Tag Archives: chiropractic

Can Chiropractic Care help with Colic?

YES! Chiropractic Care helps with colic and infant vomiting

Although a lot of people associate chiropractic with low back, neck and hip problems or headaches and migraines, chiropractic care doesn’t “treat”a particular disease. Rather it corrects a dangerous form of spine/nerve stress called the subluxation. This may be causing an infant’s colic.

Infants may suffer from subluxations as a result of a difficult birth (especially when forceps or vacuum extraction are used) or a fall, in which case the child begins life with subluxations in his/her body and the potential for serious health problems any time in their life.

In fact, any time an infant has any health problems it is essential they be checked for subluxations. We’ve reported on case studies showing that babies and toddlers with colic, projectile vomiting, failure to thrive, sleeping problems, eczema, vision and hearing problems and many other conditions respond to chiropractic care.

Every baby and child should have a chiropractic checkup.

They may not be able to complain about pain or a problem now, but we can locate and correct subluxations in them before they are able to verbalize their problems.

The 3 T’s: Thoughts (mental health and chiropractic)

The Connection Between Mental Health and Chiropractic Care

Dr. Daniel David (DD) Palmer, the discoverer of chiropractic, was a man ahead of his time. He had an impressive library of scientific insights. Drawing from his studies he came to the conclusion that dis-ease (body malfunction) was caused by three T’s: Toxins, Thoughts (mental health) and Trauma.

Today’s scientific community is verifying those profound insights. Last month we discussed toxins. Now let’s look at thoughts.

Thoughts (emotions) are Powerful

The body affects the mind and the mind affects the body. Years ago it was believed our thoughts had no bearing on our health. During the mid-20th century the term psychosomatic illness was used to refer to a few conditions believed to be caused by emotional stress. But that was only just the beginning.

Today, many healers agree that it is rare to find a physical illness that cannot be affected by our emotions and just as impossible to find an emotional illness that has no physical effects. Mind and body interact in all circumstances.

Today the term mind/body or body/mind is used to describe this complex interrelationship.

From a physical standpoint we know that emotional stress affects our hormonal system and our immune system. We also know that physical stress and changes in body chemistry can cause or contribute to changes in brain chemistry.

Life-threatening, even terminal illnesses such as cancer, have been reversed when individuals have had an emotional catharsis or an experience inspiring great hope and optimism. Emotional illness has reversed when people have experienced a physical healing.

The Chiropractic Connection

Chiropractic is a mind/body or body/mind healing art. The mind healing (psychotherapeutic) effects of chiropractic care were observed over a century ago and resulted in the creation of the Clear View and Forest Park Sanitariums devoted to caring for people suffering from mental and emotional disorders such as anxiety, “nervous disorders” (as they were then called) and more severe forms of emotional illness such as schizophrenia.

In fact, over a forty-year period, Doctors of Chiropractic and chiropractic schools operated nearly two hundred hospitals demonstrating that chiropractic care, with proper subluxation correction, along with a nutritious diet, exercise, fresh air and sunlight, had powerful healing effects.

Both Clear View and Forest Park Sanitariums consistently reported greater success than the state mental hospitals. The results so impressed North Dakota circuit court judge A.W. Ponath, that he consistently refused to send a patient to the state mental hospital unless they first spent time in the chiropractic institution. (5)

Why? Because without drugs, surgery (pre-frontal lobotomies) and electric shock therapy, chiropractic promoted real brain health and had a greater healing success rate.

Today chiropractors see many patients suffering from anxiety, depression, addiction, ADD, ADHD, autism and other conditions.

References and research for this article were obtained from the following sources:

1. Regan B, Hirshberg C. Spontaneous Remission: An Annotated Bibiliography. by. Sausalito, CA: Institute of Noetic Sciences, 1993.

2. Quigley WH. Pioneering mental health: institutional chiropractic care. Chiropractic History. 1983;3:68-73.

3. Goff PJ. Chiropractic treatment of mental illness: a review of theory and practice. Research Forum. 1987;4(1):4-10.

4. http://www.chiro.org/Plus/History/Persons/Mental-Health_in_Chiro/Mental_Health&Chiro- chrono.pdf

5. Glenther GC et al. Improvement in depression following reduction of upper cervical vertebral subluxation using orthospinology technique. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. November 7 2005;1-4.

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

A 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

A 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

A 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

A 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.

This is What You Were Born For

You are born to live a li

fe of vitality, strength, peace and happiness! It is your birthright, your natural state. That life should be long and full of joy, excitement, pleasure and fulfillment.

But it doesn’t always seem that way. Too many people are not living to their potential; too many people are living lives wracked with physical and mental disease and pain.

Remove Obstacles and Pain

In order to discover physical and mental health you need to remove anything interfering with your proper function.

The chiropractic profession has discovered a serious condition that interferes with your proper function. It is an

internal distortion of your spine and body structure – a subluxation. Subluxations are structural distortions that stress your nervous system – your brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves and related structures.

Subluxations are caused by any stress your body cannot handle: a difficult birth, a fall, an accident, emotional upset, chemical toxicity, overwork, or a combination of stresses (i.e. physical, chemical or emotional stress while you are tired, overworked, malnourished, etc.).

Chiropractic subluxation correction improves your health in many ways.

In over a hundred years of clinical experience, millions of patients have praised chiropractic for helping them with menstrual problems, a more comfortable pregnancy and labor/delivery, ear infections, high blood pressure, fevers, asthma, colic, eczema, headaches, migraines, back pain, arthritis, stress, sleeplessness, dyslexia, vision, learning disorders and so much more.

But it’s more than pain and sickness. Chiropractic is an excellent way to maximize sports performance, improve overall health and enhance balance, strength and fitness.

Subluxations are epidemic in our society; most people have them in their body and don’t know it. For that reason, everyone needs periodic chiropractic checkups to locate and correct (adjust) their subluxations.

Make an appointment to have your spine checked today!

Latest News from Charmaine: June 2016: Changes

Greetings all,

This has been a time of great changes just in the last couple of weeks. What with the children getting out of school…some of them graduating, others moving up a grade level and the deaths of several great icons with whom we all felt a personal connection– it has been a little unsettling.

Making changes to one’s daily overall health regime is generally uncomfortable until we settle into a routine; but in this day and age of such a sedentary lifestyle and very often, our daily job…it become vitally important that we get out and exercise…whether it is walking, running, cycling, yoga or Tai Chi or anything else. We need to keep our joints and spine supple so that we can be as healthy and pain free as possible for as long as possible.

How do you fit in your exercise? What is you favorite thing to do? Let us know in the comments. Who knows, maybe you will inspire someone else to get out there and start moving!

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

Probably most of them.

Abdominal Migraines

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.

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.

Questions and Answers about Chiropractic: Round 2

Question #1: How old is chiropractic?

Answer: Chiropractic was discovered (or really rediscovered) in 1895 in Davenport, Iowa by Dr. D.D. Palmer. Dr. Palmer learned that the owner of the janitorial service in his office building had been deaf for many years after an accident. Dr. Palmer analyzed the man’s spine and located a displaced vertebra. He laid him down on a bench and gave him the world’;s first chiropractic adjustment.

The man’s hearing returned. Dr. Palmer thought he had discovered the cure for deafness but shortly thereafter Dr. Palmer had a patient suffering from heart trouble. He found a spinal distortion (subluxation) in the man’s spine, corrected it, and the heart trouble was relieved.

How could two conditions so different as deafness and heart trouble be helped by spinal adjustments? So began the birth of chiropractic. Dr. Palmer’s successes attracted people from far and wide and in time he opened the world’s first chiropractic school – The Palmer College of Chiropractic – which is in existence today.

Question # 2: What’s the #1 nutrition mistake?

Answer: Not eating nutrient dense foods. Some foods give you an abundance of life-sustaining nutrients – these are known as “nutrient dense” foods. Other so-called “foods” have no nutritional value or even negative nutritional value – they drain you of nutrients. These are processed “junk foods”manufactured with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and white flour.

Soda (pop), margarine, canola oil are toxic and artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweetT (aspartame), Splenda and Equal are linked to brain tumors, memory loss and vision damage.

GM or genetically-modified foods are to be avoided. Soy is especially unhealthy because it is often genetically modified, difficult to digest and affects the thyroid and hormones. Exceptions are fermented soy products such as soy sauce, natto, tempeh and miso.

Nutrient dense foods include healthy fats and oils (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, tallow, duck fat, lard), grass-fed beef and non-pasteurized raw milk and raw milk products. Bone and chicken broths are excellent sources of minerals and trace elements. Also make sure your food is certified organic. Organic foods have far less toxic pesticides, fungicides and herbicides than conventional foods.

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 Care

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?

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)

Posture

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!

Watkinson A et al. Prognostic factors in soft tissue injuries of the cervical spine. British Journal of Accident Surgery. 1991;22(4):307-309.
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.
Dishman R. Review of the literature supporting a scientific basis for the chiropractic subluxation complex. JMPT. 1985;8:163-174.
Kelman Cohen I et al. Wound healing, biochemical and clinical aspects. New York: W.B. Saunders

Co., 1992:110.

Latest News from Charmaine: May 2016

This has been an interesting spring this year for sure…and just as we think we have a handle on where the weather is going to do/think spring is FINALLY here, Mother Nature says “Just Kidding!!”…..Just take one day at a time and shortly you will be talking about the summer heat!!

But the calendar moves on and the gardening chores await. Make a conscious effort to plan ahead…have the right tools too!… diving in head first can only cause grief (literally and figuratively).

Plant Some Vegetables

This year, even if you have only a patio for a garden, think of planting something “vegetabley”…your body will thank you…I know I am planning potatoes, tomatoes and a variety of lettuces…and supporting the Farmers Markets for the rest.

If you are looking for some new recipe inspiration, check out our recipe section on our website. Lots of good stuff there!

I must admit I am also enjoying playing with the micro greens and also this year I am going to try growing some edamame beans (green soybeans).

So Much Yoga

Currently, I have started teaching a 6am yoga class 3 days a week along with the 5 regular classes I teach…..so it’s gonna be an interesting summer!

Support Farmers’ Markets

As I said earlier, I am supporting the local Farmer’s Markets and if you have not visited Peckham Farms on Grand River, or the Grand Ledge Farmers Market at Bridge Street Plaza..you are missing out on the good stuff. Locally grown crops have a MUCH smaller carbon footprint than the store bought products that are shipped crazy distances and thus have less nutritional value.

HAVE A FUN REST OF SPRING!! See you on the table, in the office, on the yoga mat, or under the barbells.

Relief through Chiropractic: Case Studies

Researching Chiropractic

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.