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Childbirth: What to Reject When You’re Expecting

If you are wondering why we have been posting  lots of stuff about pregnancy….well…. we love for kids to have the best chance in the world….AND because we are about to become grandparents in December!

10 procedures to think twice about during your pregnancy

things to avoid in childbirthDespite a healthcare system that outspends those in the rest of the world, infants and mothers fare worse in the U.S. than in many other industrialized nations. Infants in this country are more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday as those in Japan and Finland. And America now ranks behind 59 other countries in preventing mothers from dying during childbirth and is one of only eight countries in the world, along with Afghanistan and El Salvador, whose maternal mortality rate is rising.

Why?

Partly because mothers in the U.S. tend to be less healthy than in the past, “which contributes to a higher-risk pregnancy,” says Diane Ashton, M.D., deputy medical director of the March of Dimes.

But another key reason may be that medical expediency appears to be taking a priority over the best outcomes. The U.S. healthcare system has developed into a labor-and-delivery machine, often operating according to its own timetable rather than the less predictable schedule of mothers and babies. Keeping things chugging along are technological interventions that can be lifesaving in some situations but also interfere with healthy, natural processes and increase risk when used inappropriately.
One example: The nation’s continued high C-section rates. Nearly one of every three American babies enters this world through a surgical birth. But when C-sections aren’t medically indicated, they may be more likely to harm mothers and babies than to help them.
Aaron B. Caughey, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine in Portland, points out that as the rate of cesareans in the country increased over the past several decades, the country did not see fewer deaths among newborns. “In fact, if anything, we started to see an increase in maternal mortality,” he says.
ACOG also partnered with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), as part of a campaign called Choosing Wisely, to publicly warn against the overuse of two other common interventions in pregnancy: planned early deliveries and inducing labor without a strong medical reason.
These outcomes are far worse for African American infants and mothers than they are for non-Hispanic whites: African-American infants are more than twice as likely to die than white babies and African-American mothers are three to four times more likely to perish from pregnancy-related complications than white mothers.
The idea, of course, is not to reject all interventions. The course of childbirth is not something that anyone can completely control. In some situations, inducing labor or doing a C-section is the safest option. And complications are the exception, not the norm.
But when they’re not medically necessary, research shows that the interventions listed below are associated with poorer outcomes for mothers, babies, or both.

1. A C-Section With a Low-Risk First Birthchildbirth

While C-sections generally pose few risks, “the safest method for both mom and baby is an uncomplicated vaginal birth,” says Catherine Spong, M.D., chief of the pregnancy and perinatology branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
The best way to reduce the number of C-sections overall is to decrease the number of them among low-risk women who are delivering their first child. That’s because having an initial C-section “sets the stage for a woman’s entire reproductive life,” says Elliott Main, M.D., medical director of the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, a program to reduce unnecessary C-sections in that state. “In this country, if your first birth is a C-section, there’s a 90 percent chance all subsequent births will be as well,” he says.
A C-section is major surgery. So it’s no surprise that as rates for the procedure go down, so do the numbers for several complications, especially infection or pain at the site of the incision. A C-section can also complicate future pregnancies, increasing the risk of problems with the placenta, ectopic pregnancies (those that occur outside the uterus), or a rupture of the uterine scar. And the risks increase with each additional cesarean birth.
In some situations, such as when the mother is bleeding heavily or the baby’s oxygen supply is compromised, surgical delivery is absolutely necessary. But women can maximize their chances of avoiding an unnecessary cesarean by finding a caregiver and birthing environment that supports vaginal birth. When choosing a practitioner and hospital or birth center, ask about its C-section rates, particularly rates for low-risk deliveries. Use our hospital Ratings to find cesarean rates of hospitals near you. And read more about how to avoid unnecessary C-sections.

2. An Automatic Second C-Section

childbirthJust because your first baby was delivered by cesarean doesn’t mean your second has to be, too. In fact, many women who have had a prior C-section are good candidates for a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), according to ACOG.
Yet the percentage of VBACs has declined sharply since the mid-1990s, particularly after ACOG said in 1999 that they should be considered only if hospitals had staff “immediately available” to do emergency C-sections if necessary. And some obstetricians don’t do VBACs because they lack hospital support or training, or because their malpractice insurance won’t provide coverage. So women seeking a VBAC delivery might have trouble finding a supportive practitioner and hospital.    “It’s tragic, really,” Main says. “In many parts of the country, the option has all but disappeared.”
Instead, if you have had a C-section, find out whether your obstetrician and hospital are willing to try a VBAC. Let them know that you understand that your baby will be monitored continuously during labor, and ask what the hospital would do if an emergency C-section became necessary.

3. An Elective Early Delivery

childbirthOf course, some babies arrive sooner than expected and complications during pregnancy, such as skyrocketing blood pressure in the mother, can make early delivery the safest option. But hastening the birth of an otherwise healthy baby—even by a couple of days—is never a good idea.
“Important fetal development takes place to your baby’s brain and lungs during those last few weeks of pregnancy,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for improved quality and safety in the U.S. healthcare system. Babies born at full-term, which is at least 39 weeks, have lower rates of breathing problems and are less likely to need neonatal intensive care.
Perhaps because late preterm infants have more problems, mothers are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression. In addition, the procedures required to intentionally deliver a baby early—either an induced labor or a C-section—also carry a higher risk of complications than a full-term vaginal delivery.
Yet rates of these scheduled births skyrocketed in the early 2000s, to the point that almost 17 percent of births were scheduled before 39 weeks. In response, ACOG and a number of other groups—including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Nurse Midwives, the American Hospital Association, and the March of Dimes—initiated a campaign to sharply reduce early elective deliveries.
The effort was spectacularly successful: Rates dropped to 4.6 in 2013, making it “one of the most extraordinary examples of progress in healthcare that I’ve seen in my career,” Binder says.

4. Inducing Labor Without a Medical Reason

childbirthEven after 39 weeks of pregnancy, you should resist the urge to induce labor unless there is a strong medical reason, says Debra Bingham, R.N., vice president of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. She points out that women who go into labor naturally can usually spend the early portion at home, moving around as they feel most comfortable. An induced labor takes place in a hospital, where a woman will be hooked up to at least one intravenous line and an electronic fetal monitor. In addition, most hospitals don’t allow eating or drinking once induction begins.
“An induced labor may occur prior to a woman’s body or baby being ready,” Bingham says. “This means labor may take longer and that the woman is two to three times more likely to give birth surgically.” Induced labor frequently leads to further interventions—including epidurals for pain relief, deliveries with the use of forceps or vacuums, and C-sections—that carry risks of their own.
For example, a 2011 study found that women who had labor induced without a recognized indication were 67 percent more likely to have a C-section, and their babies were 64 percent more likely to wind up in a neonatal intensive care unit, compared with women allowed to go into labor on their own.
Induction is justified when there’s a medical reason, such as when a woman’s membranes rupture, or her “water breaks,” and labor doesn’t start, or when she’s a week or more past her due date.

5. Ultrasounds After 24 Weeks

childbirthUnless there is a specific condition your provider is tracking, you usually don’t need an ultrasound after 24 weeks. Although some practitioners use ultrasounds after this point to estimate fetal size or due date, the margin of error increases as the pregnancy progresses. And the procedure doesn’t provide any additional information leading to better outcomes for either mother or baby, according to a 2009 review of eight trials involving 27,024 women. In fact, the practice was linked to a slightly higher C-section rate.

6. Continuous Electronic Fetal Monitoring

childbirthContinuous monitoring, during which you’re hooked up to a monitor to record your baby’s heartbeat throughout labor, restricts your movement and increases the chance of a cesarean or delivery with forceps. In addition, it doesn’t reduce the risk of cerebral palsy or death for the baby, research suggests. The alternative is to monitor the baby at regular intervals using an electronic fetal monitor or a handheld ultrasound device. Continuous electronic monitoring is recommended if you’re given oxytocin to strengthen labor, you’ve had an epidural, or you’re attempting a VBAC.

7. Early Epidurals

An epidural places anesthesia directly into the spinal canal, so that you remain awake but don’t feel pain below the administration point. But the longer an epidural is in place, the more medication accumulates and the less likely you will be able to feel to push. Epidurals can also slow labor. By delaying administration and using effective labor support strategies, you might be able to get past a tough spot and progress to the point you no longer feel it’s needed. If you do have an epidural, ask the anesthesiologist about a lighter block. “Ideally, a woman should still be able to move her legs and lift her buttocks,” Main says.

8. Routine Rupture of Membranes

Doctors sometimes rupture the amniotic membranes or “break the waters,” supposedly to strengthen contractions and shorten labor. But the practice doesn’t have that effect and may increase the risk of C-sections, according to a 2009 review of 15 trials involving 5,583 women. In addition, artificially rupturing amniotic membranes can cause rare but serious complications, including problems with the umbilical cord or the baby’s heart rate.

9. Routine Episiotomies

Practitioners sometimes make a surgical cut just before delivery to enlarge the opening of the vagina. That can be necessary in the case of a delivery that requires help from forceps or a vacuum, or if the baby is descending too quickly for the tissues to stretch. But in other cases, routine episiotomies don’t help and are associated with several significant problems, including more damage to the perineal area (area near the rectum) and a longer healing period, according to a 2009 review involving more than 5,000 women.

10. Sending Newborns to the Nursery

childbirthIf your baby has a problem that needs special monitoring, then sending him or her to a nursery or even an intensive care unit is essential. But in other cases, allowing healthy infants and mothers to stay together promotes bonding and breastfeeding. Moms get just as much sleep, research shows, and they learn to respond to the feeding cues of their babies. Allowing mothers and babies to stay together is one of the criteria hospitals must meet to be certified as “baby friendly” by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

This article first appeared by Consumer Reports

 

Chiropractic Case Studies: June 2016

Researching chiropractic case studies

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.

Headaches in a six-year-old

case study headaches in childrenA 6-year-old boy who had been suffering from chronic headaches for the past two years of his life was brought in for chiropractic care.
Medical doctors could not figure out what was causing his headaches. The child was prescribed pain killers (ibuprofen) which were ineffective.
A chiropractic analysis revealed he had subluxations in his upper neck (upper cervical spine) and he began a series of spinal adjustments. After 10 visits over a 2-month period his headaches completely resolved. (1)

From breech to normal birth presentation

case study breech to normal birthA 31-year-old pregnant woman was diagnosed with a transverse breech presentation by her obstetrician when she was 30 weeks pregnant.
She received a special type of chiropractic adjustment known as the Webster Technique that relaxes the pelvis and permits the uterus to expand so the fetus could turn to a healthy presentation for delivery. After 7 visits over 3 weeks of chiropractic care, the patient’s midwife confirmed that the child was no longer in a breech position and had assumed a normal (vertex) presentation. The mother was then able to have a natural home birth. (2)

A five-year-old with sensory modulation disorder and constipation

case study head traumaA 5-year-old girl had a history of birth trauma, developmental delays, sensory processing challenges, sleep difficulties and other functional disorders.
Following chiropractic adjustments, she demonstrated more frequent bowel movements, more-restful sleep, improved mood and improved ability to concentrate and engage with her environment. (3)

Seizures and behavioral disturbances following head trauma

case study 2 year old head traumaA 2-year-old boy suffering from seizures, behavioral disturbances and cognitive developmental delays following a head trauma was brought to a chiropractic office. Since the accident the boy had 1-3 seizures per week, but occasionally had as many as three seizures a day.
He was also combative, angry, uncooperative with his parents and language delayed. Fifteen months after the trauma the parents sought out chiropractic care for their child.
A chiropractic examination revealed that the boy had a subluxation of the C1 (atlas) vertebra.
He had seven chiropractic visits over 5½ months and was adjusted three times over the course of care. There was improvement and eventual cessation of his seizure activity following the chiropractic care in addition to improvement in his behavior and cognitive development. (4)

Do you know someone who is suffering?

If you know anyone who may be suffering from similar symptoms or problems, please share this article with them. You could help them avoid a life time of difficulty with gentle, non-invasive chiropractic care.


 

1.Olsen R, Alcantara J. Resolution of chronic cervicogenic headaches in a 6-year-old male following care directed at vertebral subluxations: a case report. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2014;4:81-86.
2.Drobbin D, La Rosa S. Resolution of transverse breech pregnancy following administration of chiropractic using the Webster Technique: a case study & selective review of literature. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2015;1:9-14.
3.Yoshimura R, Lathrop JM. Improvement in sensory modulation & functional disorders in a Female pediatric patient undergoing chiropractic care. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. May 5, 2015:108-118.
4.Komarek AJ, Tedder N, Tedder A. Cessation of seizures, behavioral disturbances and improvement in cognitive developmental delay following upper cervical chiropractic care in a 2-year-old: a case report. Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research. May 14, 2015:14-18.

Do Antibiotics Increase Allergies and Asthma?

Growth of Yeast in Digestive System May Be to Blameantibiotics cause allergies

University of Michigan researchers claim that antibiotics alter intestinal microflora and  can lead to changes in the entire immune system. The findings were presented a few years ago at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, but we feel they are worth repeating.

Antibiotics play a big part

Mice were first given antibiotics, and then given yeast fungus to create a fungal colony in their digestive tracts. The lead researcher, Gary Huffnagle, described the lungs of the treated mice as “shredded,” making them unable to breathe.
antibiotics in gut
Antibiotics increase the growth of the yeast Candida albicans in the gut, Noverr explains. It is a common side effect of antibiotic use and previous studies show that this change in the gut could increase allergies.
“Over the past four decades there has been an explosive increase in allergy and asthma in westernized countries, which correlates with widespread use of antibiotics …,” said researcher Mairi Noverr, with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, in a news release.

How do you treat Candida in your Digestive System?

Besides an increase in allergies and asthma, an abundance of Candida can also cause the following symptoms:antibiotics cause allergies

  • Exhaustion
  • Cravings for sweets
  • Bad breath
  • White coat on tongue
  • Brain fog
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Joint pain
  • Loss of sex drive
  • Chronic sinus and allergy issues
  • Digestive problems (gas and bloating)
  • Weak immune system
  • UTI
For more information on how to treat Candida Overgrowth Syndrome (COS) check out this article.

Researching Chiropractic: Case Studies

The health of a people is really the foundation upon which

all their happiness and all their powers as a state depend.                              

-Benjamin Disraeli

Case Studies

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.

Abdominal Migrainescase studies

Difficulties in concentration, stomach pain and abdominal migraines. A 6-year-old girl was suffering from difficulties in concentration and learning since beginning school over a year prior. She also suffered from severe stomach pain for over two months that was diagnosed as”abdominal migraines”. She received weekly care over a period of six weeks.

Improvements were seen in concentration and learning along with a complete resolution of her “abdominal migraines”. The results documented in this case suggest comorbidity between difficulties in concentration, learning and abdominal migraines. (6)

Disc Protrusion

A 43-year- old man complaining of left-sided low back pain that radiated down to the left leg, down the lateral calf, to the foot and heel came in for chiropractic care. He rated the pain as 8 out of 10. He was unable to work or sleep through the night.
case studies disc protusion
An MRI revealed a left lower spine (L4-L5) disc protrusion. To make things worse, a disc fragment was extruding out of the spine. MDs recommended an epidural block or low back surgery. The patient had received treatment via prescription drugs prior to the office visit. The patient had been prescribed Advil 200 mg, Percocet 5 mg-325 mg, Valium 5mg and Tramadol; none of which took away the pain.

Upon a friend’s recommendation, the patient decided to visit a chiropractor. The patient was cared for with spinal adjustments over the course of 15 visits over 5 weeks. By that time he was able to work 12-hour days feeling slightly stiff and was able to sleep through the night without pain. He was also able to sit and lay down without any pain. His slight remaining pain at the one-month point of care was rated as only a 2 out of 10, and his muscle strength and movement were greatly improved. (7)

6. Lucks C, Lucks L. Resolution of abdominal migraines & improvements in concentration & learning in a 6-year- old girl following Network Spinal Analysis care: a case study. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal &Family Health – Chiropractic. 2015;4:140-148.

7. Murphy J, Morrison T, Floyd R, Alcantara J. Improvement in a patient with disc protrusion andextruded fragment following subluxation based chiropractic care: a case study & selective review of theliterature. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. November 19, 2015:178-183.

The #1 Question Asked of Chiropractors

An age old question that we get time after time is:

“Why should I return, especially if I feel fine?”

Delays have dangerous ends. –William Shakespeare

You entered our office feeling terrible and now you feel great. So why does your chiropractor suggest coming in again?”Why can’t I return when I’m feeling bad?” you may ask.

“I Feel Fine” Health Carei feel fine

We’ve all seen people looking like death warmed over who say they “feel fine”; yet they have no energy, sleep poorly, are tired, depressed, have aches and pains, headaches or backaches.Too many people who “feel fine” have a sudden heart attack, stroke, debilitating pain or are diagnosed with a serious disease.Sadly, too many people have lost touch with how they really feel. They’ve lost sensitivity or ignore their body’s subtle signs of dis-ease. Don”t make that mistake!

Why More Visits?I feel fine, car accident

Most people first visit our office after they’ve had years of long-standing subluxations. By that time “gunk”(scar tissue or fibrosis) builds up around the spinal discs, nerves and joints and prevents complete healing. That”s one reason why 86% of those in automobile accidents still have symptoms ten years later. (1)

I feel finePosture

Long-standing subluxations also cause postural changes and tender muscle areas (trigger or tender spots). (2)You may “feel fine” but when someone touches a “hot spot”you jump! Scar tissue may require months or years of adjustments before your spine is strong again. (3) The longer you wait, the more scar tissue “gunk”builds up. (4) Because of that there’s a good chance that you”ll be back in our office in the not-too- distant future with symptoms that may take longer to go away (“I don’t understand it doc, the last time I felt better after a couple of visits”).

Why settle for less?

Many people visit chiropractors only when they’re sick or in pain. That’s a lot better than using drugs or surgery, but chiropractic has so much more to offer. Keep your body free of subluxations so it may continue healing; so that it may promote a healthier body, with less stress, more energy and greater resistance to disease.Why be content to be merely free from pain when you can also ensure better health, vitality, and strength for yourself and your entire family for their entire lives?Are you and your family carrying the silent killer, the subluxation? Only a chiropractic check up can tell; come in for a checkup – and bring the family too!

 

 

  1. Watkinson A et al. Prognostic factors in soft tissue injuries of the cervical spine. British Journal of Accident Surgery. 1991;22(4):307-309.
  2. Hiemeyer K et al. Dependence of tender points upon posture – a key to the understanding of fibromyalgia syndrome. Journal of Manual Medicine. 1990;5:169-174.
  3. Dishman R. Review of the literature supporting a scientific basis for the chiropractic subluxation complex. JMPT. 1985;8:163-174.
  4. Kelman Cohen I et al. Wound healing, biochemical and clinical aspects. New York: W.B. Saunders
Co., 1992:110.

Relief through Chiropractic: Case Studies

Researching Chiropractic

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.

Erb’s Palsy and chiropractic

Erb’s Palsy is a paralysis of the arm caused by nerve damage (to the brachial plexus) in the neck. It is most often caused by obstetrical mistakes. These injured children grow into adults with permanent nerve and arm damage – a shorter and smaller arm – unless corrected. This is the story of one lucky baby.

In this case a 5-month-old girl diagnosed with right-sided Erb’s Palsy was brought in for care to a chiropractic office. Under chiropractic care the infant’s symptoms resolved within two months. (8)

Reference: Resolution of Erb-Duchenne Palsy in a 5-month-old female following subluxation based chiropractic care. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2016;1:9-13. 

Headache and neck pain in an eight-year-old girl

An 8-year-old girl was brought in for chiropractic care suffering from neck pain and headaches. According to the patient’s mother, her daughter reported her headaches and neck pain had been going on for four months with approximately two episodes per week.

Medical examinations did not find any problem and the doctors recommended treating the neck and headache symptoms with Tylenol. Following four chiropractic visits, the child’s neck pain and headaches completely resolved.

Reference: Simmons-Stone D, Alcantara J. Resolution of chronic cervicogenic headache & cervicalgia in a child following chiropractic care. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2016;1:1-4. 

Neurofibromatosis

A 3-year-old boy with a history of Neurofibromatosis Type I, asthma and ear infections was brought in for chiropractic care. His asthma attacks were so severe he required ER hospital visits two times per month.

He received chiropractic adjustments two to three times per week. Within one month after beginning care he no longer had violent exacerbations of his asthma and was able to sleep through the night. As of this writing he continues to improve and has decreased his inhaler usage. (10)

Reference: Kachinsky B, Kachinsky J. Improvement in a pediatric patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and asthma: a case report. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2011;1:1-4.

Traditional Eating: Spring Butter

Spring is coming and soon it’ll be the time to get one of the healthiest foods on the planet: spring butter. In some cultures, it is considered sacred.

 spring butterWhat is spring butter?

Spring butter is different from regular butter because the cows in the spring cow eat new growing grass filled with healthy growth enzymes full of lots of minerals and vitamins. The butter looks different – golden yellow as opposed to pale yellow or the straw colored you see in the supermarket. It also tastes much better.

 Where can you get it?

Ideally you get it from a local farm where the cows spend their days in the fields eating the various plants that they are attracted to. The cows’ milk is rich in butterfat and the butter is a nutrient dense “superfood.”

Don’t live near a farm? It would be worth traveling to one; the butter can stay in your freezer all year.

 

Pregnancy and Chiropractic

pregnant womanIf there’s any class of patients that need chiropractic care the most it’s pregnant women.

Pregnancy changes a woman’s life in many ways. One way is a special chemical called “relaxin.”

Relaxin is a hormone produced by the ovaries and the placenta that effects the female reproductive system especially during pregnancy. In preparation for childbirth, it relaxes the muscles, joints and ligaments in the pelvis, softens and widens the cervix and relaxes the smooth muscle in the uterus. It does even more by increasing heart and kidney blood output.

In males relaxin enhances the motility of sperm in semen.

Sometimes there’s a down side to relaxin. If the spine and pelvis are unbalanced, or subluxated, then the relaxin can make the subluxations and distortions worse! The result is spine and pelvic pain which is too common in pregnancy. Additionally, the unbalanced body needs more energy for walking, standing, sitting and moving causing fatigue and exhaustion.

Chiropractic can help

Chiropractic can help ensure that the pregnant body is balanced and that the pelvis is relaxed and open to its maximum so the developing baby has the ideal amount of room in which to develop. That is why clinical reports reveal that breech presentations have been corrected, with the fetus turning into a healthy position, as a result of chiropractic adjusting procedures. Clinical reports show chiropractic also helps with breastfeeding and the return to a pre-pregnancy figure. (1-7)

References

  1. Thomas JC. The Webster Technique in a 28-year-old woman with breech presentation and subluxation [case report]. JVSR. April 7 2008:1-3.
  2. Brynhildsen J, Hansson A, Persson A, Hammar M. Follow-up of patients with low back pain during pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 1998;91(2):182-186.
  3. Phillips C. An effective drug-free approach to premature contractions. ICA Review. 1998;54(5):76-81.
  4. Phillips C. Back labor: a possible solution for a painful situation. ICA Review. 1997;53(4):51-56.
  5. Cohen E. Case history: premature labor. Chiropractic Pediatrics. 1995;1(4).
  6. Reynolds JP. What is the role of osteopathic manipulative therapy in obstetric care? JAOA. 1974;74.
  7. Guthrie RA, Martin RH. Effect of pressure applied to the upper thoracic (placebo) versus lumbar areas (osteopathic manipulative treatment) for inhibition of lumbar myalgia during labor. JAOA. 1982;82(4):247-251.

Zika–Head for Hills!

Zika, SARS, Swine flu (twice), AIDS, bird flu, H1N1 – it’s coming.

By Dr. Tedd Koren

Head for the hills, don’t travel, don’t go out, stay home, hide under the bed, wear a condom: the next invisible killer is coming.   Oh boy, here we go again.

Every year or so the media goes ballistic and reveals that epidemiologists, researchers, and health departments are sloppy, shoot-from-the-hip, do poor research, haven’t a clue and will do and say nearly anything to get attention. Actually that’s what the media should be telling us. Instead they are part of the problem because they repeat the junk science they are told as if it’s the gospel truth. What happened to investigative journalism?

George Carlin famously said, “Americans panic easily.” Panic sells. Panic sells magazines and newspapers, and drives people to web sites, drugs and vaccines. Panic raises ratings so people will “stay tuned” and therefore advertising revenues rise.

People are excited, scared, terrified, curious, wondering, hopeful and nervous. Aren’t the presidential elections enough? I guess not.

Ho hum      

As with all the other media driven “pandemics”, when the dust settled it was no big deal. The Zika virus scare is no different; it’s a zilch (which is what my spell checker spelled out when I first typed the word Zika.)
In Brazil 4,000 cases of microcephaly were reported due to the Zika virus.

Ooops, we didn’t report it correctly. The number is 207.

Ooops, we found Zika in only 17 of them. Some pandemic.

But now reports are that heavy use of pesticides are related to the microcephaly. The DPT vaccine causes microcephaly – why didn’t the media report that?

Zika is one of millions or billions of viruses found all over the world. We’re full of viruses – and that doesn’t mean they cause anything. The media continues to spin out stories because that’s what the media does.

Researching Chiropractic: Case Studies

drawing of spinal column and nervesChiropractic 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.

Morton’s neuroma.

Morton’s neuroma is a nerve tumor in the foot. It is a painful condition that people describe as “walking on a marble.” It usually affects the ball of the foot, often between the 3rdand 4th toes and may cause a sharp, burning pain or numbness. The medical or podiatry approach is to give corticosteroid (cortisone) injections or surgically to cut out the tumor.

This is the case of a 63-year-old woman who suffered with Morton’s neuroma in her right foot for ten years. She sought chiropractic care for a variety of health complaints.

For one month her vertebral subluxations were addressed and reduced using specific chiropractic care. During this period her Morton’s neuroma symptoms completely disappeared and in addition she reported improvement in her digestion, sleep and ability to move without pain.

Source: Lanoue B, Treahy-Geofreda T, Russell D.Resolution of Morton’s Neuroma in an elderly patient receiving Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique to correct subluxation: a case study. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. January 4, 2016:1-5.

Failure To Thrive

Oral thrush and inconsolable crying in a 4-month-old. This is the case of a baby medically diagnosed with “failure to thrive” (FTT). FTT is determined when a baby’s weight or size is significantly below that of other children of similar age and same gender. The infant was reported to have had birth trauma from a nuchal cord – the umbilical cord was completely wrapped around the fetal neck (360 degrees).

The child was 4-months-old when she was brought to the chiropractor. She was suffering from inconsolable crying, oral thrush (an overgrowth of the fungus candida albicans in the mouth and throat), chronic diarrhea and was dangerously underweight.

Chiropractic examination detected vertebral subluxations at C1-C4 (upper neck) and T3-T4 (upper back).

She received chiropractic adjustments from the first visit and afterwards was checked for vertebral subluxations that were corrected when indicated for seven weeks. Her FTT symptoms began to resolve after the first visit and completely resolved by the seventh week of care. 

Source: Neally R, Alcantara J. Resolution of failure to thrive in a 4-month-old infant following adjustment of subluxation: case study & selective review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2015;4:149-153. 

Hypothyroidism reduction under chiropractic care.

A 44-year-old woman presented herself to the chiropractor with complaints of upper shoulder and pain between the shoulder blades that occurred after a motor vehicle accident 23 years earlier!

In addition, she had been prescribed ArmourThyroid® in order to treat symptoms of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism).

Cervical or neck x-rays revealed that she had an 80.7% loss of normal neck curve (hypo-lordosis) in addition to vertebral subluxations.

The patient received spinal adjustments to reduce her vertebral subluxation complexes (VSC), and to improve her spinal and postural alignment over a seven-month period.

Thirty days into care the patient began exhibiting signs/symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Her chiropractor suggested that she have her thyroid function checked by her endocrinologist to see if her prescribed thyroid medication should be re-evaluated. After serum lab evaluation, the patient’s endocrinologist instructed the patient to significantly reduce her thyroid medication.

Source: Bak AD, Engelhardt PR. Improvement in cervical curve and hypothyroidism following reduction of subluxation utilizing chiropractic Biophysics: a case study & selective review of the literature. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. December 10, 2015:226-237

We’d like to hear about your experiences with chiropractic care.