In the case of the latter, there are quite a few things that you, as a parent, can do to help reduce these “seasonal” headaches.  For starters, enforce an earlier bedtime so that your child will be well-rested before beginning a new school year. In fact, in a new study published in Headache, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that sleep and emotional disorders were common in adolescents with migraines. You should minimize (or eliminate) your child’s caffeine consumption (there is plenty of caffeine in certain soda pops). Obviously caffeine can make getting to sleep more difficult.  Also, make certain that your child is eating balanced meals and regular snacks, as well as drinking enough amount of water. Dehydration can often cause a headache.

If your child does develop a headache, chiropractic care is an effective, drug-free alternative for headache pain relief.  Over-the-counter medications, even once a week, can potentially put your child at risk for gastrointestinal and liver problems.

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Because a chiropractic approach to ADHD is natural and drug-free, a large number of parents choose chiropractic care over the conventional medical practice of giving children Class 2 psychotropic drugs that have intense side effects including personality changes and permanent alterations in the brain. The vast majority of parents who’ve opted for chiropractic treatment for their children have noted marvelous behavioral changes as a result.

Due to the differences between the manner in which boys and girls use the two hemispheres of their brain, ADHD seems to occur in more boys than girls and, additionally, for the same reason is often more  easily observable in the behavior of boys than of girls. Some of the symptoms that are most prominent include difficulty concentrating and sitting still, lack of ability to control impulsive thoughts and behaviors, easily distracted by noises and activities, constant movement of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs.

Quite a few children who manifest ADHD symptoms are hypersensitive to certain foods, such as dairy or gluten products, and sugars and artificial sweeteners. Furthermore, they generally have a hypersensitive reaction to additives in foods, herbicides and pesticides used to grow non-organic fruits and vegetables, and laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, and other chemicals. Often, the removal of these environmental agencies can go a long way in reducing ADHD symptoms.

Checking for spinal anomalies and certain responses to specific neurological tests are part of the thorough examination offered by your chiropractor.

You may be able to assist your child in getting his or her life back in balance through natural, safe chiropractic care. Before taking drastic pharmaceutical measures, if your child displays the symptoms of ADHD, call your chiropractor to make an appointment for a complete evaluation. Call today for the health of your child!

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A new study shows that short children are no more likely to be depressed, unpopular with their classmates, or have other social and emotional problems than their taller peers. Good news concerned parents! Apparently, the “traumas and dramas” of childhood happen to children of all shapes and sizes.

The study, published in Pediatrics, analyzed data on 712 sixth-graders. Twenty-eight children were classified as having short stature, i.e., they were below the 10th percentile on a growth chart; the remaining children were non-short stature (10th percentile and up). Average height was considered between 25th and 75th percentiles.

The social and emotional well-being of the study group was measured through a number of questionnaires answered by their teachers and the children, themselves. Short children reported slightly higher levels of being victimized or teased by their peers, but there was no difference on other measures of depression, behavioral problems, or popularity.

As soon as a baby is born, pediatricians start monitoring that child’s height and weight by percentile. Although low numbers may create anxiety in parents, that anxiety is likely unwarranted, the researchers write. The short children in the study “reported marginally higher levels of peer victimization … this was not associated with poorer adaptation,” said Joyce Lee, MD, MPH with the department of pediatrics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues.

So, listen up parents of short children because the researchers concluded that short children may interpret the everyday teasing as more significant because their parents “verbalize concerns about their child’s height and its possible negative impact on social functioning.” The best thing that any parent can do for their children is to encourage them to feel confident and secure about themselves and to measure their “growth” from the inside out.

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In fact, rather than attempting to slow these little ones down, five-year-olds should be encouraged to be as active as possible, according to a new University of Iowa study. What’s the rationale? “Because it pays off as they grow older,” said Kathleen Janz, lead author of the study and professor of health and sport studies in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Being active at age five assists kids in staying lean as they get older even if they don’t continue to be as active further into childhood. “We call this effect ‘banking’ because the kids benefit later on, similar to having a savings account at a bank. The protective effect is independent of what happens in between,” Janz went on to say.

Using an accelerometer that gauges movement every minute, and a distinctive scanner that meticulously measures bone, fat, and muscle tissue, the UI team calculated the body fat and activity level of 333 children at ages five, eight, and eleven. The kids put on accelerometers to tabulate their activity level for up to five days, affording much more reliable data than depending on kids or parents to track minutes of exercise.

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicates that kids who are active at age five end up with less fat at age eight and eleven, even when controlling for their accumulated level of activity. The average five-year-old in the study got thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day. For every ten minutes on top of that, kids had one-third of a pound less fat tissue at ages eight and eleven.

Though supplementary investigation is required to discover exactly what takes place in the body of these active kids, Janz postulated that there was a possibility that the active 5-year-olds didn’t develop as many fat cells, that their insulin response improved, or that a process occurred metabolically that supplied some defense down the road even as the kids became less active.

Nonetheless, as appealing as this study is, weight moderation is not the only benefit of early exercise. As a chiropractor I have noticed in my own practice that active kids have far less common childhood health challenges, such as catching colds and the flu. Chiropractic care is, of course, exceptionally beneficial in helping kids to stay healthier. But, in addition, the stimulation to the brain that takes place during activities, especially those that necessitate “cross pattern” motor movements of the larger muscles, i.e., right hand/left leg and left hand/right leg, such as crawling, running, climbing, and skipping, also boosts the autoimmune system and keeps kids healthier.

Too many children these days are overweight and unhealthy. Though part of the problem is an inappropriate diet, lack of exercise is also a major contributing factor. If you have a five-year-old who prefers to watch television or play video games rather than participating in more active play, it is up to you to help your child to get up and get moving into healthier activities. Moderate to vigorous exercise will not only benefit your child now, but will help to build a healthier future. You can bank on it!

Dr. Jamie Phillips, is a consultant for Bloczone Marketing, a chiropractic marketing company specializing in chiropractic websites that attract new patients. She also instructs chiropractors in Honolulu and across the country how to market their chiropractic practices on the internet.

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I have noticed recently that the media has bombarded us with innumerable sensationalized articles hailing studies on the heart benefits of red wine (resveratrol), the memory loss benefits of coffee (caffeine), and the stunning benefits of a monumental amount of natural supplements that singularly “guarantee” to reduce or prevent every known cause of mortality. In deed, if the reports and advertisements are any indication of human focus, our quest for longevity has been supplanted by a desire for immortality.

To begin with, let me make it unquestionably clear that I unwaveringly believe that certain~particular things that we put into our bodies can be beneficial to our health. So, I’m definitely not opposed to taking supplements. Not only do I advocate them for my patients, but I listen to my own advice and take them as well. Secondly, if confession is good for the soul, and red wine is good for the heart, then I’d like to take this opportunity to help both by stating for the record that I enjoy drinking a glass of red wine. The suggestion that it might have heart-healthy properties, well, that’s like icing on the cake, so to speak. And, lastly, as far as caffeine’s ability to actually reverse or prevent Alzheimer’s disease goes, I believe that if that were commonly the case, life would be far less frightening and far more enjoyable for many people and their families.

However, before perhaps, acting irrationally, and indiscriminately adding more coffee to your morning habit, an extra glass of red wine to your evening meal, or an additional expenditure of your hard-earned cash on exotic herbs that promise to make you live forever, let’s rationally think about a couple of things.

For instance, let us think about the fact that we, humans, are dynamic, biological beings, free to enthusiastically interact with life. We have not been detained in a cage, and not one of us has been “propagated” to artificially develop the age-related debilitation and disease that lab animals are bred to do, conditions that are then “reversed” by resveratrol, caffeine, or some exotic herb.

Essentially, our being dynamic and biological means that we are not “robots,” and that we are more than the sum total of our parts. We are each organically unique in certain ways, which is to say, we respond differently to internal stimulating factors and external instigating influences. For example, though generally, smoking cigarettes is harmful, there is a small minority of people who appear to be able to smoke and live to be ninety years old without any obvious ill effects.

Scientific studies isolate certain variables in order to achieve particular outcomes. That’s scientific inquiry! But, because the results occur through such isolation, and due to the fact that they are generally done on animals, when it comes to translating such results to humans, it can be said that what may work for some of the people all of the time, won’t work for all of the people all of the time, and sometimes won’t work at all (to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln!).

Each day you make deliberate decisions about what you’ll eat and how much activity and rest you’ll get. Even though you know what “feels” nutritious for your individual system by the way your body responds, not all the choices you make may be beneficial for your health and longevity. In fact, perhaps few of the choices you’ve been making lately are actually healthy ones.

Then, a report comes out asserting that researchers have finally found the “missing link” between we, humans, and immortality, that they’ve uncovered, in fact, THE THING that has the amazing power to reverse all of the overindulgent and unhealthy things you may have been doing to your body on a daily basis, and you, like many others, may want to jump on the bandwagon. Talk about “magical” thinking!

Your human body is an elegantly complex, homeostatic system. In other words, every operation is interdependent and sensitively balanced. When you choose an unhealthy lifestyle, your fastidiously-responsive system gets “off balance.” Sooner or later, the imbalances created by choosing unhealthily, result in diseases and a shortened lifespan.

As a chiropractor who supplements daily, I suggest that you supplement, too, if they help you to feel vigorously healthy. I agree, as well, that if it feels like the thing to do, an extra cup of coffee might actually be personally beneficial for you. And, if it truly feels healthy, have a little more red wine. Just keep in mind, however, that the only authentic way that you can prevent or reverse age-related health problems is by changing an unhealthy lifestyle. You won’t become healthier or live longer by waiting for the discovery of a “magic potion.”

Dr. Jamie Phillips, a Santa Barbara Chiropractor, has been a practicing chiropractor for 24 years. She is also a consultant for Bloczone Marketing, a chiropractic internet marketing company specializing in chiropractic websites that attract new patients.

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learning While Fidgeting: ADHD

Do you remember being a school child and having some difficulty sitting still after a certain amount of time? I certainly do. In fact, I remember the oncer per week assembly when I was in elementary school. It was required that we all sit up, feet flat on the floor and elbows off of the elbow rest. I never could understand the wisdom behind not being allowed to use the elbow rests to rest our elbows. But, the rule was strictly enforced. I had great difficulty with this because I wanted to fidget and so did all of my classmates. Worse than that, we had to pay attention. There were times when we were told things that we were required to repeat to our parents that evening. As much as I struggled to pay attention and remember, the message went by me with the speed of light. I often asked and even begged my classmates, after assembly, what the message was. Depending on whether they were in a mood to torture me or not, my friends just might repeat the message to me. You see, it is not that I forgot the message. Rather, I never heard the message. But, the worst part of the whole thing was being told to “sit still.” Try as I might, I just could not. I had to fidget!

Even now, my wife will ask me, “why are you jiggling?” And my answer is always: “Uh, I don’t know.”

I am now 66 years of age. When I was a child in elementary school, no one ever heard of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To be specific, I had the ADD part of the problem with very little hyperacitivity (except for the jiggle), but just enough to get me in trouble by talking a little too much and feeling the need to put my elbows on the elbow rest. There were many instructions that I simply never heard and, therefore, got things wrong. It got to the point where I suspected that I might just be dumb. I was not dumb, but I had and still have ADD. At some point in my school life I learned to compenstate for my problems without realizing that this was what I was doing. In other words, with no diagnosis but a suspicion about myself that something was wrong, I taught myself ways to get and retain the informaton that I needed. That is how I got through graduate school with two Master’s degrees and a PhD.
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A recent, small but significant study revealed the possibility that allowing ADHD kids to squirm is better for them than demanding that they sit still. Counter to the old school maxim, “sit still and pay attention,” the study indicates that letting them squirm helps them pay attention. Mark Rapport, University of Central Florida School Psychology Professor, conducted a small study using 23 boys ages 8 to 12 and took 4 years to meticulously study them. His study yielded some interesting data.

First, children with ADD cannot follow complicated instructions. If you tell them to open their book to page twelve, do problems 4,5,9 and and do not do the rest of them, the ADD children will forget everything after open the book to page twelve. Assignments must be given in segments so that their working memory is not over taxed. In addition, allowing the fidgeting may actually help these kids focus their attention instead of demanding that they sit still.

Ahhh, I really believe that if I had been allowed to jiggle away in elementary school I might have done a lot better by being better able to hear things.

Another recent study cited the fact that all elementary and middle school children perform better if they have had time during the day to get plenty of exercise.

Children with either ADD or ADHD are not stupid, lazy or unmotivated. They do not store memory in the same way others do and they need to be taught ways to help them remember what they must do. Teachers and parents have to help these kids learn how to compensate for these problems and keep in mind that these children are really not hearing or remembering compex instructions.

At the same time, all children need plenty of time to exercise and not just after school.

It seems that wiggling and exercising helps all of us improve our attention.

Article written by Allan N. Schwartz, LCSW, PhD on Sun, Apr 26th 2009

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One of the most frequently misunderstood conditions among patients is arthritis..When some people hear this word they contemplate a future with crippled and twisted joints.  However, many conditions from benign to severe are listed under the term, arthritis. For our purposes we will restrict this discourse to the most common forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis and Chiropractic Care

The most common form of arthritis has many names: osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease (DJD), and spondylosis if it is in the spine. Basically, the condition is due to the wearing out of the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces, and it is found not only in humans, but also in all mammals. Degenerative changes in the joint happens when joint cartilage is damaged and causes stress to the sensitive bone tissue that is normally protected by the cartilage. Sometimes the bone around the joint will proliferate and make osteophytes, or what are more commonly called bone spurs. These spurs can produce painful irritation to other tissues around the joint, in this way complicating the already painful condition.

Degenerative joints as a rule occur in the lower neck and lower back, the knees, hips, and fingers. Everyone may experience DJD at one point in their lives, though previous trauma, ones occupation, activities, weight, diet, and heredity influence the degree of the condition and its onset.

The symptoms of DJD always involve some degree of pain and/or stiffness in the body part involved, for instance, neck pain. As the condition advances there can be loss of mobility, notably when weight-bearing joints such as hips or knees are involved.  As a last resort joints can be surgically replaced with synthetic devices. This should be done only in severe cases where the joint is measurably worn and movement is unattainable without severe pain.

Prevention is invariably the best option, beginning at an early age.

    * One should always guarantee that, especially when young, all injuries to joints are correctly managed to insure proper healing to avoid future disability.
    * Shoes with suitable support and shock absorption should be worn by those whose jobs require extended periods of standing or walking.
    * Weight loss through proper diet will help to reduce stress on weight-bearing body joints.

    * Avoid kneeling on hard surfaces, such as when doing housework, as this can put strain and produce knee pain.

    * The natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants provided by fruits and vegetables are crucial for healthy joints and a healthy body.

Recently there have been some studies that reveal that the nutritional supplement, Glucosamine, can help with DJD and may actually help rebuild joint cartilage. However, it must be used over a long-term period and does not work in all conditions.

Chiropractic adjustments assist in restoring proper mobility and function to the spinal joints. Chiropractic care is not only a smart idea, but extremely effective in relieving the debilitating pain of arthritis. Your Chicago chiropractor is highly trained when it comes to arthritic pain relief. Other forms of chiropractic care may include joint mobilization, massage, ultrasound, cold laser, or electro-therapy, all of which may be helpful in the relief of painful and stiff joints. Occasionally, a brace is required to stabilize the joint and relieve pain. A chiropractor may suggest exercises such as stretching, yoga, tai chi and other gentle mobilizing activities to help maintain arthritic joints.

Gout

Gouty arthritis is generated by increased levels of uric acid in the blood and the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. Generally, gouty arthritis is characterized by acute pain and swelling of the joints in the big toes, knees, ankles and wrists. Most people who develop gout are predisposed through heredity, though episodes are generally brought on by binge eating of inflammatory foods, when dehydrated or fasting, or after a major surgery or illness. Foods that need to be avoided have a natural substance called Purines that are metabolized in the liver to form uric acid. Those with this condition cannot efficiently metabolize uric acid, thus the buildup in the bloodstream and the resultant joint problems. The foods most connected with high purine content are: red meat especially organ meat, certain seafood, legumes, mushrooms and other foods as well. There are other dietary restrictions that must be followed including the avoidance of alcohol.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is systemic in nature and thought to be produced by immune system dysfunction. The most common joints affected are the small joints of the hands and fingers, the feet, knees, and shoulder, though other areas of the body can be affected as well. Morning stiffness made more painful by movement is usually associated with the disease. Frequently people complain of general malaise and fatigue, and the disease in its more advanced forms can affect many of the other body systems. Rheumatoid arthritis can be easily identified through specific blood tests. Though, currently, there is no cure, in addition to medication and vitamin and diet therapy, treatment should include chiropractic treatments to mobilize joints and help to relieve the pain and stiffness associated with this disease. Additional modalities such as ultrasound, heat, electro-therapy, and massage may also be beneficial. Your Chicago chiropractor is dedicated to supporting people in getting relief from the pain and suffering associated with arthritis.

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A normal spine looks straight, without much deviation from side-to-side, when the body is seen from behind. But, if the spine is viewed to have a lateral, or side-to-side, curvature, the person might have an affliction called scoliosis.The condition shouldn’t be confused with poor posture, even though it often gives the appearance that the patient is leaning to one side. Scoliosis is a complicated deformity that is defined by both lateral curvature and rotation of the vertebra often causing a symptomatic “rib hump” in the mid or thoracic spine. This is created by the vertebrae in the zone of the major curve rotating toward the concavity and pushing their fastened ribs posterior hence causing the distinctive rib hump seen in thoracic scoliosis. If the thoracic curve and rib rotation are severe, greater than 70 degrees, pulmonary and cardiac function can be impeded. Frequently later in life in untreated severe idiopathic infantile and juvenile scoliosis patients, this intensity of curve and consequential cardiac and pulmonary changes can be life threatening.

Anatomy

The spine displays four normal curves: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral, all of which are apparent from a side view of the trunk. In the lower spine there is a healthy “C-shaped” curve called swayback or lordosis, while the thoracic curve in the chest region has a “reverse C” called a kyphosis. Increased kyphosis in the thoracic area is called hyperkyphosis, while increased swayback is termed, hyperlordosis. Scoliosis changes regularly accompany diversions from normal on a side view. Some round back deformities are simply due to poor posture and can often be corrected with postural exercises. A small portion of people with kyphosis have more rigid deformities than the postural type, which are associated with vertebral deformity. This kind of deformity, called Scheuermann’s kyphosis, is much more problematic to treat than postural kyphosis, and it’s cause is unknown.

Even a nonprofessional can help to identify a child or grownup with scoliosis merely by looking at the person in a standing position, preferably with no shirt and in briefs, and observing the following:

• One shoulder may be higher than the other.

• One scapula (shoulder blade) may be higher or more prominent than the other.

• There may be more area between the arm and the body on one side when the arms hang relaxed at the side.

• One hip may appear to be more elevated or more conspicuous than the other.

• The head is not aligned with the pelvis.

• One side of the back appears more raised than the other when the individual is observed from the rear and asked to flex forward until the the spine is horizontal.

Once scoliosis is identified, the child or adult should be sent to a healthcare professional, such as a chiropractor, for further evaluation. your chiropractor would be happy to help.

The most common kind of scoliosis is, by far, Idiopathic, and although there are many different roots and many types, Idiopathic Scoliosis accounts for about 85% of all cases. “Idiopathic” means “no known cause” and is observed with equal occurrence in boys and girls in the mild or low curve magnitudes. Depending on the age of onset, this condition can be sub-classified into infantile, juvenile and adolescent categories. Idiopathic Scoliosis commonly runs in families and may be linked to genetic or hereditary influences. However girls, for unknown reasons are five to eight times more likely than boys to have their curves grow in size and require treatment. As the term “Idiopathic Scoliosis” implies, this kind of scoliosis commonly occurs when children are finishing their last major growth spurt. It is smart to have this age group viewed by a professional on a regular basis because young people are disinclined to permit their body to be seen by parents or other adults.

If a scoliotic curve is observed in the growing adolescent, it is very important that the curves be monitored for advancement by periodic examination and sometimes standing X-rays. In ninety percent of cases, the scoliosis is mild and does not require active treatment, but increases in spinal deformity demand evaluation to decide if a brace or other therapy is needed. In a small number of people, surgical treatment may be necessary.~Surgery may be necessary for a small number of individuals.

Brace therapy (orthosis) is recommended for both juvenile and adolescent children when an increase in their scoliosis or kyphosis is observed, or when new cases of moderate scoliosis or abnormal kyphosis are found. There are quite a few types of braces, all created to prevent curves from increasing through the process of acting as a buttress for the spine during active skeletal growth. Bracing is effective in preventing curve progression in a very large percentage of skeletally-immature adolescents. However, braces generally won’t make the spine entirely straight, and cannot always keep a curve from progressing.

Scoliosis has no simple resolution. Nearly all cases, even though frequently monitored, are not actively treated. The standard medical treatment for moderate conditions is a brace, whereas severe conditions in some cases are treated surgically. You may want to see your local chiropractor first.

Specialized exercise, electric stimulation of spinal muscles, nutritional programs, and chiropractic treatments are among the complementary treatments used in addition to bracing. It seems like the most effective results have been supported with a multi-faceted approach to the management of this abnormality.

There are chiropractors, that have years of experience managing scoliosis conditions.

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