Kids and Chiropractic: A Growing Trend

More parents are choosing alternative therapies to complement their families’ health strategy, and chiropractic care has been established to be first and foremost on their mind. Our office is a proud, supporting member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) because the ICPA stands behind its advanced training with published research! Yes, this nonprofit organization uses all profits from their Pathways magazines to fund research on chiropractic: family wellness care.

Chiropractors and Pediatric Patients In 2010, the ICPA evaluated 548 ICPA chiropractors in the U.S., Canada, and Europe on their pediatric practices. They found that 21% of their patients were children under the age of eighteen. Even considering the increase in likelihood of pediatric care due to participants being ICPA members, this is a stark increase from a previous study that showed pediatrics comprising only 11% patient load in 2000. When parents bring children to one of our members’ practices, they receive specific chiropractic adjustments tailored to the child’s age and size. 

While pediatric chiropractic involves the correction of spinal misalignment that may be linked to various health conditions, its primary focus includes wellness visits, with otherwise healthy children coming in for preventative “checkups.” Of course, the scope of chiropractic does not include the treatment of disease, and 80% of responders said that they refer patients to medical practitioners when needed. ICPA chiropractors, hope to help our patients develop healthcare partnerships that involve professionals in all fields. Integrative health care of this sort may significantly improve one’s quality of life. Ideally, all patients would have this kind of access to multiple healthcare professionals, offering them high quality care in each of their fields of expertise. Unfortunately, the chiropractors that we evaluated reported that only 29% of them had received a referral from a medical physician. One-sided partnerships like this are limited in efficacy, and the disparity may be linked to misinformation or a lack of information about pediatric chiropractic care.

Scope of Pediatric Chiropractic Care 

It’s important to acknowledge that chiropractic care is not a new development. In fact, chiropractic is considered to be the oldest “alternative” medicine in North America. Of the health care professionals who have primary contact with patients in the U.S., chiropractors fall third, just after physicians and dentists. Chiropractic has developed over time, and its growing popularity is a testament to its reputation of being a trustworthy and reputable profession. While the vast majority of adults typically visit their chiropractor to resolve neck or back pain, pediatric visits are not as limited. In our study, care relating to pain fell well below wellness care, digestive health, and ear, nose and throat complaints.

Controversy for Non-Pain Related Visits 

When chiropractors are visited, it is stereotypically for their work on painful conditions of the neck and back. With such a high volume of pediatric patients coming in for non-pain related issues, the question of efficacy and necessity arises. Bringing ear aches and digestive wellness or preventive care for infants into the question is often unfamiliar to people outside of our circle. Nonetheless, chiropractic adjustments to resolve spinal misalignments are the focus of the professional. And even when pediatric patients visit for seemingly unrelated issues, chiropractors do not treat these conditions directly, but only address the misalignments, regardless of the issue. Unfortunately, validation supporting these matters is scarce because performing blind studies proves a difficult task. It’s virtually impossible to “fake” a chiropractic adjustment, the clinical ramifications of performing an adjustment in an incorrect manner (to test the hypothesis that a properly performed adjustment is clinically relevant) is inhumane and would never pass the scrutiny of a research review board. 

Despite these challenges, the ICPA does have an excellent body of data to evaluate in their Research Program methods; not to mention countless testimonial accounts spanning the globe of how children’s lives are being dramatically enhanced by what we do. As ICPA Director of Research, Joel Alcantara, D.C., concluded in a commentary on an adverse events report: Evidence-based practice is dependent not only the existing literature, but also the clinical expertise and patient’s or parents’ wishes. Yes, studies are lacking in making risk assessments on the use of spinal adjustments in the pediatric population. However, we in the chiropractic profession have over 100 years of clinical experience on the chiropractic care of children. I would assert that chiropractors perform adjustment procedures more than any other healthcare profession. In other words, the proof is in the pudding and ever since the first adjustment in 1895, chiropractors have been serving whole families in their communities with great success! 

Why Alternative Therapies are Appealing 

The long history of chiropractic may be a contributor to the growing popularity of pediatric care. Individuals are seeking more integrative health and becoming more informed as research and health philosophies become accessible. When a patient turns to alternative therapies, it is not because they are unhappy with their conventional care providers. On the contrary, they report a preference for alternative medicine because it aligns with their belief system. Patients and parents who become more informed on health and wellness issues tend to have a paradigm shift, congruent with the growing preference for integrative care, and many find that the chiropractic lifestyle aligns with this paradigm. 

Because of this philosophy shift, a partnership between allopathic medicine and alternative remedies is more important than ever. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recognized this, establishing the Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine to help educate physicians and their patients. Opening communication between physicians and chiropractors will help to establish the integrative care that patients thrive under, helping them to feel confident making informed choices, knowing that their care providers will partner to provide their children with the highest standard of care.

Provided by Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, published by ICPA, Inc. For more information visit: www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org and www.icpa4kids.org. 

To Your Health February, 2015 (Vol. 09, Issue 02)

Growing Up With Antibiotics, Growing Up With Asthma?

By Editorial Staff

In the latest (but probably not the last) research to associate antibiotic use during infancy with the development of asthma, three studies suggest exposure to antibiotics (either prescribed to the pregnant mother or the child during the first year after birth) increases the risk that the child will suffer from asthma.

The first study found that "both prenatal (before birth) and post-natal exposure to antibiotics was associated with an increased risk of asthma." Building on this, the second study noted: "Antibiotic use in the first year life is associated with an increased risk of early-onset childhood asthma that began before 3 years of age. The apparent effect has a clear dose response" (the more you take, the greater the risk).

The third study compared babies born in urban areas with those born in rural areas. While a number of factors increased the risk of asthma, "the use of antibiotics" was one factor contributing to development of the condition, particularly in urban areas.

Talk to your doctor about the risk-benefit profile of any medication you're prescribed / recommended (including over-the-counter products); then make an informed decision on whether it's worth the risk.

ADHD Research found that 64% of children with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to...

Factoid:
A study at the ADHD Research Center in the Netherlands, found that 64% of children diagnosed
with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food.

Make Nutrition a Priority

Unless your child is having an acute situation that demands urgent intervention, please explore safe, natural
approaches that emphasize nutritional factors before you subject your little ones to dangerous, traumatic surgeries,procedures, and toxic drugs.
There are thousands of surgeries performed every year on children who have had recurrent ear infections, for
example; surgeries that frequently could have been prevented by identifying and eliminating offending foods from the child’s diet. Either do some research and experimenting on your own or work with a chiropractor or other holistic practitioner who is knowledgeable about food sensitivities. Also be sure to have your child’s spine checked by a chiropractor, as nerve interference is often at the root of childhood conditions including ear infections and bed wetting.
By now I hope you are convinced that helping your children to eat well is essential, and have a pretty good idea of what to feed them. But I know what many of you are probably thinking at this point—actually getting them to eat better is another story. We’ll address that topic in an upcoming article, Tips for Helping Kids Eat Healthier. So stay tuned!

Tylenol in Pregnancy: ADHD in Kids

The list of dangers for acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, just grew substantially. JAMA Pediatrics recently reported that acetaminophen use by women who are pregnant can double the risk of behavior disorders in their children. This new report adds to the growing list of acetaminophen dangers.

If you visit www.drugs.com and search "Side Effects of Tylenol" you will see 12 pages of side effects ranging from unpleasant digestive issues, mood swings, seizures and dizziness to list a few. The FDA warns that too much acetaminophen can cause liver damage.

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is the most commonly used medication for pain and fever during pregnancy in many countries. Research data suggest that acetaminophen is a hormone disruptor, and abnormal hormonal exposures in pregnancy may influence fetal brain development. A study of over 64 thousand families in the Danish National Birth Cohort revealed that acetaminophen use during pregnancy is strongly linked to an increase as much as 30% of ADHD cases in children during the first 7 years of life. 37% of children are at greater risk of Hyperkinetic Disorder if exposed to acetaminophen before birth. According to the study, 20 or more weeks of acetaminophen use nearly doubled the risk of Hyperkinetic and Attention Deficit disorders. The study’s authors state "it is possible that acetaminophen may interrupt brain development", and "should no longer be considered a safe drug for use in pregnancy".

Tylenol is not candy and neither is any acetaminophen-filled medication, whether it available over-the-counter or in prescription strength. During pregnancy what a woman puts in her body directly affects her unborn child by becoming the building blocks used to develop the baby’s eyes, ears, lungs, heart, muscles, skin and brain.

Instead of taking drugs, many women are flocking to chiropractors for relief from discomfort and pain associated with pregnancy as well as to keep their pelvis aligned and balanced which supports a healthy delivery. A study published in 2012 by Chiropractic and Manual Studies stated, "All patients found chiropractic treatment to be effective and that it helped relieve them of their lower back pain and associated symptoms. Patients reported that chiropractic treatment had improved their daily living activities and their mobility, while it decreased their overall pain and discomfort."

There are many chiropractic techniques that are gentle on pregnant women and their babies and provide great results. There is even one specialized technique that can assist in turning a breech positioned baby into its normal position. Dr. Larry Webster developed a gentle chiropractic adjusting technique (called the Webster Technique) to restore movement and alignment in the lower spine throughout pregnancy. During his career of working with over 1,000 pregnant moms, Dr. Webster reported that over 90% of the babies optimized their positioning in utero when the mother received this adjustment.

Rather than risk the immediate and long term effects of acetaminophen, contact us and experience how Chiropractic Care can help you enjoy a healthy drug free pregnancy and live the healthy drug free lifestyle you and your family deserve.

References:
JAMA Pediatr. Published online February 24, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.4914

Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2012, 20:32 doi:10.1186/2045-709X-20-32 http://www.chiromt.com/content/20/1/32

http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/for-many-pregnant-moms-webster-technique-is-the-key-to-a-safer-birth/All-Pages.html

The Real Dangers of Soda to You and Your Children

by Dr. Joseph Mercola and Rachael Droege

How many sodas have you had today? How about your kids? The average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year, but before you grab that next can of soda, consider this: one can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites.

This is an alarming amount of sugar, calories and harmful additives in a product that has absolutely no nutritional value. Plus, studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease. Despite this, soda accounts for more than one-quarter of all drinks consumed in the United States.

Teenagers and children, who many soft drinks are marketed toward, are among the largest consumers. In the past 10 years, soft drink consumption among children has almost doubled in the United States. Teenage boys now drink, on average, three or more cans of soda per day, and 10 percent drink seven or more cans a day. The average for teenage girls is more than two cans a day, and 10 percent drink more than five cans a day.

While these numbers may sound high, they’re not surprising considering that most school hallways are lined with vending machines that sell, of course, soft drinks. It’s not uncommon for schools to make marketing deals with leading soft drink companies such as Coca-Cola from which they receive commissions—based on a percentage of sales at each school—and sometimes a lump-sum payment.

The revenues are used for various academic and after-school activities, but what activity could be worth devastating the students’ health, which is exactly what consuming all that soda is doing? Getting rid of vending machines in schools— or replacing their contents with pure water and healthy snacks—could make a big difference, as vending machines can increase the consumption of sweetened beverages by up to 50 or more cans of soda per student per year.

Let’s take a look at some of the major components of a can of soda:

• Phosphoric Acid: May interfere with the body’s ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.
• Sugar: Soft drink manufacturers are the largest single user of refined sugar in the United States. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar.
• Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. Further, when aspartame is stored for long periods of time or kept in warm areas it changes to methanol, an alcohol that converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.
• Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.
• Tap Water: I recommend that everyone avoid drinking tap water because it can carry any number of chemicals including chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and various organic pollutants. Tap water is the main ingredient in bottled soft drinks.
• Soda is one of the main reasons, nutritionally speaking, why many people suffer health problems. Aside from the negative effects of the soda itself, drinking a lot of soda is likely to leave you with little appetite for vegetables, protein and other food that your body needs.

If you are still drinking soda, stopping the habit is an easy way to improve your health. Pure water is a much better choice. If you must drink a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water.

About the Author:

© Copyright 2005, Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission. Please visit Dr Mercola’s site for additional information and to subscribe to his free Natural Health Newsletter: www.mercola.com

Soda Causing Nutritional Deficiencies

Children and adolescents who drink soda may be depriving themselves of several important vitamins and minerals, results of a new survey suggest.

The researchers note that soda consumption among children and adolescents rose 41% between 1989–1991 and 1994–1995, mostly displacing milk and juice, the leading sources of many vitamins and minerals in the American diet.

The results are based on data from more than 4,000 children aged 2 to 17 years.

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Among children aged 2 to 5:

• 75% drank milk
• 53% drank juice
• 34% drank soda

In those aged 12 to 17:

• 63% of boys and 49% of girls drank milk
• 34% drank juice
• 68% of boys and 63% of girls drank soda

Soda drinkers were less likely to get the recommended levels of:

• vitamin A
• calcium
• magnesium

Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
November, 2000; 154: 1148-1152

- See more at: http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/component/option,com_crossjoomlaarticlemanager/Itemid,523/aid,1245/view,crossjoomlaarticlemanager/#sthash.4MqlUhYq.dpuf

New autism guidelines may reduce diagnoses by nearly one-third

New guidelines for defining autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may reduce the number of people being diagnosed with the condition by nearly one-third.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers from Columbia University have concluded that the updated guidelines, released by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 2013, may result in thousands of children with developmental delays no longer qualifying for the social and medical services they need.

The guidelines are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), often touted as the psychiatrist’s “bible” for diagnosing mental health disorders. The manual’s previous version, the DSM-IV-TR, listed three distinct subgroups for ASD: autistic disorder (AD), Asperger’s disorder and pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).   

But in the manual’s latest edition, the DSM-5, these subgroups were eliminated and replaced with one broad diagnosis of ASD, which places individuals on a continuum depending on the severity of their symptoms.  Additionally, another category called social communication disorder (SCD) was added for people with verbal and nonverbal communication impairments, and the APA noted that many individuals with PDD-NOS might now fall under this category.

After conducting a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of diagnostic rates, researchers found a 31 percent decrease of ASD diagnoses under the new DSM-5 guidelines, compared with cases of ASD identified by the DSM-IV-TR.  They also found a decrease in AD diagnoses of 22 percent and a decrease of PDD-NOS by 70 percent.  Furthermore, many of the people who failed to meet the criteria for ASD under the DSM-5 failed to qualify for SCD as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 88 children suffer from ASD – a statistic the researchers think will soon change.

"We are potentially going to lose diagnosis and treatment for some of the most vulnerable kids who have developmental delays," lead author Kristine Kulage, director of the office of scholarship and research development at Columbia Nursing, said in a press release. "In many instances, children require a diagnosis of ASD to receive medical benefits, educational support and social services."

Improvement in Quality of Life for Six Pregnant Patients Undergoing Chiropractic Care: The Promise of PROMIS

CASE SERIES

Improvement in Quality of Life for Six Pregnant Patients Undergoing Chiropractic Care: The Promise of PROMIS

Joel Alcantara, DC Bio & Jeanne Ohm, DC Bio

Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic ~ Volume 2013 ~ Issue 1 ~ Pages 11-14

Abstract

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Introduction: The use of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures in chiropractic pregnant patients remains virtually non-existent.  In this paper pregnant patients are characterized showcasing the use of the NIH PROMIS program to determine baseline HRQoL measures.

Methods: In addition to describing sociodemographic and clinical data, patient-centered outcomes measures utilizing the PROMIS-29 Profile V1.0 are demonstrated.

Results:   Six pregnant patients (average age=33.33 years) with average parity at 0.33 and mean gestation of 20 weeks are described. Their primary caregivers were obstetrician/gynecologists, nurse-midwives and midwives. All were aware of concurrent chiropractic care. The patients presented with NMS complaints and for wellness care. The PROMIS scoring demonstrated the dynamic nature of the HRQoL domains in pregnant patients with improvements (i.e., fear/anxiety, pain interference and satisfaction with social roles) and decrements (i.e., physical functioning and sleep disturbance) in HRQoL domains.

Discussion:   Evidence-informed practice expects that some aspect of chiropractic patients’ HRQoL measures will have demonstrable improvements. The use of PROMIS within a chiropractic Practice Based Research Network (PBRN) offers promise in this regard.

Conclusion:  Pregnant patients attending chiropractic care within a PBRN are characterized using PROMIS HRQoL measures. The use of valid outcome measures to demonstrate chiropractic effectiveness should be further implemented in research and practice.

Keywords:  Chiropractic, Practice Based Research Network, pregnancy, Health-related quality of life, PROMIS