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Pediatrics

Two Weeks Too Long

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Research by Dr. Videman out of Helsinki, Finland found that even minor traumas to the spine can cause scar tissue formation within two weeks. How many two weeks is okay with you?

The Birth Process Can Be Traumatic

The birth process can be very traumatic to a newborn’s spine and cause nerve pressure that affects breathing, digestion, heart rate as well as the muscles and ligaments of the neck. Since research has also found that nerve compression can exist without pain, this spinal trauma can be asymptomatic for decades. That is a lot of two weeks! How many two weeks is acceptable for you? How about your children?

If you have ever watched a child learning to walk, how many times a day do you think they fall on their bottom? This repetitive bouncing on their bum can cause their spinal injuries, subluxations, which can affect growth and development and lie dormant for decades. This is a lot of two weeks especially if they live to be 80, 90 or 100 years old.

Children Respond Quickly to Chiropractic

“Infants and children respond so quickly to chiropractic care,” says Dr. Cathy Wendland-Colby, the 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate Chiropractor in Woodstock, GA. “Whether they have symptoms or not, every child should be checked for subluxations at birth and during every stage of growth and development. Waiting two weeks and letting deterioration set in is not okay.”

Unchecked Trauma Reduces Nerve Function

Seriously, how many two weeks is acceptable for you and your children? Even more important than the structure of the spine, which is really important, is the impact that these traumas have on the function of the nervous system. Research shows that the weight of a dime, not a lot of pressure, can reduce transmission. Stretching a nerve as little as six degrees can reduce nerve function up to 70% according to the Journal of Spine and Joint Surgery.

Your nervous system controls and coordinates the function of every cell, tissue and organ of your body. This includes your sinuses, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, stomach, intestines and every other organ as well as your arms, legs, hormonal balance and literally every function that is both conscious and unconscious that your body performs.

As the two weeks accumulate from these traumas, both the function of the spine and the nervous system are compromised. These compromises can be disguised as symptoms ranging from allergies, digestive disturbances and attention deficits to headaches, neck pain or backaches.

Two Weeks is Too Long

Unfortunately, however, most of these traumas lie asymptomatic for decades of two weeks until the body can no longer adapt and breaks down with more severe health problems, pain, sickness and disease. We’ve known this for a long time. Dr. Henry Windsor confirmed it in research he conducted nearly 100 years ago that found a nearly 100% correlation between the compromised nerve connections in an injured spine and diseases of the internal organs. (The Windsor Autopsies, The Medical Times)

More than 15 million people each year become diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a condition that results from decades of two weeks that influence the joints of the body. Two weeks is too long.

Since deterioration can occur within 2 weeks, many individuals and families make weekly and bi-weekly adjustments a central piece of their healthy lifestyle. Lifestyle Care keeps your spine and nervous system in balance so your body can function at higher levels. Don’t wait until you “feel” it. You may have waited lots of two weeks too long.

Children and Chiropractic Check Ups

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Recent research has shown that chiropractic care is extremely safe for babies and children. As a result, more children and families are having their spine and nervous system examined by chiropractors.

The Journal of Science and Healing reported on a study of 577 children under the age of 18 receiving chiropractic care. The study showed that parents reported a high rate of improvement in their children presenting with health issues with the most common symptoms of muscular conditions, ear, nose, throat, respiratory and digestive issues. They also reported better sleeping patterns, improvements in behavior, and stronger immune systems while under chiropractic care.

While there are many conditions that respond to chiropractic care as indicated in this research, chiropractic care does not treat these conditions. The conditions respond because of the increase in the body’s ability to fight infection, resist dis-ease and heal itself when the spine is aligned and the nerves are working properly.

At the same time many parents who used to give prescription and over the counter drugs routinely to their children are stopping to think twice before doing it again. Why? Here are a few reasons to consider.

Children’s bodies process medication differently than do adults. During debate and discussion about off-label prescribing, which is the practice of prescribing medications to children and extrapolating from an adult does to a pediatric dose, The Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics stated, “We found out that you can’t predict how kids are going to handle things.” The Government Accountability Office concluded that only about one-third of the drugs prescribed have been studied and labeled for pediatric use. This is a very dangerous practice.

According to a CDC Report in November 2013, “Every year as many as 10 million U.S. children risk side effects from antibiotic prescriptions that are unlikely to help their upper respiratory conditions. Many people have a misconception that, since antibiotics are commonly used, they are harmless. Taking antibiotics when you have virus can do more harm than good.”

The families that are choosing chiropractic care and opting for alternatives to medication as a first response to symptoms and conditions are enjoying both short term and long term perks of their positive choices. Regardless of who in the family is seeking relief from conditions, everyone in the family benefits from improved immune systems, better digestion and restful nights. Lifestyle Care can make a huge difference.

Our office offers Chiropractic Care to people of all ages and sizes including infants and children. We are trained to provide you and your family with great, quality care. The adjustments are specific to the individual. The adjustments given to a newborn are not the same as the ones given to a 4 year old sibling and the adjustment for a 12 year old will differ from the one the parent just received.

Everyone in your family could benefit from a chiropractic check-up. Through your examination, we will determine if you are a candidate for care and if your spine and nervous system has been compromised. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

Get Your Kids Back on Track

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School is about to begin which means that families are gearing up for busy schedules, homework, after school activities and the hectic pace of our 21st century lifestyles. To insure that your child has a healthy and successful year, it will be important to have their back aligned, balanced and on track.

Every activity affects the spine. Contact sports, playing an instrument, sitting, studying, and paying attention in class are all important for a successful school year and they all require a healthy spine and nervous system. When your child is sitting in class listening to a teacher, they listen through their ears, process the information in their brain, and a signal is sent down their spine to their fingers so that they can write their notes which they will later study. If a child is playing an instrument, the instructor often tells them to sit up straight. A healthy spine with good alignment and nerve supply is essential to performance in the classroom and activities.

When we watch our kids participating in sports, we often cringe at the intense beating that their spines take when they are hit by another person or twisted through their activities. Keeping their spine aligned and balanced is crucial for them to be able to enjoy a healthy and successful year and have a healthy spine for a lifetime.

Children make 775,000 visits to the emergency room each year because of sports-related injuries. Every 2 and a half minutes a child is injured on a playground. 150,000 kids are treated in the emergency room for football injuries. These injuries are often accompanied by trauma to the child’s developing spine and nervous system. More than 40 Million students carry school backpacks. Backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can injure your child’s back, neck and shoulders, which can lead to other health problems.

Heavy backpacks, playground and sports injuries can cause non-structural or functional scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine that typically appears in early adolescence. This type of scoliosis develops as a result of misalignment and pressure on the spine and nerve system. Functional scoliosis can often be corrected by addressing the underlying condition through chiropractic care. Kids can injure their spine and remain symptom free until later on in life when the damage becomes more permanent. This, too, can be avoided with regular chiropractic care.

British medical researchers have found through MRI technology that nearly 10% of children show signs of disc degeneration before reaching puberty.

Disc degeneration is a condition in which a damaged spinal disc wears down unevenly causing pressure on the nerves and limiting activity levels, stamina, and quality of life as we age. We tend to think of disc degeneration as a sign that we are getting older but this is not true. It is a sign that the spine has been injured which can happen at any age.

There are so many things to do to prepare for the upcoming school year. As you make your list remember to make an appointment for a “School’s Back” Spinal Exam. This simple examination can determine if your child’s spine is on track or off track. Chiropractic care can keep your child’s spine and nerve system healthy and insure your best school year ever. Get them started on the right track today!

Natural Fertility Support

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Starting or expanding your family may be an important component of your 100 Year Lifestyle. Fertility challenges can be discouraging and frustrating. To increase your chances for an easy conception and pregnancy, keep your spine and nervous system healthy with Lifestyle Care and try some of these healthy tips!

AVOID – MicroNutrient deficiencies which can result from stress, smoking, toxins, poor diet, and prescription medications including certain contraceptives.

TRY – A good whole food multivitamin and probiotic, during and after birth control use, to prevent nutritional deficiency and restore already depleted levels.

AVOID – Having an abnormal body mass index. Being underweight or overweight can affect fertility in both males and females. In a person who is underweight, the body naturally panics and shuts down many important bodily processes and literally turns down reproduction.

With obesity, adiponectin (a protein released by fat cells that assists in burning up fat) decreases. Adiponectin would normally help to make the body more sensitive to insulin (which enhances ovulation). Without sufficient adiponectin, the body becomes resistant to insulin and fertility is compromised.

TRY – Normalizing weight before trying to conceive. Good nutrition helps to create a “clean slate” within the body that helps it to respond and utilize other natural remedies better. Try “cleaning and greening” your life before trying to conceive. Be sure that you are eating adequate amounts of foods such as dark leafy greens, sesame seeds, seaweed, almonds, quinoa, chia, and bone broth to maintain proper hormone production.

AVOID – Oxidative stress. This is heavily linked with many chronic diseases and fertility challenges. When we are exposed to environmental stress such as pollution, radiation, toxins in the home and work place, caffeine, smoking and drugs, the body accumulates oxidative stress. This may result in significant damage to cell structures, sperm cell development and ovary function, decreasing chances of fertilization and increasing the chance of miscarriage. Hundreds of synthetic chemicals found in our environment are now identified as hormone disruptors for ovulation, fertilization and implantation of the embryo.

TRY – Natural products for household cleaning, body care, pest and weed control and building materials.

AVOID – Spinal subluxations which occur when there are misalignments of the spine or pelvis. This results in altered joint motion and nerve irritation which can lessen organ function and general health. Both the severity of the subluxation and the length of time it has been left uncorrected dictate the impact on fertility.

TRY – Living “free and clear” so proper nerve messages that initiate and sustain reproduction can do their job. Don’t wait for a crisis to get started under chiropractic care. Make the critical transition to Lifestyle Care to optimize the function of your nervous system, which can contribute to the likelihood of conceiving.

Whether you are planning to conceive or not quite yet, these tips will help you live healthier and prepare you for parenting.

Contributed by Dr. Kendra Becker

Healthier Pregnancy, Healthier Life

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New longevity research declares that babies born today could routinely live to 100-120 years and beyond. Parents need to know how their lifestyle will affect their baby today, tomorrow and for a lifetime.

It’s wise for pregnant moms to reduce and avoid stress.
Stress affects longevity by shortening telomeres, the caps on chromosomes. They are considered the timekeepers of the cell and telomere shortening can happen at any age. When umbilical cord blood is drawn from newborns, the babies whose mothers experienced more stress during pregnancy showed shorter telomeres than those moms who experienced easier or less stressful pregnancies.(1)

If conditions during pregnancy were not ideal, then embracing a healthy lifestyle now with good nutrition, exercise and a balanced spine and nervous system are vital for mom and child, to preserve and optimize their longevity potential while also reducing the risk of degenerative diseases.

The science of epigenetics empowers us with the knowledge that we have greater control over our own and our baby’s destiny than we may have thought. Depending on the research you read, between five to 30 percent of disease development is determined by your genetics while 70 percent or more being related to your lifestyle choices, how we take care of ourselves today. This is a game changer for making the extra effort to create the healthiest pregnancy, delivery and environment for mom and baby. A vitalistic, less stressful pre and post-natal phase can set the stage for health.

The old saying “you are what you eat” is especially true during pregnancy and quality prenatal supplementation plus eating nutritious whole food is important. Include protein sources rich in omega 3 fatty acids and free from hormones and antibiotics. Eliminate exposure to toxins, pesticides and estrogen mimickers commonly found in plastics, sunscreens, cleaning agents and insecticides. Pesticide exposure can be reduced swiftly by switching to organic foods.

Regular exercise like walking, swimming and stretching prepares the body well for labor. Building strength will prepare mom for the endurance needed during delivery and the weeks following birth.

The structure of the mom’s pelvis can determine her ability to carry and deliver her baby in a healthier way. Lifestyle chiropractic care can align her pelvis and contribute to a delivery with less stress on her and her baby. If mom’s pelvis and/or sacrum are misaligned, abnormal tension can occur in her nerve system leading to unnecessary complications such as breach or transverse presentation, back pain, sciatica or severe ‘back labor’.

Women receiving chiropractic adjustments report shorter labor times and better delivery experiences. Offering the gift of a chiropractic checkup to an expectant mother can be the highlight gift at every baby shower. Proper spinal alignment before, during and after pregnancy sets the stage for mom and baby to live their ideal 100 Year Lifestyle.

1. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Feb;208(2):134.e1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2012.11.033. Epub 2012 Nov 27.

Contributed by Drs. David and Lorraine Melendez, A 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate in Cardiff by the Sea, CA

Lifetime Effects of Birth Trauma

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Birth Trauma May Occur Frequently
Traumatic Birth Syndromes are more common than you might think. A German medical researcher discovered that over 80% of the infants that he examined shortly after birth were suffering from injuries to the cervical spine, the neck, causing all types of health problems.

Believe it or not, there are 44 countries with a better infant mortality rate than the United States according to the 2012 CIA Factbook.

Dr. Abraham Towbin, from Harvard Medical School and the Department of Pathology found that ‘the birth process, even under optimal conditions, is potentially a traumatic, crippling event for the fetus.’

“Spinal cord and brain stem injuries occur often during the process of birth but frequently escape diagnosis.” Dr. Towbin continues, “In severe instances death may occur during delivery or, in cases where respiratory function is depressed, a short period after birth. Infants who survive the initial effects may be left with severe nervous system defects.”

Symptomatic vs. Asymptomatic
What about the babies that don’t show immediate signs and symptoms? What if the signs and symptoms don’t appear until later on in life? What is the effect on that infant’s potential to express itself completely and wholly as a human being? What kind of symptoms and diseases could it cause later on in life?

The neck is an area of the body that cannot afford to have an injury remain uncorrected. Since injuries here can affect the brain stem, all the vital functions of the body are inhibited. This can occur whether there are symptoms present or not.

Neck Injuries Can Affect the Entire Body
Do you remember what happened to Christopher Reeve, the actor who played Superman in the movies? He was riding his horse and fell on his head, breaking a bone in his upper neck.

In interviews after his injury, it was clear that he was unable to breathe without the use of a ventilator machine. He also was unable to control his elimination system. Many of his other bodily functions were altered. “How could this be?” you might ask, “He didn’t hurt his lungs, his bowel, or his bladder. He hurt his neck.”

This is precisely the point. When the neck is injured, the entire body is affected. When there is an injury to the spine, the organs and systems supplied by those nerves become dysfunctional. These injuries, which are very often vertebral subluxations, can alter the course of a person’s life if not immediately corrected.

A healthy spine and nervous system will ensure your baby’s development during every stage of their life. Don’t wait for a crisis. Make an appointment to have a spinal examination performed by a chiropractor who is trained to find and correct these injuries whether they are symptomatic or not.