and injuries most commonly occur?

Slips and falls are a common part of growing up and there are a number of especially common times that they may occur.

Strain during birth. Studies have shown that the birth process can lead to strain of upper neck muscles (suboccipitals) in newborns, subluxating the spine and effecting brain stem centres. Conversely, this strain may not show up as visible clinical symptoms (7). One study found that out of 1250 infants examined, 95 % had neck strain from the birth process (8). Poor handling of newborns and babies can also create spine and nerve distress as can over zealous siblings tumbling on infants etc.

Playground falls. Researcher Colin Macarthur (9) lists a number of descriptive studies demonstrating that 60% to 80% of all medically-attended playground injuries are due to falls and that in the US alone, over 200,000 children are taken to hospital each year to have playground injuries assessed.

Other likely times that our children will become subluxated include learning to walk, run, or ride a bike, sporting activities or hobbies, and minor or major car accidents.

”My child always seems fine once they stop crying!”

After the initial impact of a fall or accident, we assume most children have recovered well when they no longer complain about pain or other symptoms, but this is not always the case. Often these problems remain undetected, only to compromise our child’s health over a period of months or years with seemingly unrelated issues such as growing pains, compromised immune strength or digestive issues for example. The impact of a fall may result in:

a) Undetected subluxations

Even without obvious symptoms your child can still be subluxated. One study examined a group of apparently healthy children and found that 15.8% had cervical subluxations (neck problems) and 40% had pelvic subluxations (10).

b) Problems later in childhood

It is more common than you’d think for children to experience headache and back pain for “no apparent reason”. In fact in any given year, up to 50% of children and adolescents will experience back pain and around a third experience recurrent episodes of this pain (11) Chiropractors can often trace back the triggering event to these types of small physical impacts.

c) Problems later in adulthood

Much later as adults we may experience a health crisis that seemed to “simply happen out of the blue”. A person may bend to tie a shoelace and be unable to straighten up, or they may wake up one morning “suddenly” unable to move their neck. Years and years of tiny physical injuries have accumulated to breaking point that is costly to heal in terms of money, time and energy.

The best time to invest in helping the body heal is straight away!

Our babies and children’s health is the most precious thing in the world so it makes sense to ensure their spine and nervous system is free from subluxation from the very beginning.

The Journal of Neuroscience states that whilst “the first year of life may be a period of developmental vulnerability, it is also be the period in which therapeutic interventions can have the greatest positive effect.” (12)

Chiropractic for babies and children is evidenced to be gentle, safe and effective. (13) Babies can be checked by chiropractors very soon after birth and special techniques have been developed to carefully correct any subluxated areas. I am grateful that my four boys could be checked by my husband (a chiropractor) just moments after their birth.

Finding the right family chiropractor for you

Many chiropractors have a special focus on family health and working with babies and young children. Because so many people now benefit from regular chiropractic care, by talking to friends and aquaintances you are likely to find a great practitioner somewhere nearby. The important thing is to find a chiropractor that you personally feel a connection with, and who has a holistic perspective on strengthening the body and enhancing the vitality and wellbeing of your family.

WRITTEN BY:

Dr Jennifer Barham- Floreani

B.App.Clin.Sci, B.Chiropractic

Dr Kate Marshall

BSc.(Clin), BSc.(Chiro), BA(Psych)

Read more —> http://welladjustedbabies.com/whats-the-impact-of-childhood-falls/#ixzz1ZjMJeAp8

No Shots, No School, Not Really.

2011-09-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

No Shots, No School, Not Really.

By Dawn Richardson, NVIC Director of Advocacy
http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/July-2011/No-Shots,-No-School,-Not-Really-.aspx

It is back to school time and, once again, there is an epidemic of misinformation about school vaccine requirements.

We have received reports from around the country of schools and the media withholding information about the vaccine exemptions available to families in their state. All one has to do is insert the phrase “no shots no school” into their favorite internet search engine to see the problem for themselves.

When a school or the media uses the expression “No Shots No School,” they not only mislead the public by omission, they place the health and safety of children, who have had previous vaccine reactions or a family history of vaccine reactions, at risk. Misinformation about requirements and exemptions can cause a child, who could have been eligible for an exemption, to be vaccinated with sometimes tragic but preventable results.

Not all children are the same; not all diseases are the same; not all vaccines are the same and not all vaccines are safe, necessary or effective for all kids. One size does not fit all. All families deserve to be told the truth about their rights so they can make voluntary, informed vaccination decisions.

No Shots No School is NOT True

A more accurate expression would be “No Shots or No Exemption, No School”.

Recommendations for vaccine use are issued by the federal government (Centers for Disease Control) but vaccine requirements and exemptions are a matter of state law and, while they vary from state to state, all 50 states have them. It is important to know your legal rights.

•Medical Exemptions: all 50 states

•Religious Exemptions: 47 states

•Philosophical or Conscientious Belief Exemptions: 18 states

For detailed information on which vaccine exemptions are available in your state, please visit our Vaccine Laws and State Requirements web page.

We Need Your Help to Fix This Problem

1.Correct the Source - If you see a television newscast, newspaper article, hear a radio announcement or receive a notice from your child’s school containing misleading or incomplete information about vaccine requirements by failing to mention the availability of the vaccine exemptions applicable in your state, please take the two to three minutes to make a quick phone call or send a short email note politely informing them of their mistake or omission and request that they post or broadcast a correction.

Most of the time, the news stations don’t have this information or they are just taking information directly from press releases from pro-forced vaccination medical groups or the health department, where the vaccine exemption information may have been left out intentionally.

Sometimes, it can be helpful to explain that this is important because a child, who has already had a vaccine reaction or has a genetic susceptibility to reactions, may be eligible for a vaccine exemption but ends up being further vaccinated and harmed based on the misleading or incorrect content of their article or newscast.

It is important to be polite and articulate and to provide accurate information. These personal exchanges can and do sometimes shape how vaccine exemption information is represented by that media outlet in the future.

2.Hold Your School District Accountable - Check your school district web site and school registration materials to see if they have exemption information prominently displayed, along with school vaccine requirements. If not, please contact your superintendant’s office and request that they promptly change their web site and printed material to reflect the current state law. You can point them to the state vaccine exemption information on our web site.

Some states, like Texas and Colorado, even have vaccine exemption disclosure requirements in state law. In these instances, a school failing to disclose vaccine exemption information in certain circumstances may be in violation of state law.

3.Share This Information - Please share this information on email lists, social networking sites, blogs, and newsletters. Families deserve to be told the truth about their rights so they can make informed vaccination decisions.

4.Register today for the NVIC Advocacy Portal - Achieving and protecting the right to informed consent to vaccination is more important now than ever before and we need your help to make that happen. NVIC wants to help you, our members and supporters, to organize and make a difference in your home state right where you live to protect and expand vaccine exemptions.

When you register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal, you will be placed on an email list for your state and receive action alerts when your help with a letter or phone call is needed. You will also have access to your state team page, which displays your personal legislators’ contact information automatically, and also includes action alerts, legislative bills to watch and state and local announcements.

5.Share Your Success Stories - If you have a success story of getting the media or your school district to include or correct vaccine exemption information, please let us know through the Contact Page of the NVIC Advocacy Portal. Please include links and your contact information. We’d love to compile some of these success stories and share them. We have already heard of some great results in California and Texas!

If many people commit a few minutes at a time to become and stay involved, things can truly change for the better.

6.Report Harassment Stories - If you have been harassed in your state for trying to exercise voluntary, informed consent to vaccination for yourself or your child, please consider sharing your experience so others know they are not alone by posting what happened on NVIC’s Cry for Vaccine Freedom Wall.

NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques)

2011-09-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

NAET is a blending of the non-invasive procedures from Western and Eastern healing practices that help to eliminate allergies of all kinds, permanently. It is a specific treatment procedure formulated by combining chiropractic and Chinese Medicine principles applied through spinal manipulation, acupuncture, kinesiology, acupressure and nutrition. This powerful process was discovered quite accidentally in November of 1983 by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, who is a Medical Doctor, Doctor of Chiropractic, Doctor of Oriental Medical and is a Licensed Acupuncturist, R.N., and Ph.D. Through the years she has ceaselessly perfected her technique while studying the effect of this technique on thousands of patients.

NAET uses Muscle Response Testing (MRT) to confirm the presence of allergic reactivity. Once identified, Dr. Nambudripad uses spinal manipulation, acupressure and/or acupuncture procedures to eliminate the allergy. The treatment is geared to re-program the brain's negative responses towards the allergen(s) to a positive response whenever these substances are contacted in the future. NAET is based on the Chinese Medicine principle, that "no disease is possible when your body is in perfect balance." Through NAET, my health is being brought back into a "homeostasis" or a perfect energy balance throughout my entire body. NAET offers an energy medicine solution to allergic conditions by balancing the body and mind through three pathways.

1.The mind-body energy pathway (Psycho-somatic pathway),

2.The body-mind energy pathway( Somato- visceral pathway) and

3.The mind-body-organ pathway (Psycho-somato-visceral pathway)

All of this is accomplished through the stimulation of the spinal nerves using a specific acupuncture/acupressure and spinal manipulation protocol without drugs, allergy shots, or any forms of invasive entry into the body.

For over the last 20 years, Dr. Nambudripad has been using her own discovery, the Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET), at her clinic in Buena Park, California, to relieve between 80-90 of her patients, which number in the thousands. "In every case, allergies were cleared out, never to return," reports Dr. Nambudripad, from her "profound" research files. And all this without any strict rotation or elimination diets to avoid the allergy-producing substance.

Making the decision to seek alternative treatment like NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques) is the first step in alternative allergy treatment. The second step is finding the right practitioner. This one can be challenging, as there are many practitioners who claim to be NAET practitioners, but don’t follow the procedures for true NAET. To obtain the results of becoming allergy free, the correct procedures must be followed. Here are some important criteria to look for while searching for your practitioner:

NAET Practitioners do:

• Test your allergy (what it is exactly you are allergic to and the severity of your allergy) using a specifically designed device for allergy testing called NAETER or by using muscle response testing.

• Treat acupuncture spots on your back with either hands or with a pressure instrument while at the same time you keep the allergen in your hand (the allergen is enclosed in a vial to ensure safety). An exception may be that a young child can have the allergen held in place with a wrist band.

• Retest after staying in the office for 15-20 minutes to check the severity of the allergen using muscle response testing again. The resistance will be greater, though it may take several sessions for complete clearing of the allergen.

• Ask that the patient avoids the allergen for at least 25 hours after each treatment and advise on ways of doing so.

• Require follow up visits complete with muscle response testing at each one until the allergy has cleared at least 80% – 90% (this may take quite a few sessions depending on the severity of you allergy).

• Advise you on how to introduce the allergen into your diet/lifestyle.

2011-09-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

5 Smart Substitutions When Eating Out

By Editorial Staff of To Your Health inc.

There's nothing wrong with the occasional treat-yourself trip to a fast-food or sit-down restaurant, but Americans are eating out at an ever-increasing (sometimes daily) rate, and usually paying the health consequences. It's tough enough finding healthy food when grocery shopping these days, but put your trust in the hands of a burger joint, a diner, a pizza parlor or the vast majority of other restaurants and you're generally asking for trouble. Here are five substitutions to infuse a little more health into your next dining experience away from home.

1. Skip the Fries

French fries and potato chips, two of the most common sides at fast-food and sit-down restaurants, contain little or no nutritional value and large quantities of fat (oil). But they certainly are popular, which is why potatoes (in the form of fries and chips) are among the most frequently consumed "vegetables." Skip the grease and go without if at a fast-food restaurant (most only offer fries, onion rings or other fried options, although some do offer sides of corn, beans or rice, which are definitely healthier than fries or chips). At sit-down restaurants, it should be even easier to replace the fries / chips with a side of rice, a small baked potato and/or some veggies.

2. Watch What You Drink

Soft drinks are exactly what your body (and teeth) don't need, yet they are a staple beverage at fast-food and other restaurants. Water offers three distinct benefits by comparison: it doesn't cost you anything, it's calorie-free, and it doesn't contain any sugar. While calorie- and sugar-free sodas are available, research suggests they may still be dangerous because artificial sweeteners may condition you to crave sweets and overeat. And do you really need a 32-ounce drink (of anything) with your meal?

3. No Oversized Loads

What's your average family meal at home like in terms of portion size? Unless you've purchased oversized plates, meals are generally within reason. Not so for an increasing number of fast-food chains and sit-down restaurants. "Super-sized" combo meals and 17-inch plates heaped with Thanksgiving-like portions are a recipe for weight gain. Stick to a reasonable portion size (or eat half and get the other half to go) and you won't have to unbutton the top button of your jeans midway through your meal.

4. Find a Veggie

Depending on the nature of the establishment, this can be fairly easy or a bit tricky, but either way, it's a worthy pursuit. Whether it's a hamburger with lettuce and tomato or a plate of pasta with broccoli, choose meals that have some natural color, courtesy of Mother Nature's best vegetables. A burger with cheese, a bun and nothing else or a plate of pasta with cheese and cream sauce are missing the color of nutrition your body needs. Pizza is even easier; add a few veggies along with your other favorite toppings.

5. Know What You're Ordering

In the past few years, the majority of restaurants have begun (by mandate and/or choice) to reveal how nutritionally unsound some of their meal options are. This can range from providing complete nutritional facts to listing calorie counts on the menu. Doing so gives you the upper hand when it comes to choosing a healthy (or at least healthier) meal for you and your family. Visit the Web sites of your favorite restaurants or review the nutritional information in-house before ordering. You'll be surprised at how much fat, sodium and calories are in some of your favorites; perhaps they won't be your favorites after you learn what's in them and you'll steer toward lower-fat, lower-calorie, better-for-you selections instead.