Are you leaving loved ones at home…suffering?

 

I just had a long time patient come in this morning for a specific adjustment to help her perform at optimal function.   She has a demanding job as a Chicago Police Officer.  On her way out she was telling me about her husband who has asthma and is suffering because they had mold at home.  She was even concerned about the molds affect on her daughter’s health!

 

 

My initial reaction was complete shock:

1. That after more than a year of coming to appreciate what it is we do at our office, that she didn’t know Chiropractic would help her husband overcome asthma naturally, without meds!
2. That she didn’t know we could help kids, too!

 

My practice is filled with families, young and old.  I was surprised to see that even though patients have been immersed in my practice and have seen my philosophy for years, they sometimes forget to send their own families in.

 

I’m begging all of you NOT to take that road.  Everyone should be checked for subluxations in the nervous system to allow for optimal function.  Can you imagine going to a dentist only when your teeth hurt?  You probably wouldn’t even go until you were 40 years old.

 

There is a better way folks…natural care first, and it starts with kids.  40% of all babies are born by c-section, so almost half of our kids are born with spinal and nerve deficiency because of the trauma from birth.  Let’s not forget about the thousands of falls kids take while learning to walk, and the plethora of antibiotics and vaccines trashing their immune systems.

 

Then there are the medications for headaches, sports injuries, asthma, ADHD, ADD, the list goes on.   As kids get into adulthood,  they are given drugs to concentrate, to sleep and to help them get through college, then more prescriptions start in the 30′s and 40′s for high blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid problems…where do I stop?

 

Chiropractic FIRST!! That’s what I am saying.

 

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

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The other day my friends kids and I were playing an educational game called Noun or Verb? During the game, my friends son noticed that some words could be both a noun and a verb like water, step and love. That was when we decided to think of as many noun-verbs as possible. After the kids went to bed, I started thinking about a phone call I had with a chiropractor in New Jersey last week where we had been discussing the definitions of many words, including the word health.

 

Most people define health mainly as the absence of some form of dis-ease. Darkness is not the presence of something, but it is in reality the absence of light energy. Coldness is not the presence of something, but the absence of heat energy. Similarly, any manifestation of dis-ease (whether pain, spam, inflammation, cancer or ANY other “illness”) is not the presence of something; it is simply the particular and specific way that a decrease in the expression of your Life Energy has shown up in your body.

 

Having now reviewed this idea with you, I would like to take it a step further. In school, you may have learned about the word homeostasis. This describes how our bodies are constantly adapting in order to deal with changes in our environment and keep functioning at a normal level. The word homeostasis can be misleading because of the “stasis” part. Stasis literally means to stay. But the definition talks about how we are constantly changing. The truth is that health is not the absence of something; in fact, it isn’t a physical state at all!

 

Health is the ability to adapt to most of the stresses you encounter each day and maintain your NATURAL state of EASE.

 

This discrepancy between the word homeostasis and its commonly accepted definition has led to one of the world’s biggest misconceptions about health; namely that it is actually possible to be either healthy or sick. The truth is that we are continually dealing with changes in our internal and external worlds, and we are never the same from one moment to the next.

 

The fact that we are changing in every single moment means that it is not possible to be either healthy or sick! The truth is that in every single moment, you are either getting stronger and moving toward health, wellness and wholeness; or you are getting weaker and moving away from them. And, in order to continually get stronger and move in the direction of health and the full expression of Life, you need three things;

 

1) A Deliberate Focus on moving toward what you want (as opposed to trying to move away from what you don’t want).

 

2) A Healthy Lifestyle that supplies all of your cells with everything they need to function properly, heal and continue growing.

 

3) A Clear Neurological CONNECTION between you and your body. Because your nerve system is surrounded by and intimately connected to your spine, it is necessary to keep your spine aligned and functioning properly to allow this clear neurological connection. This is the true purpose behind a program of regular chiropractic care – to keep you fully connected!

 

There is one more noun-verb that we need to look at in order to tie this all together; the word is LIFE. Most people believe that life is a noun – a thing; but the truth is that all of life is continually changing – Life is a verb! And, since all of life is constantly changing, and because health is a PART OF life, that means that HEALTH is also a verb! Make sure you are taking care of all three things necessary to keep moving toward the full expression of Life, and always be ready to express your Light. That way you’ll always be ready to write, direct and star in your own life story…lights…camera…ACTION!

 

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

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Forward Head Posture, Cervicogenic Headache, and Anatomical Connection Found Between the Rectus Capitis Posterior Major and the Dura Mater by Dr. Stephanie Maj

 

A new study, just published in Spine Journal, reports on an investigation of the muscles of the suboccipital triangle and their relationship to cervicogenic headaches (headaches that are caused by subluxations in the neck.)

 

This got me thinking of a problem I see in over 75% of patients that come to my office:  Forward head posture.  This position (see picture) puts the neck in an extended position which puts pressure on the nerves that go to the muscles in the back of neck, right under the skull (the rectus capitus muscle group).

This study reports that those muscles connect to the dura mater. The dura mater is the outermost, toughest, and most fibrous of the three membranes, or meninges, covering the brain and spinal cord.

During the anatomic study of thirteen cadaver specimens, it was discovered that eleven of the 13 specimens had a connection between the rectus capitis posterior major muscle (at C2) and the spinal dura mater. [1]  A previous report by Hack (Spine 1995) [2] discussed a connection found between the rectus capitis posterior minor and the dura mater and its relationship to cervicogenic headache.

What is most interesting in this new study is that manual traction of the rectus capitis posterior major resulted in gross movement of the dural sheath from the spinal root level at C2, all the way down to the T1 nerve root.  Hack previously suggested that:

“It has been speculated that the function of the muscle dural bridge may be to prevent folding of the dura mater during hyperextension of the neck. Also, clinical evidence suggests that the muscle dural bridge may play an important role the pathogenesis of the cervicogenic headaches.”

The authors of the current study concluded that “various clinical manifestations may be linked to this anatomical relationship.”  This is where Chiropractic comes in and the stress put on these upper neck structures from forward head posture becomes an important thing to evaluate.

According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned. That’s because because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from crashing onto your chest. This abnormal positioning also forces the suboccipital muscles (the ones that raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 suboccipital nerves.

This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches. It is these nerves and muscles that have the relationship with the dura mater and therefore the brain and headaches.

If you are suffering from headaches of any kind, take a look at how far your head is in front of your shoulders (they should line up ear over top of shoulder.)  Chiropractic has great success correcting this postural abnormality and when corrected, can lead to less pressure on upper neck and significant reduction of headaches.

REFERENCES:

1. Anatomical Connection Between the Rectus Capitis Posterior Major and the Dura Mater

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 (Jan 27)

2. Anatomic Relation Between the Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor Muscle and the Dura Mater

Spine 1995 (Dec); 20 (23): 2484-2486

 

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

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I was asked to contribute to this blog on my experience with Chiropractic and boosting energy. I hope you enjoy!  Dr. Steph

 

Looking for ways to boost your energy during the hot summer months? Read our latest, helpful blog article.

©by Deborah Tukua www.chiropractorswritehand.com

Feeling tired all too often? You’re not alone. Blazing hot temperatures and humid weather can really zap your energy, especially if you work in a concrete jungle. Looking for ways to increase your stamina, energy, and brain power through the summer?

Exercise, the Energy Giver

• Start the day with the marvelous energy inducer – exercise. The old adage, you have to give to get is true when it relates to exercise and energy.
• Stay hydrated. Drink water before and after exercising to promote endurance and prevent fatigue.
• Get on your feet every hour, stretch and do at least 2 exercises before sitting down again.
• Walk, dance or exercise to music to motivate you, boosting your mood, and energy level. Make exercise something you look forward to.
• Do what you love, whether it’s swimming, ballet, basketball, Taekwondo, jogging, walking your dog, dancing, strolling in a park or taking a lap around the mall while window shopping.

Avoid These Summer Energy Downers

• Getting less than 8 hours of sleep compromises your immune system, increases your chances of illness, reduces your ability to concentrate, and depletes your energy. A good night’s sleep is necessary to keep your body charged and your brain functioning well.
• Beverages containing caffeine and alcohol can dehydrate the body and increase chances of fatigue. Avoid drinking stimulating beverages close to bedtime. Studies show that when more than one alcoholic beverage is consumed, it stimulates the body, increases your heart rate and causes stress on your circulatory system.
• Getting in and out of a hot car is sure to zap your energy level. Save running errands for when the sun starts to set, when possible.
• If you exercise during your lunch break, avoid exercising outdoors in bright, open areas consisting largely of asphalt or concrete. Instead, exercise indoors or in a shaded area.
• Avoid these energy zappers: hot showers and baths or sitting in a hot tub or sauna.
• Don’t skip meals when you’re tired. Refrain from eating energy robbing foods: sugar, refined white flour products, highly processed foods and unhealthy fats. Consuming these foods also promotes unhealthy weight-gain, another huge energy robber.
• Avoid sitting for long periods of time. Get up and move every hour.

Natural Energy Uppers

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits rich in water such as watermelon and vegetable or salad based meals instead of heavy red meat entrees.
• Consume these energy producing foods: green beans, grapes, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, almonds and pumpkin seeds, black beans, white fish, brown rice and unrefined, whole grains. Drink a healthy green drink daily. Wheatgrass is especially noted for increasing energy.
• These nutritional supplements fight fatigue and increase energy levels: MSM, bee pollen, magnesium and calcium, Brewer’s yeast, vitamin C, vitamin B Complex and ginseng. Consult your health practitioner before starting a supplement regimen, especially if you are taking medications, have allergies, or an existing health condition.
• Take a cold, refreshing shower or bath to rejuvenate energy levels before and after working outdoors, when you’re feeling hot or tired. Soaking your feet in cold water helps too. (If you have a heart condition or circulatory problem, check with your doctor before trying cold water treatments.)
• Practice good posture when sitting, standing or walking. Correct, strong posture allows you to breathe deeply and enhances your overall wellbeing. Ask your chiropractor to show you posture strengthening exercises.
• Fresh air and sunshine is invigorating, healthy and a mood enhancer. Spend 15 to 30 minutes outside daily for a healthy dose of vitamin D, as weather permits.

Note: Fatigue is a symptom of most illnesses. If fatigue is chronic, consult a health professional to determine if you need to adjust your diet, have a vitamin or mineral deficiency or other health condition.

Energy and Chiropractic Care

By Dr. Stephanie Maj

Meet this week’s Chiropractic Care contributor: Dr. Stephanie Maj is the author of the book, You Can Be Well! How to Improve Your Quality of Life Through a Healthier Lifestyle. She has been coaching families to a healthier lifestyle for over 16 years. Dr. Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Check out her blog at www.drmaj.com.

You cannot have Wellness without Chiropractic!

• The flow of energy in the body travels through the body’s wiring system – the nervous system. That flow travels in a looping cycle over your brain and spinal cord, through the nerves and back to the spinal cord and then back to your brain. Chiropractic adjustments remove interference to this nerve flow and allow your energy to be balanced, your immune system to be strong and your resistance to stress, high.
• Chiropractors look for interferences in that natural flow of energy. Because your nerves come through every level of the spine, an unbalanced spine can create blockages that may cause physical and emotional fatigue.
• Understand that chiropractic adjustments “Turn your body’s power ON!” By removing the interference in the flow of the nerves, the body is able to achieve optimal function in all areas, thus unlocking the flow of energy and supercharging the body.

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I just returned from a trip to Italy and everyone asks my “How was the pasta?” Well, it wasn’t the pasta that struck me about Italian cuisine, it is their olive oil.

This olive oil is literally alive. You pour it onto a plate (yes, to dip my bread in) and it is rich and green and heavenly!

I wanted to add something to my blog about the healing effects of olive oil and also to talk about the wonders of  ”Good Fat!”  Enjoy reading this article written by Dr. Leo Galland, a medical doctor I met early on in my career at a Functional Medicine conference.

Olive Oil: A Natural Painkiller?

Could a traditional food have pain- and inflammation-reducing effects similar to over the counter pain medicine like ibuprofen?

Scientists from Italy, Spain, the U.S. and Australia have discovered that extra virgin olive oil can provide significant health benefits, including the ability to help reduce pain and inflammation.

This robust, flavorful oil is an example of the food as medicine concept, that foods can have a powerful impact on health.

A Mythical, Sacred Oil

From ancient Greece to the Holy Land, olive oil has been treasured. Celebrated as sacred in Greek mythology, the olive branch symbolized peace in Hellenic culture. Evidence of this ancient oil was discovered in 1901 at the “Room of the Olive Press” at Knossos on the island of Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. From there olives were pressed into oil over 4,500 years ago and the olive oil was exported to North Africa and mainland Greece.

Cultivation of olive trees spread around the Mediterranean where olive oil flourished along with many early civilizations. The bible speaks of olive oil, and it has been used by Christianity and Judaism as a holy anointing oil.

Today, the major producers of olive oil are Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco and Syria.

But the growing popularity of olive oil can be seen in the spread of cultivation around the world to countries such as the U.S., Chile, and South Africa. Australia has become an energetic olive oil producer and exporter, and has just announced a record crop.

During travels with my family from the south of France to Tuscany to Greece I have witnessed the special beauty of the olive tree and tasted its fruit. Able to withstand heat, sun and survive on only a little moisture, the hardy olive tree became an icon of the Mediterranean region. Freezing temperatures, however, can harm the trees and the crop.

Eating Healthy With Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil can contribute nutritional support in the fight against such health problems as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and in pain management.

A research study from Spain has shown that higher olive oil consumption is associated with leaner body weight, an important factor in prevention of chronic conditions.

Another study from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain looked at how diets including olive oil might offer protection against depression: Bad Fats Linked to Depression

Natural Painkiller Discovered in Olive Oil

Recent research has identified the antioxidant called oleocanthal, which is only found in extra-virgin olive oil. Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia, found that oleocanthal in olive oil has a potency strikingly similar to that of the drug ibuprofen in inhibiting the cyclooxygenase (Cox) enzyme that causes pain and inflammation. Their findings were published in the science magazine Nature.

Given the side effects of common pain relieving drugs, finding a nutritional way to reduce pain and inflammation could be a solution for people suffering from pain.

In another study Italian researchers explain that the characteristic pungent and bitter taste of virgin olive oil have been attributed to phenols in the oil that have potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive and anti-cancer benefits.

Research on Health Benefits of Olive Oil

At the meeting of the “International conference on the healthy effect of virgin olive oil” that took place in Spain in 2005, numerous benefits of virgin olive oil from the research were outlined. They looked at the consumption of olive oil from the perspective of issues such as cardiovascular health, cancer and longevity. With respect to anti-aging they noted: “The more recent studies consistently support that the Mediterranean diet, based in virgin olive oil, is compatible with a healthier ageing and increased longevity.”

Consumption of olive oil has been associated with:

• Reduction of total cholesterol and an increase in the high-density cholesterol (HDL-C), which has a protective effect on blood vessels.
• Improved sensitivity of cells to insulin, which helps to prevent the Metabolic Syndrome. Preventing Metabolic Syndrome is important, because the syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
• Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease.

Potent Antioxidant Power of Olive Oil

Phenolic compounds are potent antioxidants found in virgin and extra-virgin olive oil. These compounds give unrefined olive oils their distinctive flavors and high degree of stability.

Studies indicate these compounds may be able to:

• Turn off the activity of genes that produce the kind of inflammation that causes coronary heart disease.
• Decrease production of inflammatory chemicals called thromboxanes and leukotrienes.
• Decrease the production of the most damaging form of cholesterol, oxidized LDL cholesterol.

University of South Australia researchers note that compounds from the olive were found to be antimicrobial against various bacteria.

And olive oil is just the beginning of anti-inflammatory foods. Learn more about fighting pain and inflammation in my article: Natural Anti- Inflammatory Foods and Supplements That Help Arthritis

Enjoying Olive Oil

The research studies focus on the benefits of extra-virgin olive oil, so this is what I always buy. I look for organic oil that has been grown without pesticides. Freshness counts, so I like shop where they sell a lot of oil, such as a big health food store. Store it in a cool place.

The amount of olive oil associated with protection against inflammation is only two teaspoons a day, which is easy to achieve. A sprinkle of olive oil makes a simple salad dressing, and a little oil can be used for dipping bread, instead of butter. Olive oil can also be used in baking.

Here is a popular tangy and sweet recipe from my book The Fat Resistance Diet, an anti-inflammatory dietary program.

Pomegranate Lime Dressing

Pomegranate juice is an outstanding source of flavonoids which help to reduce inflammation.

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon unsweetened pomegranate juice

In a jar, shake together the extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, and pomegranate juice. Serves 1.

Get more free recipes at fatresistancediet.com

Best Health,

Leo Galland, MD

References and Further Reading:

The Annual of the British School at Athens, Coverage: 1894-2007 (Vols. 1-102)

Olive Oil: From Tree to Table, Peggy Knickerbocker and Laurie Smith, Chronicle Books; 2nd edition (October 1997)

Nature. 2005 Sep 1;437(7055):45-6. “Phytochemistry: ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil.”Beauchamp GK, Keast RS, Morel D, Lin J, Pika J, Han Q, Lee CH, Smith AB, Breslin PA.

Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.

Inflammopharmacology. 2009 Apr;17(2):76-84. “Phenolic compounds in olive oil: antioxidant, health and organoleptic activities according to their chemical structure.” Servili M, Esposto S, Fabiani R, Urbani S, Taticchi A, Mariucci F, Selvaggini R, Montedoro GF.

Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-estimative e degli Alimenti, Sezione di Tecnologie e Biotecnologie degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via S. Costanzo, 06126 Perugia, Italy.

Eur J Clin Invest. 2005 Jul;35(7):421-4.”International conference on the healthy effect of virgin olive oil.”Perez-Jimenez F, Alvarez de Cienfuegos G, Badimon L, Barja G, Battino M, Blanco A, Bonanome A, Colomer R, Corella-Piquer D, Covas I, Chamorro-Quiros J, Escrich E, Gaforio JJ, Garcia Luna PP, Hidalgo L, Kafatos A, Kris-Etherton PM, Lairon D, Lamuela-Raventos R, Lopez-Miranda J, Lopez-Segura F, Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Mata P, Mataix J, Ordovas J, Osada J, Pacheco-Reyes R, Perucho M, Pineda-Priego M, Quiles JL, Ramirez-Tortosa MC, Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Sanchez-Rovira P, Solfrizzi V, Soriguer-Escofet F, de la Torre-Fornell R, Trichopoulos A, Villalba-Montoro JM, Villar-Ortiz JR, Visioli F.

Lipid and Atherosclerosis Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain.

Public Health Nutr. 2009 Sep;12(9A):1607-17. “Mediterranean diet and metabolic syndrome: the evidence.”Babio N, Bulló M, Salas-Salvadó J. Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan de Reus, IISPV, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Spain.

J Nutr Biochem. 2002 Nov;13(11):636-644.”Major phenolic compounds in olive oil: metabolism and health effects.” Tuck KL, Hayball PJ.

Centre for Pharmaceutical Research, School of Pharmaceutical, Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of South Australia, 5000, Adelaide, Australia

BMC Genomics. 2010 Apr 20;11:253. “Gene expression changes in mononuclear cells in patients with metabolic syndrome after acute intake of phenol-rich virgin olive oil.” Camargo A, Ruano J, Fernandez JM, Parnell LD, Jimenez A, Santos-Gonzalez M, Marin C, Perez-Martinez P, Uceda M, Lopez-Miranda J, Perez-Jimenez F.

IMIBIC (Instituto Maimonides de Investigacion Biomedica de Cordoba), Reina Sofia University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Spain.

J Nutr. 2008 Jun;138(6):1074-8. “An extra-virgin olive oil rich in polyphenolic compounds has antioxidant effects in OF1 mice.”Oliveras-López MJ, Berná G, Carneiro EM, López-García de la Serrana H, Martín F, López MC.

Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Engineering, Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, CIBERDEM, University of Pablo de Olavide of Seville, 41092 Seville, Spain.

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2005 Feb;15(1):13-23. “Effect of unsaturated fat intake from Mediterranean diet on rat liver mRNA expression profile: selective modulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism.” Eletto D, Leone A, Bifulco M, Tecce MF.

Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy.

Atherosclerosis. 2007 Jan;190(1):181-6. Epub 2006 Feb 20. “Postprandial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of extra virgin olive oil.” Bogani P, Galli C, Villa M, Visioli F.

Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.

J Am Coll Nutr. 2008 Apr;27(2):314-20. “Changes in LDL fatty acid composition as a response to olive oil treatment are inversely related to lipid oxidative damage: The EUROLIVE study.” Cicero AF, Nascetti S, López-Sabater MC, Elosua R, Salonen JT, Nyyssönen K, Poulsen HE, Zunft HJ, Kiesewetter H, de la Torre K, Covas MI, Kaikkonen J, Mursu J, Koenbick C, Bäumler H, Gaddi AV; EUROLIVE Study Group.

GC Descovich Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Disease Research Unit, Internal Medicine, Aging and Kidney Diseases Dept., University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.

J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Oct;26(5):434-44. “A MUFA-rich diet improves posprandial glucose, lipid and GLP-1 responses in insulin-resistant subjects.” Paniagua JA, de la Sacristana AG, Sánchez E, Romero I, Vidal-Puig A, Berral FJ, Escribano A, Moyano MJ, Peréz-Martinez P, López-Miranda J, Pérez-Jiménez F.

Lipids and Atherosclerosis Research Unit, University Hospital Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain.

Full Text: “Diet and Inflammation” Leo Galland, MD, Nutr Clin Pract December 7, 2010 vol. 25 no. 6 634-640

Power Healing: Use the New Integrated Medicine to Cure Yourself. Leo Galland, 384 pages, Random House, (June 1, 1998)

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In a group of young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), nearly two-thirds who followed a restricted elimination diet experienced a significant reduction in ADHD symptoms and oppositional defiant behavior. Going off the diet led to relapse. These are the findings in a study last month in the medical journal The Lancet.

 

I am struck by the possibility that if this study holds true to the majority of this population of kids (10% of children in the United States), that this new research confirms that FOOD is a major causative factor in ADHD!

This study reminds me of a study done about the overuse of caffeine. In a nutshell, this study took a group of medically diagnosed anxiety patients that were slated to get on drug therapy for their problem.  Before they were given the drugs, the patients were taken off all forms of caffeine.  About 75% of patient’s anxiety vanished with the removal of caffeine and thus they did not need to go on the meds.

This new study in The Lancet links ADHD to food hyper-sensitivity, suggesting that a restricted diet could help kids more than drugs.  Food for thought, don’t you think?!  Easy, NO. Worth it in the long run for the health of the kids, YES!

“In all children, we should start with diet research.  If a child’s behavior doesn’t change, then drugs may still be necessary.  But now we are giving them all drugs, and I think that’s a huge mistake,” says the study’s lead author, Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre.

Here is an article written in NPR health section about the recent Lancet study: Study: Diet May Help ADHD Kids More Than Drugs

March 12, 2011

 

Hyperactivity. Fidgeting. Inattention. Impulsivity. If your child has one or more of these qualities on a regular basis, you may be told that he or she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. If so, they’d be among about 10 percent of children in the United States.

 

Kids with ADHD can be restless and difficult to handle. Many of them are treated with drugs, but a new study says food may be the key. Published in The Lancet journal, the study suggests that with a very restrictive diet, kids with ADHD could experience a significant reduction in symptoms.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands, writes in The Lancet that the disorder is triggered in many cases by external factors — and those can be treated through changes to one’s environment.

“ADHD, it’s just a couple of symptoms — it’s not a disease,” the Dutch researcher tells All Things Considered weekend host Guy Raz.

The way we think about — and treat — these behaviors is wrong, Pelsser says. “There is a paradigm shift needed. If a child is diagnosed ADHD, we should say, ‘OK, we have got those symptoms, now let’s start looking for a cause.’ “

Pelsser compares ADHD to eczema. “The skin is affected, but a lot of people get eczema because of a latex allergy or because they are eating a pineapple or strawberries.”

According to Pelsser, 64 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food. Researchers determined that by starting kids on a very elaborate diet, then restricting it over a few weeks’ time.

“It’s only five weeks,” Pelsser says. “If it is the diet, then we start to find out which foods are causing the problems.”

Teachers and doctors who worked with children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. “In fact, they were flabbergasted,” Pelsser says.

“After the diet, they were just normal children with normal behavior,” she says. No longer were they easily distracted or forgetful, and the temper tantrums subsided.

Some teachers said they never thought it would work, Pelsser says. “It was so strange,” she says, “that a diet would change the behavior of a child as thoroughly as they saw it. It was a miracle, a teacher said.”

But diet is not the solution for all children with ADHD, Pelsser cautions.

“In all children, we should start with diet research,” she says. If a child’s behavior doesn’t change, then drugs may still be necessary. “But now we are giving them all drugs, and I think that’s a huge mistake,” she says.

Also, Pelsser warns, altering your child’s diet without a doctor’s supervision is inadvisable.

“We have got good news — that food is the main cause of ADHD,” she says. “We’ve got bad news — that we have to train physicians to monitor this procedure because it cannot be done by a physician who is not trained.”

 

 

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

 

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New LBP Study Reveals Chiropractic Is Superior to PT and MD Care

I found this new study very interesting. For one, this is a study done by a medical journal, not a Chiropractic journal so any agenda or swaying of the results is not likely.  Plus, this is a large sample size, almost a thousand people that contributed.  What the study says in a nutshell is that when patients with low back pain were tracked for a YEAR, patients that utilized physical therapy and/or medical interventions were associated with a higher recurrence of disability as opposed to patients that underwent Chiropractic care. In fact, the patients were TWICE as likely to end up disabled with a physical therapist (PT) and almost 2/3rds more likely to be disabled when partaking in traditional medical interventions.

In fact, the patients were TWICE as likely to end up disabled with a physical therapist (PT) and almost 2/3rds more likely to be disabled when partaking in traditional medical interventions, compared to those patients under Chiropractic care.

This study is unique in that it was conducted by the Center for Disability Research at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Hopkinton, Mass; and the Center for Health Economics & Science Policy at United BioSource Corporation, London, United Kingdom.

Their objective was to compare the occurrences of repeated disability episodes between types of health care providers, who treat claimants with new episodes of work-related low back pain (LBP). They followed 894 patients over 1-year, using workers’ compensation claims data.

By controlling for demographics and severity, they determined the hazard ratio (HR) for disability recurrence between 3 types of providers:

Physical Therapists (PT), Physicians (MD), and Chiropractors (DC).

The results are quite interesting:

For PTs: HR = 2.0

For MDs: HR = 1.6

For DCs: HR = 1.0

Statistically, this means you are twice as likely to end up disabled if you got your care from a PT, rather than from a DC.

You’re also 60% more likely to be disabled if you choose an MD to manage your care, rather than a DC.

The authors concluded: “In work-related nonspecific LBP, the use of health maintenance care provided by physical therapist or physician services was associated with a higher disability recurrence than with chiropractic services or no treatment.”

Health Maintenance Care in Work-Related Low Back Pain and Its Association With Disability Recurrence. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011 (Mar 14)

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

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