Researching Chiropractic: Migraines, Pregnancy Trauma, & Large Tonsils

Chiropractic clinical case histories have been a regular feature of our patient newsletter since its inception. There seems to be no limit to the health problems that respond to chiropractic care. How many people suffering, on drugs, facing a life of limitation could be helped by chiropractic care? Probably most of them.

Pregnant patient with a history of traumapregnant case study

A 36-year old pregnant woman who was 33-weeks’ pregnant started chiropractic care suffering from worsening intense pain in her hips, lower back and pubic area. Two weeks prior she had fallen down 15 steps. At her first visit, she was in severe pain and had significant difficulty walking. 

She had ten chiropractic spinal adjustments over a 4-week period. With each visit she experienced increased relief from her symptoms and was ultimately able to deliver a healthy baby. (1)

Child cannot sleep because of large tonsilslarge tonsils

A two-year-old girl was suffering from excessive snoring, choking, mouth breathing and obstructive sleep apnea. She was waking up three times per night. MDs diagnosed her with oversized adenoids and tonsils (adenotonsillar hypertrophy).

Her MD prescribed fluticasone spray followed by a referral for surgical intervention if that didn’t help. 

After researching the medication, the infant’s mother decided to take her child to a chiropractor who discovered a subluxation at the atlas and right ilium. 

After her first chiropractic adjustment, the child had less snoring and was not waking up as frequently. After 15 visits over a 12-week period, a pediatric examination found normal sized tonsils and adenoids. Surgery was no longer discussed. (2)

Migraines in a 52-year-old womanolder woman numbness case study

A 52-year-old woman had been suffering from migraine headaches 2-3 times a week for ten years. She also suffered from neck pain and spinal pain that radiated to her arms and legs for over 20 years. A neurologist said the cause of her migraines was “unknown.” Her problems worsened after a motor vehicle accident two years prior to her chiropractic visit. 

She was prescribed Prozac®, Synthroid® and Fioricet®. They were ineffective.

By her 3rd chiropractic visit, she excitedly reported she had not experienced any migraines since her first visit the prior week. A month later she remained completely migraine-free. After 10 weeks of continued care, the patient reported that all her presenting complaints of chronic migraines, neck pain and low back pain had completely resolved. All her prescriptions were discontinued. (3)

Do you know anyone with the above issues?

Please refer them to us. We can help! 517.627.4547

  1. Marjerrison EC, Alcantara J. Trauma during pregnancy: resolution of hip, pubic, and low back pain following chiropractic care in a pregnant woman: a case study & review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, Chiropractic. August 5, 2019:91-94.
  2. Shtulman I, Collins C, Alcantara J. Resolution of adenotonsillar hypertrophy, associated sleep disordered breathing & avoidance of surgery following chiropractic care: a case study & review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, Chiropractic. August 14, 2019:95-99.
  3. Hickman W, Alcantara J. Resolution of chronic pain & migraines following chiropractic care to reduce vertebral subluxation: a case study. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. June 10, 2019:79-82.

Nourishing Traditions – The Good and the Bad

All traditional cultures consume lacto-fermented foods. 

These foods supply enzymes that help digestion and beneficial bacteria that support good intestinal health and immune function. With that knowledge in mind, here’s another study showing the benefits of eating fermented food.

The Good – fermented dairy products may help prevent heart disease

Researchers in Finland found that fermented dairy products such as:yogurt

  • cheese
  • yogurt
  • quark
  • kefir
  • sour milk 

may lower the risk of incident coronary heart disease in men. Conversely, the researchers warn that a very high consumption rate of non-fermented dairy products, like milk, could have the opposite effect and increase a man’s risk for heart disease. (1)

The Bad – fried foods 

Consumption of fried chicken, fried fish or fried shellfish at least once a week (as compared with no consumption) is associated with a significant 12%-13% increase in cardiovascular mortality.

The type of oil used may be a factor. Cooking with olive oil, animal fats and coconut oil is preferred over corn, vegetable, soybean, safflower and canola oils. (2)

fried foods

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. https://www.studyfinds.org/study-fermented-dairy-products-may-help-prevent-heart-disease/
  2. Sun Y et al. Association if fried food consumption with all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2019;364-k5420.

The Goal of the Chiropractor

If you spent the day in our waiting room you’d meet people coming to see us who have all kinds of health problems:

  • allergiesthe goal of the chiropractor
  • asthma
  • headaches
  • migraines
  • vision and hearing problems
  • digestive problems
  • immune system issues
  • pain in all kinds of places: back, hip, neck, shoulder, legs, arms;
  • people who’ve had sport injuries
  • so many others

But the ultimate goal of the chiropractor is to keep people so healthy that they don’t get sick in the first place! 

Good Health Is Easy: Sickness Takes Work

We are born with such wonderful bodies designed to last us over a hundred years in perfect physical and mental health. But a lifetime of physical, mental, and chemical stress and abuse wears us down, weakens us, and causes our body to malfunction. 

Chiropractors are the only professionals that are trained to locate and correct a serious deep stress most people have inside their body that can damage their ability to fight disease and stay healthy: a subluxation. It is usually painless and usually found in your spine.

When your body is free of subluxation stress you are better able to function at your best, to heal at your best and to think at your best because stress that has been sapping you of your life energy is now gone or reduced. Chiropractic promotes balance, resistance to disease and improved function. (1)

No matter what the disease or condition, you need a subluxation-free body to keep your healing ability at its optimum. That’s why you’ll find people with all kinds of health conditions in a chiropractor’s office. (2)

Call and schedule an appointment today! 517.627.4547

  1. Blanks RHI, Schuster TL. A retrospective assessment of network care using a survey of self-rated health, wellness and quality of life. JVSR. 1997;1(4):1.
  2. Marino MJ, Phillippa ML. A longitudinal assessment of chiropractic care using a survey of self-rated health wellness & quality of life: a preliminary study. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. 1999;3(2):1-9.

2019 Stuff The Bus Campaign

 

This is an open letter to all the business members and community members of Grand Ledge.

Firstly, we would like to express a heartfelt Thank YOU to each and every one of you who have so generously supported the Stuff the Bus for the Food Bank campaign that we have been spearheading for the last 29 years. 

stuff the bus

We have grown from a few bags of groceries in our very first year to a pickup truck-bed full to using the Independence Village bus to changing to an all monetary donation collection that exceeded $15,000 last year.

This town has a reputation of taking care of its own and The Grand Ledge Food Bank run by GLSDA has been a grateful recipient of the food and funds we have raised.

That time of the year has rolled around again and we are earnestly asking each of you to help us yet again.

We have looked at several different options to reach our goal and the one we like the best is, if we ask you if you could donate at least the value of one bag of groceries. We have a bag that includes toilet paper, deodorant, shampoo, soap, pasta sauce, pasta, 3 cans of veggies and 3 cans of beans and soup and it comes out to just around $35.00.  

stuff the bus

Our goal this year is $17,500 or the equivalent of 500 bags of groceries.

The question is: “How many bags of groceries would you be prepared to cover the cost of?”

We welcome all donations, great and small, and would ask that the checks be made out directly to GLSDA FOOD BANK.

Please mail them to our office so that we can coordinate the collection.

PLEASE SEND THE CHECKS TO:  

2019 STUFF THE BUS FOR HUNGER

C/O LANJOPOULOS FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC

P O BOX 44

GRAND LEDGE MI 48837

This campaign will close November 22nd, 2019

THANK YOU AGAIN!

Latest News from Charmaine: October 2019

Greetings all!photo3

Well, Fall seems to have found her way to us. Currently somewhat cooler temps are prevailing, and I see leaves starting to fall fast and furious.  I would put out an appeal to think twice about raking the leaves for the fact that they provide essential cover and protection to many of the beneficial bugs, and creepy crawlies over the winter. I know we are programmed to rake them, just as we are programmed to pull dandelions and thus deprive bees of essential early food.

Check out our Annual Stuff the Bus for Hunger appeal. We are trying a slightly different tack this year (our 30th!!!!!) and hope to succeed beyond expectations.

I just completed my last powerlifting meet of the year and finally managed to set a Michigan Masters record in Bench press (finally got that nailed!)

Fall generally means that we are doing a lot more outside (and inside, too!) as we strive to finish up projects before the snowy days arrive.  Please be sure you recognize your limits, that you take care doing the project and after a weekend of “warrioring” (which may include more than household projects!)….that you get your spine checked to make sure you are sparking on all cylinders!!

SEE YOU IN THE OFFICE, ON THE TABLE/MAT, UNDER THE BARBELLS, OR AROUND TOWN!

October 2019

Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara

This recipe originally appeared on the Cookie and Kate website. One of my favorites for vegetarian recipes. 

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 

Lentils

  • ½ cup dry lentils (French green lentils or regular brown lentils), or 1 ½ cups cooked lentils (leftover or from a can, rinsed and drained)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled but left wholelentils
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups vegetable broth or water

Everything else

  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 8 ounces whole-grain pasta (or 12 ounces, if you like your pasta less saucy than mine)
  • Optional garnishes: grated Parmesan or vegan Parmesan and/or chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. To cook the lentils, first pick through the lentils for debris (I once bit into a tiny rock) and then rinse them in a fine-mesh colander. In a small saucepan, combine the lentils, bay leaf, garlic, salt and broth.
  2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer until the lentils are cooked through and tender, which will take somewhere between 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the age and variety of the lentils. Drain the lentils, discard the bay leaf and garlic, and set the pot aside, uncovered.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, then return the pasta to the pot and set it aside.
  4. Stir the marinara into the lentils and warm them together over medium heat. Divide pasta into bowls, top with warm marinara and lentils, and garnish with Parmesan and/or chopped fresh basil, if you’d like. Serve warm. Leftovers will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.

Researching Chiropractic: Stroke, Palsy, and Post-Op Pain

Chiropractic clinical case histories have been a regular feature of our patient newsletter since its inception. There seems to be no limit to the health problems that respond to chiropractic care. How many people suffering, on drugs, facing a life of limitation could be helped by chiropractic care? 

Probably most of them.

Stroke in a 50-year-old womanstroke 

A woman with a 10-month history of left hemiplegia (paralysis on the left side of the body) after a hemorrhagic stroke began chiropractic care. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bleeds and a part of the brain is oxygen deprived. 

Her ability to move her arm and leg, as well as standing, balancing, posture and walking were all affected. Additionally, she had neck pain and a “constant dull ache” headache. 

The cause of the stroke was an adverse reaction to AVA 30, an oral contraceptive pill, in combination with the medication tranexamic acid.

Chiropractic care located and corrected her vertebral subluxations. She had 17 visits over a ten-week period and began to show improvement in her strength and physical functioning by her second visit.  

She continued to improve in posture, neck range of motion (ROM), overall muscle function and nervous system balance. Sadly, she discontinued care after her neurologist told her 3rd party payer that “chiropractic care increased the risk of a stroke” (an unproven, baseless claim). (1)

Resolution of brachial plexus palsy following birth trauma stroke

A 14-day-old baby boy suffered from a brachial plexus (nerve) injury following a traumatic Caesarean birth.

The child suffered from lack of muscle tone (hypotonicity) of the right arm that was so severe that his arm was virtually non-functional. 

Chiropractic correction/adjustment was made of the atlas (C1) vertebra. His right arm muscle tone began to immediately improve. The parents were “astonished!” Two days later, at the next chiropractic visit, the muscle tone in his arm was almost normal (about 90%) compared to the left side. Four days following, his right arm was at 100%. (2)

Complaints following surgerystroke

A 37-year-old man complained of nausea, fatigue, gastric reflux, dizziness and migraines following surgical removal of a vestibular schwannoma (a rare benign tumor on the 8th cranial nerve that leads from the brain to the inner ear).

He was adjusted six times in five weeks. One month after beginning care, he had much improvement in nausea, fatigue and gastric reflux. Dizziness and migraines completely resolved. (3)

  1. Russell D, Doyle M. Hemorrhagic stroke: improved motor function & decreased dysponesis following chiropractic care to reduce vertebral subluxation: a case report & review of the literature. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. May 13, 2019:59-65.
  2. Cooper K, Alcantara J. Resolution of brachial plexus palsy from birth trauma following chiropractic care to reduce vertebral subluxation: a case report & review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, Chiropractic. June 3, 2019:59-62.
  3. Harden J, Smedley L. Improvement in vestibular dysfunction & quality of life following chiropractic care in a male suffering from post-surgical complications for vestibular schwannoma: a case report & review of the literature. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. March 18, 2019:34-44.

Nourishing Traditions: Get lots of sunlight!

Nourishing Traditions: Get lots of sunlight!!!

Sunlight is good for you. It is an essential nutrient. 

Sunlight protects you from high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and many cancers. Richard Weller, MD discovered one mechanism – the skin uses sunlight to make nitric oxide (NO). NO lowers blood pressure and lessens heart disease and strokes.

Sunlight is good for your brain; it stimulates production of serotonin and endorphins so you’re in a better mood at the beach. Epidemiological studies show that sunlight reduces the risk of prostate, breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Sunlight also improves circadian rhythms, reduces inflammation, dampens autoimmune responses and improves virtually every mental condition. Most important, it’s free. 

What about skin cancer and melanoma? 

Skin cancer kills very few people: for every person who dies of skin cancer, more than 100 die from cardiovascular diseases. The deadly type of skin cancer, melanoma, accounts for only 1 to 3% of skin cancers. Studies show that long-term sun exposure is associated with less melanoma. Outdoor workers have half the melanoma rate of indoor workers and tanned people have lower rates too. 

An interesting comment was made by Dr. Weller who works in a skin hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that is near the equator and above 7,500 feet, so it receives massive UV radiation. Despite that, says Weller, “I have not seen a skin cancer. And yet Africans in Britain and America are told to avoid the sun.” (5)

Read the entire article, Sunscreen the New Margarine? by Rowen Jacobsen.

What About Sunscreen?
Sunscreen may cause skin cancer. Sunscreen shields from the UVB rays that cause sunburn but not the UVA rays that cause skin cancer. 

SPF ratings refer only to UVB rays, so many users may be absorbing far more UVA radiation than they realize. Meanwhile, many common sunscreen ingredients have been found to be hormone disruptors that can be detected in users’ blood and breast milk. 

The worst offender, oxybenzone, also mutates the DNA of corals and is believed to be killing coral reefs. Hawaii and the western Pacific nation of Palau have already banned it, to take effect in 2021 and 2020 respectively, and other governments are expected to follow. 

sunlight

HEARTY AWESOME VEGETARIAN CHILI

NOTE FROM DR C:  I LOVE, LOVE CHILI and is has so many incarnations. We enjoy our second round of chili over baked sweet/regular potatoes with whatever fixings  you like. It is also wonderful over a great toasted bun/bread and I often bring it to the office as my lunch on days when I have a lunchtime workout.

Author: Kelly Egan – A Side of Sweet        Yield: 8 servings  vegetarian chili

 

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 celery stalks, cut 1/4 inches crosswise
  • 4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 (15.5 ounces) cans black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 (16 ounces) can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 (16 ounces) can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 (16 ounces) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 (14.5 ounces) can of diced tomatoes
  • 4–6 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your preference
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Directions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic saute until they soften, but don’t brown, for about five minutes.
  • Add the peppers and celery and saute until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. ( I sometimes skip this step no harm- no foul)
  • Set your slow cooker to low. Add the beans, vegetables, diced tomatoes, spices, vinegar, and hot sauce. Stir to combine and cover. Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

 

 

 

Are people under chiropractic care healthier?

Answer: Not only healthier but happier too!happy man

Making chiropractic care a regular part of your life will help you and your family on many levels. Keeping your spine and nervous system free of subluxations (nerve interference) is good for your brain, organs, and entire body and mind.

Studies reveal that people under chiropractic care experience wellness in many areas of their lives. For example, chiropractic patients in two studies reported improved physical and mental/emotional health, better ability to deal with stress and more life enjoyment. (1-2) 

Another study revealed that chiropractic patients reported improved physical functioning, less bodily pain, improved general health, greater vitality, better social functioning and improved mental health. (3) 

Chiropractic has been especially effective with improving the life of the elderly. In one study of people 75 years of age and older, those under chiropractic care enjoyed better overall health, fewer chronic conditions, less days in nursing homes and hospitals, more mobility and were less likely to use prescription drugs than non-chiropractic patients. 87% of chiropractic patients described their health as excellent compared to just 67.8% of non-chiropractic patients. (4)

What can YOU expect?happy woman

Chiropractic care is individualized; the care you receive will be unique for your body and needs and the benefits you receive will be unique for you. Be sensitive to your body and communicate with us – tell us what changes you experience after your visits.

  1. Marino MJ, Phillippa ML. A longitudinal assessment of chiropractic care using a survey of self-rated health wellness & quality of life: a preliminary study. JVSR. 1999; 3(2):1-9.
  2. Blanks RHI, Schuster TL. A retrospective assessment of network care using a survey of self-rated health, wellness and quality of life. JVSR. 1997;1(4):1.
  3. Owens EF, Hoiriis KT, Burd D. Changes in general health status during upper cervical chiropractic care: PBR report. Chiropractic Research Journal. 1998;V(1):9-16.
  4. Study associates chiropractic with better health in the elderly. Today’s Chiropractic. November/December 1996. Originally published by the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research.